Ain't nothin' a good trot can't fix

 

Saturday Morning Ride with Rachel

Saturday started with clouds and muggy, humid weather. Neither Lynn nor I slept well the night before and I wasn't really feeling my best. But it's Saturday! Ride day! Rachel had told Lynn the night before she was going to meet up with us at the trailhead on Hennessey. Well, it turns out that her horse Steel (aged 5), wasn't planning on going. She could not get him to load up.

Luckily, Lynn's phone works off and on and can receive texts. She told Rachel we'd wait. So that gave Lynn time to cut blackberries back from the road, allowing her to be able to see where the edge of the ditch is. We hemmed and hawed and then decided we'd tell her where we were and she could ride up to meet us.

Lynn told her to trot up the road (3 miles) to the top. Rachel and Steel just completed an endurance ride, so he's in good shape and knows how to put the miles under his feet. We had already decided to do a long ride and go up Lynn's Favorite Trail since it was pretty nice and only 70 degrees-ish (even cooler on the backside). We waited, but no Rachel. 

Once we got to the bottom meadow, Lynn got a text from Rachel saying she was on the top; Lynn, Toby, and Katie trotted up the road to meet them and bring them down to the trail to the meadow. Jupes and I trotted up the road, but stopped and waited. It's good for him to be alone. He was not happy, but he didn't whinny or act up. Then we heard their voices and we trotted up to meet them around the corner.

From there we headed down to the meadow, across Hoop-de-doo West and on down to Lynn's Favorite and then up, up, up to the turtle pond. Our turtle was swimming! It was so cool to see him again. Heading out from there, we went up toward the road and took the left hand trail that leads to the fork off the left hand road so we could hit the top of Live Oak Spur and the Hobbit House Trail. 

Suddenly: BIG SHY! All three horses splayed out and made us laugh. The rogue bull was right there. He is HUGE and his horns are well defined. He has gotten to be a beauty. He was there and then he wasn't. I do not know how something so big can disappear so quietly. I loved seeing him. 

We came down our regular trail and so far so good, right? No bees all day. Then Jupes threw his head down (on a steep incline with his front feet in a deep indention in the trail) and started swinging his head. I about went straight over his head! Sheesh. Lynn hollered, "Are there bees?" I could not see anything because we were in thick bushes and his head was between his knees. I pulled him up and we trotted out. Lynn saw the problem: prickly pinecones had rolled down under his legs, following his path, and poking him in the fetlocks. 

I don't know if it was the breakfast hay left in the field, a new horse with us on the trail, or the cool weather on the mountain, but we trotted, jigged, and ran up hills the whole time. Since "there was no work in horseback riding," I don't know why I am so tired and beat up! LOL. Toby touched noses with Steel when they first met and he acted silly all day, too. He likes having new friends, that one.

After a good, long ride, all is well in my world. 

So happy!

Here it is! The big nest. Empty hopefully. We just don't know where the hornets went. This is an answer to prayers! We rode up the road and when we got near, we trotted hard past the where the trail meets the road. We looked back and there it was. Crushed. We can't tell if it got knocked out the tree by a branch or something or got too heavy. It is big! It was on the back side of the tree and pretty high, so that's why we didn't see it. But, dang! we had to have gone under it a bunch of times! 

The rest of the ride was pretty fun. We rode Cobweb Alley backwards. Still vigilant, but fun. Poor Jupes--every time he put his head down to scratch or shook his head, I was quick to kick him into action. Just in case. . .  lol 

There were spider webs everywhere. Lynn usually carries a madrone branch and swings it around to clear them out. I guess I missed one and left it swinging. She lost her branch when she swooped it out of her path. :) This is was she looks like: An invention for Lynn!

We finished our ride early and beat the heat. Two hours is better than none! I am glad we get to go out and with our horses and dogs (and of course, each other!). 

 

Gun Shy

 

Hornet

Where to start? Bald faced hornet/wasp? Or a gigantic horse fly?

Gigantic horse fly

Whatever it was, we got swarmed. All I can tell you is they were black. Thankfully Jupiter only got one sting and Ziva was smart enough to go around them. I saw one zooming up by Lynn and Toby, but we had a bunch. They quit following us about 20 yards up the road. Jupes humped and kicked out, but listened to my shrill, high-pitched scream, "GO!", and ran, still kicking out and head down, but ran! Sheez Louise. 

It sucked the joy right out of the day!

We kept going, but both our heads were down, looking for ground nests, and occasionally looking up for paper nests. Doggone it! Not fun.

We took a few days off and when Lynn asked me where I wanted to go, I was quick with the answer, "Underwood." Although we have come across bees in the ground near the boys' favorite grass meadow and once by the creek bed, both were a long time ago. So off we went. Both of us were still scanning the ground and trees, but I felt more relaxed and I think she was, too. The boys have been getting hay for breakfast and dinner and they had lots of energy. It was a quick, fun ride.

