Home European People to People Trip Peru Mission Trip Panama Jungle Mission Trip
Mariann is a very studious, self-driven young woman. She is curious and willing to research any topic. She has lived all her life taking care of exotic and domestic animals. Very conscientious, she has been known to get up at 3 am to check on any particular animal to make sure that they are safe from harm. She has done this since she was a little girl. The worrier of the family.
Mariann saved money to go on two trips - The cost of these trips
exceeded $8500. She put in overtime, did fundraisers, sold
ducks and bunnies for
Easter, and made soap for sale. She and her Dad
collected 2000# of metal to recycle along with collecting cans. All this to make
money for her trips.
**UPDATE: She raised most of the $8500 the money herself. Beth Jordan, from
Memorial Methodist Church had a fundraiser for her and she received $1400. With
donations from people in the community, she was funded $3100.
She raised $5400 herself!!!
Originally she and a friend were planning on going to Thailand for 2 months with Teen Mania's Global Expeditions. But she was nominated to People to People Student Ambassador Program and felt that it was an honor to be nominated and then accepted into the program. She and her friend revised their plans.
After being interviewed, she was accepted to participate as a member of the People to People Student Ambassador Program will be traveling this summer to Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland. The objective of the program is to promote international understanding while building leadership skills among America's youth. The 20 day experience includes meetings with government officials and interaction with other students my age. The educational activities include a visit to Vatican City and see Michelangelo’s paintings in the Sistine Chapel in Italy, go into Vienna’s famous concert halls and experience the music of Mozart and Strauss in Austria, and even see the Mona Lisa and other famous paintings at the Louvre Museum in France.
She is also traveled to Peru with Teen Mania's Global Expeditions "Giving the opportunity to travel the world and bring the Truth of Jesus Christ to the countless thousands who are in desperate need of His love."
Over Christmas she traveled
to the Panama Jungle with Global
Expeditions. And during the Summer of 2007 she was in
Mexico
Mariann's
passion is her dachshunds. She has raised and shown them since she was 11. Her
first dachshunds, Penny and Oscar were the start of this passion. She currently
has 6 dachshunds which she breeds. She has her own business called
Treasure
Hunt Dachshunds.
~ A New Litter
~Mariann's Doxies
~ Mariann and Bethany at their first AKC Dog Show
She is very
proficient in Sign Language
~Silent Hands at a performance ~
Silent Hands helped Mariann achieve her goal of $8000 to go on two trips this summer, and a trip to Panama over Christmas
She bakes Homemade Dog Biscuits for profit with her own business called Country Kids Critter Confections. She has sold these to individuals and at Craft Shows and Flea Markets. Snickerpoodles are the favorite flavor.
~ Samples of Snickerpoodles, and
Chocoholic Carob
Mariann has always had an excellent work ethic.
She is currently working at McDonald's and has been promoted to Manager at age 17 - the youngest manager they have.
She was very responsible at a very
young age for the well being of the animals here at High Lonesome Ranch, and has
always taken her jobs seriously. As there have been times we have housed more
than 100 different animals, this is no small feat.
When the Ranch was open as a Petting Zoo
to the public, Mariann took tours around, helped children learn all about our
animals, and answered questions of the kids, adults and even the newspaper.
She has given pony rides, gone to local events and shared her expertise with
different animals, and demonstrated goat milking...
She has hand raised many orphaned babies,
bottle feeding when necessary. Getting up through the night is very common to
Mariann.
~ Mariann and Roscoe Raccoon
Getting help while watering the animals
She has also helped
with:
***
Summersville Christmas Store (4 years)
*** Farm Safety Days (Demonstrator 4 years)
*** Deaf Christmas Program (5 years)
*** Relay for Life (American Cancer Society) (5 years) ***UNICEF
*** Memorial Methodist Church's Vacation Bible School (7 years)
*** Petting Zoo Live Nativity Scene (3 years)
*** Huntington Youth Group
*** High Lonesome Ranch Petting Zoo
And has helped build every building around High Lonesome, including our house.
Mariann has been homeschooled from kindergarten all through High School, and will graduate in 2008 or, following her brother and sister, sooner:
~Beginning school - age 3 1/2
~Studying
~Mariann and Angel
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~ Mariann and a piglet
~ Mariann and Maisy
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~Mariann and Mr.Llama
~
Mariann and Quilleran her porcupine
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Mariann
and her latest baby, Mickey
~ Mariann and a Labradoodle
~ Seasick
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~ Mariann and
Princess 
Strawbaby
and Sugarbaby
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~ Mariann's
Experimental Hair
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~In the Barrel ~After
the Barrel incident~
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Mariann and her sister, Bethany
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Mariann, Dad, and Bethany
Mariann, Brandon, and Bethany
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