Camping at Blue Mound State Park with a guest appearance from "Little Mexico."

Last weekend was my last camp outing for the year.

....and I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad.

Now don't get me wrong.....I still love camping.  I anticipate many more enjoyable trips in my future-- both at my favorite places as well as new ones....and certainly more that involve horses!

...but I'm still glad that it's over for the year. I'm ready for fall weather and I'm ready to settle down for the colder months and enjoy some bonding time with my animals.

I don't want to sound like a whiner, but  the truth of the matter is that camping this summer has been rough, lackluster, and without much enjoyment.

Except for my first outing with the horses at Wildcat SP with Vickie, all of my trips have included rain, extreme humidity, and hot weather. While I DO expect some of that over the course of a camping season, I don't expect to deal with it every day for every trip. In short--this summer has sucked for camping.

I know that come April of 2017, I will once again be raring to get the tent out and get next season started, so there's that.

....and I'm cool with that.

For now, I'll blog a little about this last trip.

For the reasons I mentioned above, I almost didn't go.

At a week away,  the weather looked absolutely perfect. The prediction had been for partly sunny skies, 70 's temps during the day and high 50 ' s at night. Ideal camp weather in my mind.

Once midweek rolled in, the predictions changed to 40% chance of storms Friday evening into Saturday. Ok--not great, but that still left decent temps and a 60% chance that things would remain dry. I could live with that. I felt I was certainly due a nice weekend for camping.

....then just 2 days away, the rain chance was up to 80% with rain & storms likely overnight and through most of the day Saturday.

Shit.

For us, this was to be a simple weekend outing for 2 nights. We would check in on Friday and leave on Sunday.  With short, weekend trips, that really only leaves Saturday to relax and enjoy the day.

...and they were predicting rain all day on Saturday.

We had made reservations at Blue Mound State Park (Non-electric site #44) for this outing. It's not one of my more common picks, but it's still a very nice park that remains on my short list of enjoyable camping destinations.

My co-worker/friend, Wendy was also camping in the site across from us. We had planned to do this earlier in the summer and Wendy has been collecting camping items all summer long in preparation for this weekend. It would be her first camping experience with her family.

.....and yet, I still wanted to bail.

I just wasn't in the mood for another wet, steamy outing (...and I didn't mention it, but they were also now predicting high humidity with slowly climbing temps as well).

I was on the phone to my mom the moment I saw the weather forecast go down the tubes. I told her my enthusiasm for camping had reached an all time low and at that point, I just wanted to spend the weekend at home with my animals.

I thought my mom would be disappointed if I didn't want to go, but she wasn't.  She understood. She said she was fine with staying home and she was fine with going.

I talked to Wendy the next day and she, too, said it was okay with her if I decided not to go. As for her family, they were still going. It was their first trip and they were determined not to let a bit of rain (or a torrential,  downpour with a side of thunder and lightening) spoil their fun.

I wanted to ask her if she could put that enthusiasm into a drink and share some of that with me.....

So, for the next day and a half -- I struggled with the decision on whether or not I really wanted to go. I told myself that I have never backed out of a camp trip before. Just like Wendy, I had always been determined to make the best of it.

....but one more in  the humidity and rain and heat...

Ugh.

I tried driving through nearby Devil's Lake SP, thinking that seeing the other campers and smelling the familiar campfire smells would get me revved up to go.

Nope.

My brain was screaming that it had had enough.

...So bringing us to the night before,  I was still feeling pretty bad about wanting to pull out. I had taken 2 days off to ease the planning and help me further enjoy the trip. I knew I needed to make those days count and not waste them. I also felt like my mom still wanted to go and most of all, I didn't want to ditch Wendy and her family who had agreed to camp next to us.

Finally, on Friday morning, I phoned my mom and told her I was still fighting with my desire to go.

So my mom says "Let's just go."

So I said "Ok." .....at this point I had over thought everything and my mind was numb.

I even agreed to leaving my car behind and just piling me and all my crap into the truck with my mom and Jerseydog (which is something I normally don't do. I like having my car). Sadly, I was already 100% tuned out at that point.

What ensued made for a rather interesting camping trip....

As is customarily the case with both my mother and I, we pulled into the campground far later than we had hoped.

My mom was a bit intimidated by the narrow roads in this campground as they make maneuvering a trailer into place a little more challenging.  We had to turn around and come at our campsite from the opposite direction we drove in so my mom didn't have to back a corkscrew pattern to get set up.

