Birdsong, a sack of potatoes, and peace

                                    

Saturday

 SHOES!!!  Yay! Finally, the farrier made time for us to get our shoes replaced. It's been a month. Okay, maybe only three weeks, three LONG weeks without riding during prime riding time. It made me cranky. 

So Saturday, we were off!! What a great day. All I could hear were all different kinds of birds singing and maybe even some baby birds chirping. At the top of Hennessey, we turned left and went up Widow Maker Ridge (also known as Deadwood Ridge--I forget what I call it each time! lol) and turned left at Indy's frog pond. We went off to do some bushwacking. We have not done that spot the same way twice. Jupes is always trying to tell me, but I don't always listen and we go off behind Lynn who isn't listening to her horse either. LOL. Then we rode down to the turtle pond and back up through the big meadow. It was nice. Katie got a lot of running in. She was everywhere and running hard to catch up with us.

On the way out, we were trotting. Jupes and Zigs like to do the rollercoaster trot and sometimes Zigs even gets in a lope. We go down the last little hill back toward the trailer and then up and a pause by the tree and then swoop down the trail. There's a tight little turn right before the creek bed. Jupes likes to do that quick turn, so I leaned down and into his neck so I would miss the low hanging branches. Then, YIKES! Jupes got caught up with the down madrone right there sticking in his chest and I was caught on a sharp limb hanging down. He jagged and I slid down his neck like a sack of potatoes. WHUMP.  I was on the ground and he trying to get out of the mess of madrone. T/C was "outta here!!" Something scary just happened and he whirled around and wanted to head back up the trail. I was trying to tell Lynn, "I'm fine," but the wind was knocked out of me. She asked, "How's your arm?" So I waved them at her, wheezing, "I'm fine, I just gotta catch my breath." Too funny. I didn't fall very far or very hard. Just kind of slid down him. I have a few bruises and scratch from the limb, but all's well. Lynn thought I was going to hang from the tree branch, but I think I might have broken it on the way down. lol

Sunday

My dad passed away in December 2010. I had his ashes forever on my entertainment center. I just didn't know what to do with them. The more time passed, the harder it was to face it. Finally, several years ago, I made up my mind to just deal with it. On Father's Day, I would take him to the top of the ride on Underwood. It's a beautiful place. I asked my brother if it mattered to him. It did. So in a fit of frustration, I told him to take the ashes (and our uncle's) home with him. He put them outside in the fern bed. Once upon a time, it was a really pretty place. Then my brother passed away. I told my nephew to find the ashes and please bring them to me. They were full of water. So I have left them in my garage since January. Every time I passed by them, I felt disrespectful and awful. Once again, I was in the dilemma of what do I do? 

Finally, I asked Lynn if Big Zigs could pack my dad up to Underwood. So on Sunday, we took his ashes to the rocks below the big white snag. It's a special place. As we rode up through the bushes, we saw a huge bird sitting on the tree. It was white with light brown speckles on it. It lifted up and flew before we could capture its picture. I think it was a Red Tail, but we could only see its underside. Its presence was powerful. 

I put my dad ashes right by this big clump of yellow flowers. He planted a yellow rose at his house and gave me one for my house. He knew I liked yellow. It felt so good. Both Lynn and I felt the peace and overall perfection of what we did. I feel so much better. I am very happy that we did it! 

I'm so happy we have shoes! It was a GREAT weekend--looking forward to the next one!

 

Never a dull moment

 Saturday:  BBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz

Jupes got his shoe put back on and we not only found Ziggy's shoes, he too had them reshod. So off we went to finally ride Lynn's favorite trail. Well, it was a bit creepy in the process. I always think I hear things (go figure) and the wind kind of blows through my helmet so if I turn my head just right, it kind of hums. That and the sound of the airplane that always finds me. So when Lynn said, "Stop. Listen. Do you hear anything?" I was like, "Yeah." But then I really listened. I asked, "Motorcycles on Gray's Trail?" "No," she said. "Someone running a chainsaw?" "No," she said. I forget what else I guessed and we went on. 

