We rode on Saturday and had a nice day. It got hot before we got off the hill, but we were home by 10. No bees, no riders fell off, and all dogs stayed close to their people. It was fun all the way around. (: We didn't ride Sunday because the smoke was too thick.
We have been picking apples to take to the boys and they recognize the bucket and come running. Jupiter about took out Lynn one day in his rush to get to the apples first. I try to save Brady a pear whenever I can, because we all know he is the special one (whether Jupes thinks so or not!).
Last night we pounded posts again. It was harder because the ground is so compacted. We only have about five left to do and then we need to do the end posts. I am not looking forward to that as I think it sounds really hard. However, changing out the barbed wire may be the hardest part of all. Together, Lynn and I are like comedy capers anyway, but adding in the sharp barbs may take all fun out of it. (:
The best part of last night was watching the horses. They ran and bucked and raced up and down the field. They looked so pretty and powerful. Ziggy is so fast! He started out in back of the pack and effortlessly passed everyone and won the race to the top fence. He is so smooth; he doesn't even look like he was trying. Jupes herded Buster back and forth across the top fence--running from one end to the other. Then he ran down into the middle of the field and stood there with his mane flowing in the breeze and standing like a show horse. Dang, he's beautiful! (:
Once they stopped to catch their breaths, we went back to work. Pretty soon we had Buster on one side of the fence watching and Jupiter on our side of fence breathing down our necks. The rest of them stood over to the side and watched as well. Silly things. Just looking at them makes my heart swell with love! I am so glad I finally got a horse and I have been blessed with good friends!
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Country girls
Hanging out with Lynn is always a potential opportunity for fun. Yesterday was no different.
Lynn asked me to come down and help "pound posts." I had no idea what that would look like, but I readily agreed. I picked a bucket of apples up for the boys and headed down. She had five (I think) barbed wire, metal fence posts loaded on the quad. She added a heavy, two-handled "pounder" and we were off.
Talk about easy! She must have been doing all the hard work, because honestly I thought we could've done the whole fence line! (: She cautioned me that the next day might remind me how old I am and that I should pace myself. Too true--I always forget!
From there we talked about making jelly from cherry plums. What a good idea! So we went to pick them. It was a hoot! We put a sheet down and then shook the tree! Plums went raining into the sheet--bouncing off our heads. We got a whole five-gallon bucket! I am excited to start cooking them tomorrow and then turning them into jelly. I love canning. It falls under that "instant gratification" column.
So there you have it--one real country girl and one quasi-country girl doing chores. (:
Lynn asked me to come down and help "pound posts." I had no idea what that would look like, but I readily agreed. I picked a bucket of apples up for the boys and headed down. She had five (I think) barbed wire, metal fence posts loaded on the quad. She added a heavy, two-handled "pounder" and we were off.
Talk about easy! She must have been doing all the hard work, because honestly I thought we could've done the whole fence line! (: She cautioned me that the next day might remind me how old I am and that I should pace myself. Too true--I always forget!
From there we talked about making jelly from cherry plums. What a good idea! So we went to pick them. It was a hoot! We put a sheet down and then shook the tree! Plums went raining into the sheet--bouncing off our heads. We got a whole five-gallon bucket! I am excited to start cooking them tomorrow and then turning them into jelly. I love canning. It falls under that "instant gratification" column.
So there you have it--one real country girl and one quasi-country girl doing chores. (:
Monday, July 15, 2013
A couple of recent rides
I am getting awfully slow about relating our weekend adventures! Sorry!