Did I say how much I am enjoying the fact that I went back to tent camping?  No?
....just thought I'd mention that again...

Once we were facing the correct direction, backing in was a snap. I don't think my mom realizes how good she has mastered backing her trailer.  I've seen a few dudes she could put to shame! (...and when I finally get that horse trailer and must tow again --she's hired!!  *Big Grin*)

Rain had been threatening throughout our setup and we got a few sprinkles, but nothing significant.  It was also comfortably cool outside. I happily told myself that if it stayed this way, I could live with it and be content.

Wendy and her family had set up their camp long before us.

I enjoyed looking over at their big tent across the road from our site.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. My mom and I enjoyed some pizza flavored brats on the portable grill (because we hadn't bought firewood yet) and turned in for an early bedtime since we were both tired.

Considering the weather predictions, I slept reasonably well. While I enjoy rip roaring Thunderstorms  in the safety of my apartment,  I don't enjoy them in a tent. As luck would have it, however, it didn't storm. It rained. Hard.

....but no storms.

There is ONE positive thing that I have come away from this camping season with and that is just how much I love my tent. My tent has done fabulously through all the rainy weather this year keeping both myself and my canine tent mate dry as a bone.

Jersey will hang out in my mom's camper when she has to (for a variety of reasons), but she has made it very clear that she prefers being in the tent with me. She likes being MY camp & hike dog. ♡♡♡♡

My tent has been a great investment and I have been very happy with it as this is my 3rd season since re-homing my old camper.

Getting back on track,  Saturday turned out to be a fair day. Everything was very wet, but everyone managed to stay dry and the ongoing rain was very minimal. 

Wendy got her first initiation as a camper when the resident raccoons broke into her coolers overnight and helped themselves to her yummy vittles.

In classic,  Wendy, style -- she was good natured and laughed about it and resigned herself and the family to a trip to the store for more food.

My mom and I made our own trip to the store on Saturday (the nearest Wal-Mart about 22 minutes away). The sneaky raccoons had snatched the bag of Jersey's food off of our picnic table while we were busy setting up. I'd like to say we should know better,  but these were brave little stinkers! 

I also needed to buy underwear.

Yup. Forgot them. Therein lies the consequences of a numb brain burned out by  previous, bad weather.

...and because my mother loves to shop, I had to convince her that we really do have a Wal-Mart in our home town (Ok, not really, but getting my shopaholic, mother out of a store after we have the essentials isn't always easy).

Upon returning to our campsite, we discovered.....

...that we'd acquired neighbors. 

This was just a casual,  faraway snapshot I took that doesn't really tell the whole story.

For the next evening, the site next to us was home to (at least) a dozen, Hispanic campers from the neighboring state.

Their picnic table had so much food and drinks on it, I don't think it was possible to find the table.

Their site also sported a full - size grille, a screen tent, and 2 small to medium sized tents (how they had room to move around,  I don't know).

We weren't spying on them. It was hard not to notice.

They also treated us?

No. Wait.

Subjected us...

to their selections of music favorites.

My mom noted that some of the songs were American but were being sung in Spanish. The only tune I recognized was "Unchained Melody," from the movie GHOST. That song was the only one they played in  English (I guess they couldn't find the Spanish version).

 

During this time Jersey and I took a few invigorating hikes around the campground. Unfortunately,  I assumed the trails would be too wet.

By Saturday night, I was ready to rip my hair out. No peaceful forest noises for me (...and just for the record, I am not bigoted -- I would have been EQUALLY annoyed had they been English songs. They were quite loud).

Camping etiquette usually dictates that music should not be heard beyond your own campsite.

*sigh*

My mother was a much better sport than I, dubbing our neighbors "Little Mexico," and amusing herself  with texting funny, Mexican word jokes back and forth with my sister.

 

In between texts,  she made us a yummy hamburger dinner on the campfire.

....At least it didn't rain all day as predicted. 

After dinner, Wendy's family joined us for S'mores around the campfire. I mentioned to Wendy that with the state of our neighbor's picnic table that she should, at least, have a raccoon free night. They'd all be wearing sombreros on their little masked heads by morning!

I also experimented with adding Starburst candy to marshmallows for roasting. I'd found the idea online and it was quite yummy.

As dusk turned to dark, mom and I decided to try to distract ourselves from the noise next door by playing several hands of UNO.

My mom seriously kicked my butt.

Grrrrrr.

Thankfully, our neighbors respected quiet time and we were able to have a lovely night for sleeping. 

