Next Meeting: TUESDAY  May 20, 2008 6:30 PM
Meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. from September through May at the Harris Bank (unless otherwise noted in this space).

Directions: The Harris Bank is located on the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Carefree Highway outside of El Pedregal.  At the front entrance to the bank, go through the Door to your left and down the stairs to the community room.

Greetings Fellow Horse Lovers!

We are coming to the end of the season for the Cave Creek Saddle Club. It is also the end of my tenure as President of the Cave Creek Saddle Club. I wish to thank the other members of the club who have come out and stepped up to the bat to support the club's activities and growth over the last two years. Our membership has doubled!

For those of you who served on the Board, those of you who led rides, and those of you who took time to assist at any of our events, a special thanks!

 We have a great final meeting planned. We will be hosting a Pot Luck Dinner at Frank Z's home and we will begin at 6:30 PM. All attendees should bring either a dish to contribute to the meal, or if you don't like the kitchen it would be nice to supply drinks of some sort (e.g. six pack of soda).

 There will also be FREE dewormers from Farnam for all meeting attendees.

On the agenda will be the election/nominations of new officers for the '08-'09 season. We are gladly accepting volunteers or nominations! The current candidates are:

Cindy Ramsey - Vice President                                                              Jean Anderson - Secretary                                                                Nancy Doerzbacher - Treasurer                                                              Trail Boss - Greg La Cosse                                                              President - ???????????????

The following are appointed;                                                             Newsletter - Rhonda Dimmick                                                             Event Coordinator – Barb Ciocchetti

See you there!

Susan

 ASHA Notes from Jean Anderson

We, as horsemen, know very well there is a Brown Cloud hanging over the Valley. As we are astride our horses, sitting on a hill, over looking the valley……...in the Phoenix Mountains Preserves, the Maricopa Regional Parks & the Tonto National Forest………………………it’s hard to miss!!

DUST.....is the number one challenge in the valley & surrounding areas. ASHA's VP/Membership Ed O'Brien, President Chip Wilson, Treasurer Mark Van Horn & Trail VP, John Manes, have been studying the information from the Maricopa County Associations of Governments' (better know as MAG).  They did their own study on dust. 

And some of this information is really quite interesting.
Apparently, PM (Particulate matter) is broken down by size. A particle with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less is called PM10. Particles that are still smaller, 2.5 micrometers or less, are called PM-2.5. The later of the two are the ones that get into your lungs, & cause the most of the problems.

Most politicians want you to believe that the Brown Dust in the air is caused by DUST; only partially! The Primary source of PM-2.5 in urban areas is caused by combustion sources: gasoline and diesel engine exhaust!!!! "Our brown cloud exists, not because we LIVE in a desert, it's because we DRIVE in the desert." Direct quote from Phoenix Magazine, article: Big, Brown and Bad All Over, by Elan Head.

If you all wish to read more, you may go to this link: http://www.phoenixmag.com/lifestyle/200804/big--brown-and-bad-all-over/

I HIGHLY recommend that you do read this article. It's one of the best written about the Valley's Brown Cloud.

Ed O'Brien, ASHA's VP/Membership, has written a GREAT article on DUST for the May Issue of the Horse Connection. Be sure and pick up your copy when it comes to your local

feed store or tack shop.  Almost all of them carry this publication.   Thanks……………………(cough cough)  Jean