Weekend before last, Jupiter bucked me off. I am not sure why. Lynn says he was mad because Ziggy cut us off and got in front coming off the new trail. This is definitely a possibility. It could however be that since I am more of a novice rider than perhaps I appear--I may have done something that caused him to rebel. He was picking up his pace and I may have pulled too hard on the reins. I don't know. It felt like he was crow hopping and twisting. At any rate, I went off sideways to our right. I landed on a shoulder and knee and kind of twisted. But I think I popped up pretty quickly--you know everything happens so fast, it's hard to know exactly. Anyway, I am fine. Another scraped knee--another scar--another story to tell. Sandi says it's better to have a horse who fights to be in the front than a horse who never wants in the lead; so that's one way to look at it. (:
Last weekend we went up Underwood to ride our new loop. It turned in to an adventure, too. We saw two fawns about the same size as Haley. She was on one of them--inches from catching a leg or landing on top of it. She disappeared and we called and called. Finally she found us. Then we saw a woman sitting on car wrapped in a blanket. I figured she had spent the night under the stars with her hubby (who was going potty in the bushes). As we went down the road, we met a car coming up toward the woman. They were friendly enough, but it was weird. Then we met ANOTHER car! It came from the direction of a dead end road. Lynn said and we agreed that probably they were checking to see who was in the second car.
But then Haley disappeared again! This time Lynn and Ziggy ran back up the road looking for her. She came to Shirley and me down at the bottom, but as Lynn was coming back, Haley took off again up the mountain! They thought maybe she was scared and lost and couldn't see or hear Lynn who was 10 yards clomp, clomping (Ziggy not Lynn) from her, but I think there was something in forest that she was concerned about. We had to call and call again and look for her a little in the woods. Anyway, based on her trip to the top, Lynn said all the people in the three cars were friends. So I guess they were just ordinary drug dealers/growers. It was still weird to see people and cars way back in there. (I wonder if they have hidden cameras and know when it's just us.)
Coming up the hill where there's a tree across the road, I decided to take the route Lynn and Alisa took rather than the one Shirley and I took last time. I knew Jupes didn't want to go that way and I figured it would be good to make him do what I wanted. Well, he was right. We got caught up in the brush, which he doesn't like at all; I got wrapped up in it too and as I was calming him down and trying to free myself so I wouldn't be brushed off, he jumped sideways and banged my left knee into a tree. Doggone it! Another swollen and scabby knee!
Haley was so tired that night that she just went to bed (Lynn's bed, not her own)--probably from stress as well as physical activity. I didn't get to go on Sunday and haven't heard any stories, so it must have been without any weird events and everyone's horse behaved and the proficient riders they are just sat their seats. (:
So there you have it--two weekends in one post.
Weekend before last, Jupiter bucked me off. I am not sure why. Lynn says he was mad because Ziggy cut us off and got in front coming off the new trail. This is definitely a possibility. It could however be that since I am more of a novice rider than perhaps I appear--I may have done something that caused him to rebel. He was picking up his pace and I may have pulled too hard on the reins. I don't know. It felt like he was crow hopping and twisting. At any rate, I went off sideways to our right. I landed on a shoulder and knee and kind of twisted. But I think I popped up pretty quickly--you know everything happens so fast, it's hard to know exactly. Anyway, I am fine. Another scraped knee--another scar--another story to tell. Sandi says it's better to have a horse who fights to be in the front than a horse who never wants in the lead; so that's one way to look at it. (:
Last weekend we went up Underwood to ride our new loop. It turned in to an adventure, too. We saw two fawns about the same size as Haley. She was on one of them--inches from catching a leg or landing on top of it. She disappeared and we called and called. Finally she found us. Then we saw a woman sitting on car wrapped in a blanket. I figured she had spent the night under the stars with her hubby (who was going potty in the bushes). As we went down the road, we met a car coming up toward the woman. They were friendly enough, but it was weird. Then we met ANOTHER car! It came from the direction of a dead end road. Lynn said and we agreed that probably they were checking to see who was in the second car.
But then Haley disappeared again! This time Lynn and Ziggy ran back up the road looking for her. She came to Shirley and me down at the bottom, but as Lynn was coming back, Haley took off again up the mountain! They thought maybe she was scared and lost and couldn't see or hear Lynn who was 10 yards clomp, clomping (Ziggy not Lynn) from her, but I think there was something in forest that she was concerned about. We had to call and call again and look for her a little in the woods. Anyway, based on her trip to the top, Lynn said all the people in the three cars were friends. So I guess they were just ordinary drug dealers/growers. It was still weird to see people and cars way back in there. (I wonder if they have hidden cameras and know when it's just us.)