On Sunday, Wendy and her family headed out to The Good Neighbor Festival in Middleton. They had their site reserved for one more night, so didn't need to pack up.

My mom and I relaxed around a yummy sausage and egg breakfast in the morning and gradually broke camp in increments. It was humid (surprised?) and neither of us was in a huge hurry.

Unbeknownst to me, my mom snapped this lovely photo of me carting stuff out of my tent like a busy little ant with a piece of bread.

I will need to monitor her and her camera in the future *winks*.

All in all, it wasn't as bad of a weekend as I thought it was going to be.

On the bright side, I think Wendy is hooked. She's already trying to plan "one more," yet for this season.

Here's a shot of Wendy and hubby, Walter at their site (#43).

As for me, I'm hoping I fanned that fire just a little bit and I'll see Wendy's family on some future campouts.

....but not until next year as I am done for the season!

Adventure cat in training?

What is it that they say?

"Life happens when you are busy making other plans..?"

I think that should be changed to "Work will always be the biggest pain in the you - know - what when you are trying to make plans.."

I would say that I feel the same way about my job that a lot of other folks do. Some days I can really immerse myself in my duties and actually enjoy them and other days the frustration (for a variety of reasons) makes me want to go home and not come back.

Today was definitely the latter....

If a disagreement in policy with my boss wasn't bad enough, the arthritis in my knee and ankle seemed to be on the fritz today.

I had hoped to spend the evening with Griffin with plans to do a short ride with the bareback pad, a bit of hand grazing, and a long groom session.

......but when I left work, all I wanted to do was to get off my aching legs. Even the stairs leading up to my apartment provided a teeth - gritting, painful, experience.

Most of the time, my job involves a mix of both standing and sitting duties, but this month has me in the rotation that requires the most standing. My body was in full protest at the end of my shift today.

Admittedly,  there are days and times that I feel strong and able to stand and walk all day (and then some), and other times I feel like a 100 yr old lady who should be in a wheelchair (pushed by a sexy young man) instead of on my feet.

....and even though I do like my job for the most part, there are days that resentment grabs me in it's clutches and I find myself wishing that walking/standing time could be spent on the hiking trail or with my horses instead of at work.

Unfortunately,  that won't change anytime soon since it's work that pays the bills.

....but enough of that already.

Since I'm feeling cheated out of an evening with my boy, Griffin,  I thought I'd talk about my adventure cat in training.

You've most likely already read about Simon in earlier posts, but here is a photo of him from our stroll around the block last night.

When I first adopted Si, it wasn't long before I realized he was one of the most outgoing cats I had ever met.

When I introduced him to a harness and leash, he took to it more naturally than most puppies do.

He was eager to follow me just about anywhere.

.....and so our walks around the block began.

Nowadays, if I so much as pick up his harness, he is eagerly waiting by the door in anticipation of a kitty hike.

I still find it amusing when a passer by or a motorist does a double - take at us strolling along the sidewalk.

I was once asked by a teenager on a bike if I was "walking my cat."

I had to resist the urge to say  "Nah, he's a tabby Labrador who prefers to purr instead of bark."

I've always known that people put cats on harnesses to go outside with them or take them a short distance in the car, but never for an actual WALK.

Before Simon came into my life, I probably would have been doing the same sort of double take had I seen someone walking their cat.

 

Out of curiosity,  I started researching harness trained cats and somewhere along the way, I discovered this website.

http://www.adventurecats.org

(once I add photos, I haven't been able to figure out to share the actual link on my phone).

It seems that folks not only walk with their cats, but also hike trails, camp, and go on boats with their cats.

Is this cool or what?

If you enjoy looking at that site, I also urge you to check out this blog!

http://www.boltandkeel.wordpress.com

In short, the blog is about 2 (VERY) adventurous young ladies who take their two young cats on all their outdoor trips with them. They do hiking, camping, kayaking, and snowshoeing....and yes, their feline friends do it all with them.

Amazingly cool!

 Simon has yet to do anything more than walks around the block with me, but he does find some interesting places to hang out during our strolls.

Since I don't boat or even swim that much, I have no current plans to introduce Si to the basics of becoming a water cat, but I DO want to teach him to do short camp outings with me. In the future, we could perhaps do one in the spring and one in the fall.

With summer's high heat and humidity,  I would feel more comfortable avoiding that time of year (especially with the increased threat of fleas and heartworms as well. Yes- cats (and humans too) can get heartworms.  They are not just a dog parasite).

I had hoped to do a maiden voyage with Simon this year with camping, but I just haven't felt quite ready to take that plunge yet.

