Memorial Day Weekend 2023

 

T/C Puddle jumping  (my video of Lynn)

*Saturday was a great ride. What a day for wildflowers! I could not stop my head from swiveling! It was gorgeous. The lilies were everywhere and the spaghetti flowers had popped open and were in clumps along the trails. It was so awesome.

We went to our Gray's Creek trail and with very little trimming made the whole loop. It was fun. Lynn rode T/C as you can see in the videos and both dogs stayed close by and there were no mishaps. Oh! And I found a very nice small ax. Score!

Lower Cobweb Alley Dry Creek Trail (Lynn's video of us)

Toby/Cobie is still struggling with some of the water crossings and yet, some he doesn't even hesitate over. Jupiter was great and did everything I asked of him. He has been very responsive to leg cues and we are working on being great partners.

Ziva found shade to relax in every time we stopped and Katie ran twice as many miles as we rode, but always stayed close enough to readjust her direction to stay with us.

*Shoeless Joe strikes again! Monday we were going to ride Lynn's favorite trail on the Hennessey, but the clinker I noticed on Saturday came off somewhere in the field. Although Jupes was good and let us fiddle with his foot trying to shave of some hoof and get him in a boot, it was to no avail. Lynn offered Big Zigs for me ride, but we elected to get that fence painted. We have been planning it for ever and it just never happened. Well it's DONE! It was fun and not too hot.

An Early Sunday Morning

 

Saturday was my brother's memorial, so I dropped off Ziva at Lynn's for a haircut and time to play with KD. We didn't get to ride on what turned out to be a really pretty and perfect temperature type of day. However, we got up early and headed up Underwood on Sunday. (My niece said, "we saw your car at Lynn's at 7:30!!" A 14-year-old amazed that we were already out and about at 6:00ish. lol)

It was our first day up there and we were excited to see if the big snag was still standing. It was definitely a bushwacking kind of day! Trees, limbs, and general messy trails awaited us--always fun!! And drumroll. . . . the snag was still standing up. It is buckling in the middle, so it's getting closer to laying its tired, old body down. There were flowers everywhere; even some that neither of remember ever seeing. The misty morning had fog sitting on the ridge and in the valley beyond our cliff. 

The flowers were amazing. I don't know if I have ever seen so many and so unique. It was the coolest.

Lynn rode Ziggy and both he and the fat boy were sweating climbing those hills. We worked on taking trails down to cut off more of the road riding. Ziggy twirled a baton between his back legs that had Jupiter pulling up to watch so he didn't get in the chest by the big limb. Lynn did some big logging while I sat and watched, then we made a bushy trail on down to the bottom road. When we came out of the bushes, I reminded Lynn that this was where Jupes through his big fit last year. So far so good--sixth ride and no fits yet. He's behaving like the mature horse of 18 he is supposed to be.

Ziva and Kate had a fun day and both are obviously getting into good shape for longer summer rides. 

Still standing strong.

Long Ride

 First hot day of the year--93 predicted and 93 it is. That said, of course we went out early. I was a little late (so what's new?) but we headed out by 6:45. We got to our turnout trailhead and Lynn woke up the pot heads with the panic button on the truck and neither of us know how to turn it off quickly. Poor Katie was howling. We're here! :)

Ziggy is losing shoe, so he didn't get to go on what would've been his turn. Cobie is getting to be so good. Lynn mounts easily now anywhere. Water wasn't a huge issue either. She did make him go through some extra puddles and redo a couple creek crossings. One of them was on the hoop-de-do trail over past the meadow on the west side of Hennessey; Kate thought it was something fun to do so as Lynn was talking to Cobie about stepping down and walking through it, she sailed to the moon over it. Not a good role model! 

We rode down toward Heidi's house on our trail so we could come up Cobweb Alley. Both of us knew we would probably need to do some logging. Yep. It was really something. I got smacked and poked and even had a looooong twig go up my nose!! Sheesh. But we cleared it. 

Today was our 5th ride--I don't want to jinx myself but, so far, no trouble from Jupiter. In fact, I have been amazed at how good he is at siding up so I can get on. I love that. He is such a good boy when he wants to be.

We also have taken some road riding off our trail. We have started using part of an old trail where a tree fell and made it difficult to get around. It's a little steep for the how heavy Jupes is right now, but it will help him to burn some calories. :) We're not sure about riding tomorrow--but today was really fun. Again there were tons of flowers everywhere. All kinds. All colors. But the one below was the most eye catching. 

Trillium Days

 

Even if the weather doesn't know it, it's spring! And life is good! Today was our fourth ride, but it almost didn't happen. Predicted to rain today, we were like iffy on going. Then the sun came out and gave us false hope and away we went. lol. Lynn said she's fine with it raining while we're riding, but it's no fun starting out that way and saddling up in it. That's how you get your butt wet! We both are once again singing our praises of our chinks.

It was a cold day on the Hennessey and spitting hail and rain with occasional wind to boot, but it was such a good day. Both Cobie and Jupiter were well behaved and plowed through the running water and handled the changing weather like old hands. Both of them are happy and fat, but still glad to get off the place and go for a ride. 

Flowers are everywhere--especially Trilliums. I don't know if I have ever seen so many. Everything is blooming and the dark skies seemed to make all the colors pop. So even though it rained occasionally on us, we enjoyed our ride. We even explored some, but we are taking it easy and getting our fat boys in shape slowly. They have been on grass for a week and definitely gained some LBs. :) 

Katie got too far away from us today and came high-tailing it back, tongue just hanging. Cobie thought there was a boogey man out there, so maybe Katie went trailing after it. Anyway, twice she got too far away and kind of scared me some.

Last week Katie jumped up a grouse on Saturday and then on Sunday, we met Opie with a 22 lb. turkey he had just shot down on the ranch. Both girls really sniffed it. Cobie walked straight at Opie without even noticing the creek he walked through, but Jupes had his head high and kept stopping to look at him. I said, "It's just Opie." Jupes said, "I don't know what an Opie is!!" Silly boy.

So far so good--Jupes has made it through four rides without a tantrum (yay!) and Cobie is standing and letting Lynn get on as well as walking through water. All is well with our world.

Supposed to pour down rain tomorrow. . . .