Coming up the hill where there's a tree across the road, I decided to take the route Lynn and Alisa took rather than the one Shirley and I took last time. I knew Jupes didn't want to go that way and I figured it would be good to make him do what I wanted. Well, he was right. We got caught up in the brush, which he doesn't like at all; I got wrapped up in it too and as I was calming him down and trying to free myself so I wouldn't be brushed off, he jumped sideways and banged my left knee into a tree. Doggone it! Another swollen and scabby knee!
Haley was so tired that night that she just went to bed (Lynn's bed, not her own)--probably from stress as well as physical activity. I didn't get to go on Sunday and haven't heard any stories, so it must have been without any weird events and everyone's horse behaved and the proficient riders they are just sat their seats. (:
So there you have it--two weekends in one post.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
A week of Saturdays & two Sundays
When you're on vacation, every day feels like Saturday. What a great week we have had on Lynn's vacation. (: Today, we rode around the ranch/lower meadow on the Hennessey. We rode on the east side of the barn where it is park-like.We went up the steep quad track as far as we could go (there were two trees that were too low to go under and too long to go around) and back around to our favorite short cut/new trail. It's always fun and games until someone loses a dog! ):
Haley and Sammi took off after something and disappeared into the woods. Haley came back, but no Sammi. After much calling and whistling, Lynn finally said she was going to backtrack and see if she could find her. Sure enough, she was a ridge over from where we were, nose to the ground, tracking her way back from who knows where! She was easily as scared as Alisa and was happy to be reunited with familiar horses, dogs, and most of all her momma! She stayed really close to Keota and did not wander off or chase anything after that.
It was a quick ride so Alisa could come home, shower, and head out. I came home took a nap, fiddled in my yard, and basically whittled away the day. I told my neighbor I would see him tomorrow at work. Hmmm. It was hours later when I realized it was only Saturday. I guess since Alisa was going home, I thought it was Sunday!
So anyway, here I am enjoying a cool sprinkle on Sunday morning wondering if my horse is looking for me or just enjoying his day off with his friends. I know I miss him--it's pretty fun to ride every day!
I guess it's time for me make my summer list of "to dos" and get crackin'. I have lots of projects I can be working on during the week days so I can ride on the weekends with my riding partners. I am happy it's summer--it's time to get organized--then I can get everything done and play, too. Thanks for a great week to kick it off!
Haley and Sammi took off after something and disappeared into the woods. Haley came back, but no Sammi. After much calling and whistling, Lynn finally said she was going to backtrack and see if she could find her. Sure enough, she was a ridge over from where we were, nose to the ground, tracking her way back from who knows where! She was easily as scared as Alisa and was happy to be reunited with familiar horses, dogs, and most of all her momma! She stayed really close to Keota and did not wander off or chase anything after that.
It was a quick ride so Alisa could come home, shower, and head out. I came home took a nap, fiddled in my yard, and basically whittled away the day. I told my neighbor I would see him tomorrow at work. Hmmm. It was hours later when I realized it was only Saturday. I guess since Alisa was going home, I thought it was Sunday!
So anyway, here I am enjoying a cool sprinkle on Sunday morning wondering if my horse is looking for me or just enjoying his day off with his friends. I know I miss him--it's pretty fun to ride every day!
I guess it's time for me make my summer list of "to dos" and get crackin'. I have lots of projects I can be working on during the week days so I can ride on the weekends with my riding partners. I am happy it's summer--it's time to get organized--then I can get everything done and play, too. Thanks for a great week to kick it off!
Friday, June 21, 2013
Days 3 & 4: Bear Basin & Underwood
Wednesday morning started in the dark and with little sleep, for most of the humans anyway. The horses were ready to go--they knew it was going to be fun. Unfortunately, Zigman has not been himself so Lynn took Buster to ride. We stopped in Weaverville at Marino's and had a good breakfast and then we headed up Highway 3 for 29 miles to the Swift Creek turnoff and then a looong, teeth-rattling, bone-jarring six miles into the trailhead.