My mom and sister are planning a short, camp outing around the Labor Day Holiday. I am sitting this one out due to lack of vacation time (their dates are during the week following LD) as well as having to work Labor Day itself for the nice pay it provides.

Even though I won't be camping, I thought this might be the purr-fect  opportunity to introduce Simon to campsite living and a campfire. We may go for a visit one night after work!

In addition,  there are some other things I want to work out before Simon spends his first night in my tent.

I need to create a small, portable litterbox with a cover for transport and easy emptying capabilities (as in being able to empty very frequently as needed).

Si needs to spend some actual time in my tent so that I can be sure he is comfortable and I am not overfacing him with too much strangeness too soon.

I want to develop a way to carry Simon on hikes so I can do long ones with him and I will be able to carry him when he is tired. I've considered both a backpack and a diagonal carrying sling for this purpose. I need to experiment to find what works for us. Simon enjoys rides in cloth bags (and my laundry basket), so, that's not an issue.

I also would like to get Si a new harness set up. The one he has is a bit small for his chubby frame and I want something he can sleep in comfortably if necessary. It also needs to be safe and secure.

The final aspect of all this, and the hardest thing for me to address in all of this is this...

Simon's adopted brother,  Lukus.

While I continue to work on Lukus' s confidence in all things, I highly doubt he'll ever be a camping cat.

For the most part, Luk prefers a life indoors. The world outside just holds too many scary variables.

....and I'm 100% fine with that.

Lukus is my Smitten kitten. He's my sweet cuddler and is playful to the max.

As long as we're inside.

At this point, I have no desire to take Lukus along,  but leaving him home alone without his brother and best friend creates a dilemma that pulls at my heartstrings.

I need to find something special for him so he isn't feeling left out -- and create a situation that works well enough so that he gets something FUN out of the times that Si and I go camping.

This situation is probably the biggie in what is holding me back from taking that first trip with Simon. 

BOTH of my boys are just that special to me.

....and even if our camping trip never quite makes it to fruition,  Simon will still enjoy his walks..

because.....

A worn out, fat, cat is a HAPPY cat! 

(and yes my apartment has ugly, worn out carpeting.  I haven't won the lottery yet to move to a fancy, log cabin in the woods *winks*).

Things that are lacking (but are not so bad)..

When folks I meet find out that I do not own a home computer,  I am often met with a raised eyebrow or two.

When they learn that I also do not have cable television (or any public television to speak of, for that matter), I get the wide-eyed-are-you-serious? stare....

Now this post isn't going to be about how I think that people are way too dependant on electronic entertainment (because, to a degree, I do).

No.....the reason that I don't have some of the more commonplace luxuries is simply that I do not want to use my hard earned cash to pay for them. I have more important things to do with my money.

....like take care of my animals.

I think it's a common misconception that folks who have horses have money. It's because they have horses that they DON'T have any money....

Having horses is not for the faint of heart when it comes to finances. Those of us who are not well-heeled so-to-speak,  must learn to give things up in order to have horses in our lives.

On my list of items that I do without--or at least do with a lot less.....is internet service.

When I began my part lease on Tex just over a year ago, one of the things I gave up to afford to do the lease was my cell/internet service (I've never had cable TV).

At one time, I had unlimited internet access through my phone. All the Facebooking, Instagramming, and You Tubing I could handle to my heart's desire.....

My account now is a prepaid one where I have a strict limit on how much I can do on the internet each month.

Things like texts and phone calls are still unlimited (Thankfully), but I rarely watch anything on YouTube anymore and I only do Instagram and Facebook when I am somewhere that I can connect to a free, WiFi network.

Fortunately,  things like blogging and looking at a select few message boards and Internet sites are fairly easy to keep up with, even with limited data. Since they are not a continuous feed, they do not eat at my data limit the way other social media sites do...

This is perhaps why I have chosen to spend more time reading blogs and writing on my own blog, rather than reading Facebook stuff..... (less drama in a lot of blogs too).....

At any rate,  what I am trying to get at with all this babble is that while I may post here more frequently,  there will be times when my posts are going to be devoid of photos.

You see, as my data decreases, and I get closer to my billing date on the 17th of each month, my access will not allow me to upload photos to my blog because my prepaid data for the month is about spent. There is not enough left to share my photos.

I am getting much better at rationing it all out for the month, but I suspect there will always be a few days at the end of my billing cycle when I will only be able to do a type-written post like this one.