A Quickie

"Good, good times and tan lines"

 

Monday we headed for Mt. Shasta to stay with Cathy. Tuesday morning, Karrie Ann, Cathy, Lynn, and I drove to Lover's Camp in the Klamath Forest Service area. We rode 12.8 miles round trip into the Sky High and Frying Pan lakes. We were under the Marble Mountain ridge and near the PCT. There were TONS of flowers, step ups, large slick rock areas, and lots of water crossings. It started to rumble as we got nearer the trailhead and even sprinkled on us. We talked to the women taking in the pack train of mules to take groceries to the CCC and then move them to a new camp. We later met them on the trail as they were coming in and we were heading out. All the horses did great! Lynn said it was a day of learning experiences for TC. It was super fun. (I'll try to write more later and add pics.)

Marble Mountain Wilderness

Wednesday we rode around Karrie Ann's place. We crossed the train tracks, rode some dirt roads, and did a little cross country, trailess treks. It was good for all of us to loosen up after the long ride yesterday (sitting in my saddle always feels good!) and before we put the boys in the trailer for the ride home.

Mt. Shasta and riding with Cathy and Karrie Ann is one of my favorite destinations. 

Next Up: Riding with Rachel

 

Rachel and Lynn's first outing. Rachel is riding Jackson and brought her dog Derby.

Big Zigs' First Ride 2025

Once a "fancy mule" always a "fancy mule." LOL,  Unfortunately, we never get pics when he's wild!

 I paid to have shoes put on Zigs.   He has not been ridden in a year.  Thought I better get him out.   He comes and I halter him.    Tie him up, go get the pickup to hookup.   Figured I'd go make a turn around the ranch.   Zigs was all alone.   Poor baby.   He lost his brain.    He did 5 miles before I even got him saddled.    He went back and forth, leaping into the air.   Whinny for his buds.    I had the saddle on him for a moment.   Then I grabbed the latigo as it was going over the other side.   I got it to the ground and he of course went right over it.   I got the saddle moved, picked up the saddle pad.    Looked at him like you moron.   This went on for 30 minutes or so.   I just looked at him.  On the plus side, he looked good being stupid.    I thought he was getting worse.  I put a rope halter on top of the other halter, which is not small enough.   

I was tired just watching him.    I thought he'll wear himself out.    Nope.   I had an idea.   I'll go get one of the others and tie up beside him.  That way maybe he can find his brain again.   It's getting late now.   But I am riding him.    Tied Toby next to him, saddled him and loaded him up.   Took TC back to the field.  All the while Zigs is wearing a hole in the trailer.  Wishing I was riding TC.    

I drive up Hennessey to ride the ranch.   I leave the halter on.   I walk him up the road to get on.   I'm on!  Oops, Alisa stirrups.   Get back off.  Fix them.   I walk up the trail to a rock to get back on.    We go back down to the road and across down into the ranch.    

We are going along, everything is fine.   Then I hear something.   Stop.   Listen.  Coyotes!    I keep going.  Kate is listening.   I told her to stay close.   Not sure how much she knows, but she never went further than 10-15 feet from me.  A digger squirrel even crossed in front of her, like right in front of her.   She turned to me, I said no, stay with me.   She was listening to the coyotes.   She sensed it was dangerous.   Her tail was tucked most of the time they were howling.    We had a good ride.   We saw 2 deer in the meadow, that's rare.   I thought maybe because the coyotes are close.   A few coveys of quail, lots of young ones.     We went out the steep west side past the old homeless camp and down our trail.   He was perfect.   I got off and as we got close to the pickup he started looking for buddies, he whinnied for them.   I said you idiot, you came alone.    Boy was he sweating.    

All in all it was a good ride.   No more to the ranch, until it rains.   The star thistle is horrible and has bad grasses.   

Zigs and Lynn

Smoothin' it out

 After all the bee incidents, we needed a ride that was smooth and stress-free, so went up Underwood. It was a little weedy and overgrown, but a great ride. We did it backwards and honestly, did a lot of ground watching here, too. We have only encountered bees here twice ever and I always really pay attention in those two places, but it's been a long while. It was a fun ride and we did the extra loop portion on the end. It was a good day and I think all our nerves were soothed.

Next time we rode around the ranch. We went through the deep mud and trickling creek and although he hesitated, TC powered through. He has grown so much in confidence and trust. Lynn and Shirley always say, "Pretty is as pretty does." Well, he is a pretty boy who looks good doing it. :)

We saw the cows and were happy to see that there was a young one. They gave us a wide berth and we laughed to see how you can't tell it was ever weedeated! Sheesh! Blackberries will eventually cover the whole world!

We got new shoes last weekend and already rode some of the shine off. :) We loaded up some bee spray and hiked up the spot where Jupes first got into them. Dang cowboy boots are slick and not made for that kind of walkin'! I think I went up one step only to slide back to where I started at least four times. Lynn sprayed one spot that looked ominous, but we did not see them. It's been so hot that we know from experience the bees are active and mean--another good reason to go out early. We spent a lot of the ride looking for bees and we agreed that some of the joy is tarnished with ground watching vigilance and ear straining for overhead buzzing. But any day a horseback is a good day, so no complaining.