It was a gorgeous morning! The azaleas were still blooming and made the trail smell wonderful. There were Tiger Lillies and Columbine and Pitcher Plants and lots of other unidentified, but pretty wildflowers blooming along the trail. There was a lot of water and the horses and dogs were able to drink whenever they chose.
We saw deer, but no bears. We met horse-eating monster backpackers with long antennas meant for fishing that scared the beejeebers out of Buster. We traversed up and down steep, rocky paths and rode along beautiful green meadows. In fact, the horses thought maybe they were in Heaven again eating all the grass their hearts desired (as fast as they could!).
I think Lynn said it best: Bear Basin is magical. We discussed whether to go ahead and ride up to the peak, but a cold wind came down off the snow and the sky was getting a little dark that way, so we decided to get down off there before either lightning or snow fell on us.
The horses did fantastic. They paid attention to their feet and chose good places to put them. No one slipped badly or seemed worried about the trail. Buster is not used to being in front and he was a nervous wreck--sweating and pooping--but he did just fine. Lynn learned just how quick he is a couple times when he turned all the way around on the trail before she even knew he was going to do it! He also was quick to climb straight up a bank to get away from the backpack monsters. She said where Ziggy is the Cadillac that floats along and makes wide corners, Buster is the sportscar with quick handling and road hugging performance.
After hamburgers at Marino's, Lynn gave her own show of "flinging it out the window" by making her riding bra a bright green flag as we pulled out of the parking lot. We were all punchy and silly, but it couldn't have been more fun.
Today, we took the boys up Underwood for a quick, loosen-up your legs and backs ride. We did some steep climbs, but found a cool loop we can make to hook two of our trails together. It has a great view of the valley to the west as well and I am sort of surprised we can't see the ocean we are so high! Again, this is a great time of year to ride as there is a lot of grass and water available.
Alisa and Keota put on a show by performing like jumpers on TV--we came up to downfall log with some water running alongside it. Keo decided not to get his feet wet. Just as I turned back to see if they were fine, he picked up both his front feet, curling them just like he was going over the big poles, then he kind of coiled, and sprung forward off his back legs all in one motion as he gracefully jumped out and over the obstacle. Alisa said it was smooth and lots of fun! She wanted to go back and do it again. It sure looked neat!
In the afternoon, we took Zigs over to see Dr. Branch. He said maybe we should give him something to clean out his belly to make sure there's no sand rubbing in there. He said there are 85 feet of intestines in a horse! They have lots of hills and valleys and the sand can settle in them. So all the boys are going to have some! (I wasn't there to give it them, so I hope it went okay!) The blood work will come in tomorrow, but everything else tested okay. We are all hoping he will get over whatever is making him be "off" and be fine soon!
It was a gorgeous morning! The azaleas were still blooming and made the trail smell wonderful. There were Tiger Lillies and Columbine and Pitcher Plants and lots of other unidentified, but pretty wildflowers blooming along the trail. There was a lot of water and the horses and dogs were able to drink whenever they chose.
We saw deer, but no bears. We met horse-eating monster backpackers with long antennas meant for fishing that scared the beejeebers out of Buster. We traversed up and down steep, rocky paths and rode along beautiful green meadows. In fact, the horses thought maybe they were in Heaven again eating all the grass their hearts desired (as fast as they could!).
I think Lynn said it best: Bear Basin is magical. We discussed whether to go ahead and ride up to the peak, but a cold wind came down off the snow and the sky was getting a little dark that way, so we decided to get down off there before either lightning or snow fell on us.
The horses did fantastic. They paid attention to their feet and chose good places to put them. No one slipped badly or seemed worried about the trail. Buster is not used to being in front and he was a nervous wreck--sweating and pooping--but he did just fine. Lynn learned just how quick he is a couple times when he turned all the way around on the trail before she even knew he was going to do it! He also was quick to climb straight up a bank to get away from the backpack monsters. She said where Ziggy is the Cadillac that floats along and makes wide corners, Buster is the sportscar with quick handling and road hugging performance.