We were on the westside hoop-de-do trail and dipping and diving and DUCKING. I hollered for myself. Then I yelled back at her, "Low bridge!" But it was too late, she was scraping under, too (T/C is taller than Jupes). Every 20 feet or so, we would stop as we were coming down to the creek and listen. The sound was getting louder. Definitely it was the sound of a SWARM of bees. A LARGE SWARM OF BEES. We think it was up the hill where the motorcycles have a steep trail. The horses were looking up there and it was LOUD. AND SCARY. We hightailed it out of there, hoping they didn't smell us. It was freaky.

As we rode on, T/C did great through the little water crossings. We got up to the little meadow and they ate grass and granola bars. Then we headed up the steep part. Sort of. Trees and detritus everywhere. Jupes was in the lead and he did a great job skirting all the downed stuff. Then we got to the part where
we skimmy along the log. There was a huge tree down blocking the path. He and I went a bit and came back to the turn to look up the hill for a way to the road. 

There's a deep water trough that runs along the trail. Toby/Cobie got nervous. He couldn't see us very well and he doesn't like to be left behind. Lynn and I were discussing what I could see and what she thought might work. I hollered back that she should follow us--Jupes found a pretty easy way up. We waited on the road for her. She was on foot! She worried that Cobie would slip down in that deep ditch and both of them would be hurt. Yikes. But they made it up fine and away we went.

On the way back, Jupes had a clinker. Dang it. Thankfully he didn't lose it. Lynn crimped the nails tighter when we got home. On the ride home, Jupiter must have been itchy. He didn't have his halter on when I opened the door. Sheesh.

Overall, it was a good ride and a great day.

Sunday: No Buzzing: Just a Deer, Jackrabbit, white Bunny rabbit, Grouse, and more flowers

Jupiter still had his shoes on! Yay! I want to ride my own horse. He is being so good. Lynn rode big Zigs. He was happy to go--even on a full belly. Lee said he ran the whole time we were gone on Saturday, so he is at least staying in shape. 

Lynn let Ziggy choose his own trail, so we went up Deadwood Ridge to the Turtle Pond. The irises were like a blanket on the hillside. Pictures don't do it justice.

Both Lynn's horses are quirky. Ziggy had the itches. Unlike T/C who straddles scratchy trees and bushes, Ziggy stopped right in front us and backed up to a rough fir tree to scratch his butt. 

It was another wonderful day on the Hennessey. May we have many, many more.

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. . . .

First Day!

 Yaaay! The boys got shoes on Thursday and today we rode up the Hennessy. There was water running down all the trails. There weren't very many wildflowers showing their heads, yet. It was obvious that the motorcycle riders have been up before us and lots of limbs were trimmed on the trail. There were trees that had come down and had been sawed on the road. But overall, our east side trail was good. 

Lynn rode Ziggy today. We have not been ahorseback since November!! It's the longest we have ever not ridden!! Anyway, she wanted to get her legs under her and knew that Zigs would take good care of her. T/C stayed home in the corral/pen and ate grass. He was happy to see us, but Lee didn't tell us that Cobie had been crazy or anything. 

Ziggy was his normal easy going self. Jupiter did really good going up; he had to stop and catch his breath a few times--both he and I are overweight and out of shape. We only went to the top and then headed back down. I was pleased that Jupes was ready to keep going, but once I turned him toward home, it was on. We trotted the whole way. He put his head down and pulled against the reins and said, "let's go!" And I cannot make him walk. Dang it. The good thing was that when I turned him up the hill instead of toward the truck, he kept on trotting. He was willing to keep going, so that made me happy. 

Ziva and Katie had a great time and Ziva is stretched out asleep as I type. Lynn has tons of chores to do, so K.D. will not be sleeping for a few more hours.  

Although it is hazy, the sun is shining and it's 77 degrees. I love it. I am looking forward to next weekend already.