For anyone interested enough to regularly read my blog posts, I do sincerely apologize for what will be a few, occasional word only posts each month.

Pictures, of course, always make every read more enjoyable. We all know that picture-filled stories aren't just for kids...adults love them too!!

In all honesty,  I don't mind the lack of electronic entertainment in my world. My animals bring me such joy, that they are more than worth it (both the Equines and Felines)!!

I also get a LOT more done at home,  get more exercise in general, and appreciate the little things in life.

To throw out an example; I will never own a Kindle or any  other form of online book. There is something about holding an actual  book in my hand, taking in the design on the cover, and turning each page that brings a tangible sense of satisfaction that no electronic device could ever compare to..

Although much of the personal minimalism in my life is financial, there is some that comes from choice.

...and I don't think it makes me any less happy than someone who has all of the extra conveniences. In fact,  sometimes I feel I have more contentment than they do.

...but I guess that's left up to interpretation...

In retrospect,  what I  WAS going to write about today (before I became severely sidetracked by my financial/minimalism musings) was clicker training.  I have started doing it again with all of my animals.

I am not going to go into too many details since this post has already gotten pretty wordy, but I've been working on some specific things with each of my boys (Griffin, Tex, Simon, & Lukus-- they are ALL boys *smirk*) using the clicker and we are learning and having a lot of fun with it.

I will try to touch on it in my next post or two....and pictures are certainly to follow!

Stay tuned!!! :-)

Wordless Wednesday: My Feline Soulmates

♡♡Simon♡♡

♡ ♡ Lukus♡♡

Makin' tracks with Jersey

My last hike was over 2 weeks ago.

While the ride with Tex last week certainly fed my trail bug a little, I was overdue for a hike under my own power (there is something certainly gratifying about enjoying some trail miles on your own two feet).

After another week of heat and nasty humidity (not to mention my consumption of not-so- healthy snack foods while being lazy indoors), I was ready to get back outside on a trail somewhere (I have become seriously addicted to moving down the trail--whether it's on a horse or my own two feet).

I decided as this weekend approached that I was going to make time for a hike....One way or another.

Not to go too far off topic,  but I'm in a bit of a pickle in terms of getting hikes in during the week right now.

At my job I work 2 months of early shifts (6-2:30) and then a month of late shifts (8-4:30). This is a late shift month.

By the time I get home,  get my house chores done and prepare to head out for a hike, I don't have enough daylight left to do anything substantial.

While it might make sense to do the hike first and the house chores later-- my discipline level isn't good enough for that. It's always been work first, play after......Always.

I decided when I got up this morning,  I was going to do a hike.

My original plan was to buzz about my errands, eat a bit of lunch early-- go on a little hike-- and then head to the barn for some horse time this evening.

What really happened was me staying up too late last night and not sleeping well. I only got about half the things done this morning that I wanted to. After eating lunch, I craved a nap.....and because I could,  I took one. I never made it to the barn. 

Nope, no discipline there.....

It was after 2 pm by the time I awoke from the nap, but dang nammit-- I was going to get my hike in!!

My hike of choice for the day turned out to be the flat, Fern Dell Trail at Mirror Lake State Park.

This is a 3 mile loop trail that begins off of a seperate, trailhead outside of the park. I have never hiked this trail,  but it carries an "easy" rating, so I wasn't concerned about anything.

Since its been awhile since I did a decent hike with my canine partner, Jerseydog,  I decided to swing by my parents' house to pick her up so she could tag along. 

Our camping trips so far this year have been disappointing in terms of doing good hikes (in which J-dog often comes along), so I'm sure she has been feeling overdue for a good trek as well!!

Jersey is about 10 years old now, and while she isn't a spring chicken anymore-- she still has a lot more "GO ambition" than living with a couple of retired folks allows her to make use of.

Here we are at the start of the trail and Jersey can't get going soon enough. This is certainly the highlight of HER week!

Jersey has 2 very interesting quirks about her (aside from the fact that she's a purebred, German Wire Haired Pointer and most people unknowingly think she's some strange, mutt cross).

Her first one is that she LOVES water.

....and not like a Labrador that enjoys pursuing a stick tossed in a lake.

Jersey will quite literally DRAG her human to any body of water in the hopes that she will be able to take a dip.

She will also play in puddles that other dogs will avoid.

.....and the J-dog is ALWAYS certain she can convince you to love walking in the rain as much as she does.