After hamburgers at Marino's, Lynn gave her own show of "flinging it out the window" by making her riding bra a bright green flag as we pulled out of the parking lot. We were all punchy and silly, but it couldn't have been more fun.
Today, we took the boys up Underwood for a quick, loosen-up your legs and backs ride. We did some steep climbs, but found a cool loop we can make to hook two of our trails together. It has a great view of the valley to the west as well and I am sort of surprised we can't see the ocean we are so high! Again, this is a great time of year to ride as there is a lot of grass and water available.
Alisa and Keota put on a show by performing like jumpers on TV--we came up to downfall log with some water running alongside it. Keo decided not to get his feet wet. Just as I turned back to see if they were fine, he picked up both his front feet, curling them just like he was going over the big poles, then he kind of coiled, and sprung forward off his back legs all in one motion as he gracefully jumped out and over the obstacle. Alisa said it was smooth and lots of fun! She wanted to go back and do it again. It sure looked neat!
In the afternoon, we took Zigs over to see Dr. Branch. He said maybe we should give him something to clean out his belly to make sure there's no sand rubbing in there. He said there are 85 feet of intestines in a horse! They have lots of hills and valleys and the sand can settle in them. So all the boys are going to have some! (I wasn't there to give it them, so I hope it went okay!) The blood work will come in tomorrow, but everything else tested okay. We are all hoping he will get over whatever is making him be "off" and be fine soon!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Day 2: Hennessey
Today was another great day--cool and comfortable riding weather. Of course, there was the little matter of wet cedar trees and tablespoons of water in cupped Madrone leaves! We all know why cowboys wore chaps, that's for sure!
The four of us rode up to the top of Hennessey and then down and around to the pond, making stops for good, high-mountain blue grass and sips of clear creek water. The boys all behaved perfectly and a joyful day was had by all.
The four of us rode up to the top of Hennessey and then down and around to the pond, making stops for good, high-mountain blue grass and sips of clear creek water. The boys all behaved perfectly and a joyful day was had by all.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Day 1: Lacks Creek
It's the first day of our riding vacation and we set off for Lacks Creek off Bair Rd in Redwood Valley. Jupiter, Keota, & Zigs were easy to catch and it took the three of them (Shirley, Alisa, and Lynn) to corner to Star. But then we were off!
The road was dirt and somewhat slippery once we got off the main paved road and head up the hill. We accidentally passed the kiosk for our trailhead, but after meeting a friendly logtruck driver that Lynn knew we headed back to it. He even left us a great sign (actually two signs!) in case we were even more stupid than we appeared. (:
Once we were saddled up and on the trail, it was awesome. The trails were clearly marked and easy to follow. The footing was good and there was a lot of water for both the animals and for us if we had needed it. We went on the Beaver Ridge trail to Faulkner Trail which led to a meadow where we snacked while the horses ate good grass. We saw a huge redtail hawk, a ginormous black bull, a bunch of cows, a horse-eating gray boulder, but although we saw elk dung, we didn't see any elk. We went back up the trail and got back on Beaver Ridge and we followed it out pretty far, but decided that would be another day's ride.
As soon as we got back to the trucks, the heavens opened up and it poured rain! The horses were ready to get in the trailer even without having any grain. We also met two really nice BLM guys. They want people to use their trails and are working on marking some more. We all decided this ride is a definite do-over!
It was a good day and great way to start our riding week--even Star had a good time. I can't wait until tomorrow.
The road was dirt and somewhat slippery once we got off the main paved road and head up the hill. We accidentally passed the kiosk for our trailhead, but after meeting a friendly logtruck driver that Lynn knew we headed back to it. He even left us a great sign (actually two signs!) in case we were even more stupid than we appeared. (:
As soon as we got back to the trucks, the heavens opened up and it poured rain! The horses were ready to get in the trailer even without having any grain. We also met two really nice BLM guys. They want people to use their trails and are working on marking some more. We all decided this ride is a definite do-over!
It was a good day and great way to start our riding week--even Star had a good time. I can't wait until tomorrow.
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