Her other, (very strange indeed) quirk is that she HATES having her picture taken. If you point ANYTHING that even remotely resembles a camera or a phone in her direction, she will go hide behind something or someone. If that's not an option, she will refuse to look at you.

We have never been able to figure this out as she's never had a bad experience with having photos taken.....

I have my speculations about what her issues might truly be (she failed as a hunting dog before being given to my father), but it would take too long to go into details at the moment. She has a shy (but very sweet) personality,  even though she has come a LONG way in being more courageous since living with my family. 

At any rate, the blurry photo above is usually what I end up with when I try to get a picture of her. All of the good photos my family has where taken "by surprise" when she didnt expect them.For the most part, there weren't any stunning views on this trail. 

...but I did get a photo of some of these pretty little, yellow wildflowers.  I'm still trying to learn more about the plants and the things I see on the trails, so I don't know what they are, but they are pretty!

....and of course there are ALWAYS interesting mushrooms to look at...

....mostly,  Jersey and I just trucked along.

To say that this trail was easy was a vast understatement.  Except for a handful of tiny hills, this hike was flat, Flat, FLAT.

The only challenging thing about this hike were the mosquitos. I got very few bites (because I DIDN'T forget the bug spray this time), but they annoyingly buzzed around my head quite a bit.

A short trail lover might be slightly daunted by the 3 mile loop, but seriously...I think just about anyone could handle this trail.

....and that's not a bad thing.

For folks who are complete novices to hiking, biking, or cross country skiing, this trail would be a PERFECT starter trail. 

I'm tempted to try a winter hike on this trail come winter.

For the most part, Jerseydog and I had the hike to ourselves. We only encountered a couple of other users. There were two gals that biked past us near one of the tiny hills. One of the ladies had a toddler in one of those bike carts behind her bike.

He was cute.

....and they seemed to be enjoying their ride.

I wanted to take a distant (unidentifiable) photo of them as they rode away from us, but I was too busy doing this when they passed.

This is Jersey 's  collapsible water bowel that I carry in my waist pack. I was busy giving her water when the bike riders came by us. J had been drinking and was momentarily looking up at the bikes when I snapped this.

While I can easily do a 3 mile hike with minimal to no water (except on the very hottest of days), Jersey cannot.

If I'm doing 3 miles, it's a sure bet that she's doing 6. Sniffing,  scenting, and backtracking are what she does because she's a dog.

....and I let her BE A dog. Heeling is fine in an obedience class, but on the trail--I feel it deprives a dog of enjoying their time out there.

As long as they stay leashed and come stand next to you when other users pass, I think it's totally acceptable to let them be a dog and explore (keeping watch for toxic foliage of course).

There was almost no humidity today and temps just broke around the 80's mark.

....and Jersey still drank a decent size water bottle of water. I think we did about 3 stops for her to drink her fill.

My waist pack holds 2 water bottles,  Jersey ' s portable dish, my phone, keys, bug spray, a small flashlight,  wet wipes, a small first aid kit, and other seasonal things I might choose to add such as gloves and a fleece ear band or a rain poncho depending on the weather.

 I didn't take a photo of it, but I will try to include one in a future post.

I'm not always thrilled to wear it, but I've been glad to have it on longer hikes and to carry necessities when J is with me.

There were a few pretty spots on the trail.  I think this is one of my favorite photos from today. The pines here were beautiful and the sunlight coming through lent a magical feel.

This photo isn't real easy to decipher,  but there is a little canal-like looking ditch on the right side of the photo. It expanded alongside a short section of the trail. It made me wonder if it created a small stream during heavy rains. I have no doubt sections of this trail could be very muddy in wet weather....

Living with retirees doesn't afford Jersey a good way to stay in shape. At this point, we were 3/4 of the way through the loop. J slowed to a stroll and only perked up if she found a scent or spotted movement trail side (in which case, she leapt towards the bushes with renewed energy and enthusiasm).

The final section of trail brought us up alongside the road (which is to the right in this photo). 

At least it wasn't ON the road...

but a bit boring nonetheless....

As I mentioned before, I might try this trail as a winter hike, but I'm not sure it will ever top my list of favorites.

...but Jerseydog enjoyed herself.  The only reason I got this close of a photo of her is because she is a bit tired.

Make no mistake, however, with an hour or two of rest, she'd happily go out for another few miles eagerly without complaint.

 

Jersey is one of my best hiking companions for sure!! ♡♡

A Sunday well spent....

I'm playing a little catch up tonight...
Dishes, laundry, and a bit of cleaning...

It has been one of those days when the weather isn't good for much of anything. The temps today only reached into the mid to (slightly) upper 80's, but the humidity was terrible.  Being outside for any length of time and just standing still is enough to make one uncomfortable. 

....and tomorrow will be more of the same.

Ugh.....

....so  with that in mind, and a loyal Simon taking up residence in my lap, I thought I'd talk about my ride on Sunday.

On Tuesday of last week, Vickie sent me a text message asking me if I wanted to go riding at the Castle Rock Horse Trails on Sunday.

Without missing a beat, I responded back  that I didn't have any plans on Sunday and I was all for it.

A short spell later, Vickie texts me back asking if I was ok if someone else picked Tex & I up (I have access to a truck,  but my financially, poor self does not own a horse trailer). 

She wrote that our mutual, barn friend, Brenda knows this gentleman as she has lent Morton to him for trail rides with his friends/family.

His name is Brian and he does roping & team penning with his horses.

Vickie, herself, only recently met him...

Vickie also mentioned that if anyone else from the barn wanted to go, that he would also have room for another horse.

At the time, all I could think about was getting out on the trail with my wonderful lease partner and having a nice ride. The forecast for Sunday was supposed to be gorgeous! 

During this text exchange back and forth, I had been out enjoying the evening doing some fun activities with my sister, Gayle and my niece, Fiona. For the moment, I agreed to go and filed it away mentally that I would have plans for Sunday. I then proceeded to enjoy the remainder of my evening with my sister.

It wasn't until the next day that the warning bells started to go off in my introverted brain.

What if no one else from the barn wanted to go? 

Would my shy self be able to make small talk with someone I don't even know for the 1+ hour ride over to the Castle Rock Horse Trails? 

What if we decide right off that neither of us likes the other?

What if he decides to do something crazy and dump me in a ditch somewhere and run off with Tex? 

....my mind has a tendency to think bizarre things when I let it wander too long without a leash! (perhaps I've watched 1 too many Cold Case files on TV).

The next afternoon, I approached Kris about coming with. My barn has very few trail riders and Kris was the only one at the moment that I could think of that might have Sunday free to go along. 

As it turned out, Kris was about as enthusiastic as I was at the prospect of hopping in a truck with someone she didn't know (in addition to her horse being hauled in a strange rig). It ended up being that she decided to pass on going.

At this point, I texted Vickie back and told her I was getting increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of riding with someone I didn't know.

Vickie texts me back "Brenda says you've met him."

Whaat?? (This was news to me)...

....then Vickie, being the ever-faithful  riding friend she is -- told me that if I wasn't comfortable, then she would drive out and pick me up (which takes her farther out of her way).

On one hand, I was happy that we would still go, but on the other hand I felt like a wimp. I should just suck it up and take a chance at meeting someone new (arguing with my stubborn, introverted self).

I decided at that point to text Brenda and find out more about Brian. Brenda, of course, was working (sadly....as always) and could not join us either. I remember her loaning Morton out to a friend, but did not recall meeting him.

In my text conversation with Brenda,  she did, in fact remind me of another instance in which we had gone to his place to look at a horse he was going to give to another friend who boarded at Tammy's farm at the time (that's a whole other story that would take too long to get into here).

At any rate, I might have spoken with him for about 5 minutes.  I still didn't feel like I "knew" him.

Brenda assured me that I had nothing to worry about and that Tex and I would be in safe, capable hands. She said that she had just been with Brian the previous night to cut his hair (Hairdressing is one of Brenda's many skills). She said that he had asked about me as well.... (probably wondering if I was some crazy, Axe wielding, Lizzie Borden sort of chick)....

Smiling,  I just texted back and asked if she told him that I was a fat, overanxious person who wraps my horse in bubble wrap?

she didn't respond to that (*laughs*)..

After talking with Brenda, I felt somewhat better about the idea of riding with Brian. All of my insecurities at that point had to do with me and not the situation.

As expected, Sunday brought along some beautiful weather. Sunny skies and warm (but not overly hot) with little to no humidity.

 

I got to the barn early.....about an hour or so before Brian was due to pick us up. I used the time to do a thorough groom on Tex and bond with him a bit.

When Brian pulled in shortly after 9 am, we were ready to go. I was still nervous, but told myself to focus on the one thing we surely would have in common;  horses.

Brenda was correct that I needn't have worried. Brian was the perfect gentleman through and through.

Tex shared a stock trailer with Brian's horse, Rudy and the two horses rode well together. I immediately noticed that his truck was immaculate and was dually impressed. I guess I expected well used and Dusty (not that it would have mattered as I don't judge folks by what they drive).

We got to the horse trails about a half hour or so before Vickie was due to meet us, so we took our time chatting and getting the horses ready.

I really enjoyed being able to take my time getting set to go instead of feeling like I needed to rush and hurry up out onto the trail. I'm somewhat pokey by nature, so this suited me very well.

Tex (left) and Rudy (right) waited patiently while we waited for Vickie to arrive.

Once Vickie arrived, I played "hitching post" for Dusty so she could get ready without tying him and in no time at all, we were off on the trail.

We rode for the better part of the day and had a lovely ride. 

Surprisingly, the bugs were not bad at all (they have been so bad at the farm, Tex and I have been working mainly on arena stuff as opposed to our usual rides in the woods and fields).

About halfway through, we rode over to the Ukarydee Campground and took a little break. This is a horse user's campground that is connected to the Castle Rock Trails. It was nice to get off for a bit and hang out in a shady spot. There was water access there and bathrooms which were nice to use.

 Camping there with Tex is on my list of future "activities I want to do."  I also found that the break gave my arthritic joints a much needed rest and definitely improved the quality and longevity of my ride.

This makes the 3rd time that Tex and I have ridden at Castle Rock and I still haven't seen all the trails yet.

I guess we need to go more then....

 

I wish I had gotten more photos of our ride.  I came away with only a handful of blurry, snapshots and there were many pretty views to be had on the trail. Tex and I need to work on our tripod skills!

We saw gazillions of mushrooms in a variety of colors (purple,  red, and orange among them). We also saw a couple of deer in 2 different spots. Unfortunately,  neither of them would have been easily photographed.

A blurry shot of Vickie & Brian. I need to teach my man, Tex that a good tripod will hold still.

Brian and myself. Dusty has superior tripod skills to Tex because Vickie 's picture is more clear.

All in all, it was a wonderful day. I was tired and sore and dragged my sorry butt through work on Monday but it was 100% worth it!!

I am hoping Brian will ride with us again...and even more so-- that Brenda will join us. They have known each other for quite some time but have never ridden together.

Horsey camp outing anyone?

Hot, humid days....and a bit of a scare!

Tex and I had a ride today that was mostly walking and lasted all of about 30 minutes, give or take. I think if he'd had his way, he wouldn't have left his place in front of that fan. The look on his face is saying "Do we have to?" (...just a short one, my man)

I gave Griffin the option of coming with me into the barn for a groom and possibly a light bath, but he wasn't interested when I went out with his halter and called for him. He wasn't overly sweaty and seemed content to eat in the sun with his buddy, Mort(*gasp* he DOES have access to shade). He knows on hot days, he only gets groomed (or a bath) so if he didn't want to come with me, I wasn't going to make him.

The temperature outside today was about 88 degrees with the heat index in the mid to upper 90's. I don't recall the exact percentage of humidity, but it was high enough to make me constantly feel like I'd just stepped out of the shower (while completely lacking the refreshing feel of a shower).

....and today was the coolest of the last 3 days.

Ugh...

Dangerous heat warnings kept me from doing much these last few days which is probably just as well since my Dad gave everyone a good scare on Friday.

Without getting into too much personal detail, my father has been struggling with some electrolyte/dietary/mineral imbalances for quite some time.

Last November he had a seizure that put him in the hospital for over a week. It took that long to get things regulated again.

Since then, he has been eating better AND doing better....but obviously it wasn't good enough, because on Friday he had another seizure that caused a pretty serious fall and knocked him unconscious. 

Thankfully (and somewhat surprisingly), the end result of that fall was only a significant goose egg to the back of his head. We've all been joking that we need to check the floor for cracks!

This seizure resulted in another 3-day stay at the hospital including bloodwork, a cat scan, and an MRI. All were normal except for the dietary deficiencies I noted above.

As I write this, he is back home,  and with some additional dietary changes and mineral supplements (and a few other changes that are too private to mention)we are hoping not to see another seizure.

Both my mom and I are skeptical that the real root of the problem has yet to rear it's ugly head. We are "trying" to trust in his doctors..

....and to complicate matters, my dad -- shall we say -- isn't always the best patient when it comes to listening to his doctors. In his working life, he'd always been a manager-- the one in charge. Listening to others does not come easy to him and he has a stubborn streak a mile wide (of which he  has dutifully passed to his oldest daughter--me. *Grins sheepishly*).

Still, with all that said-- we all love him dearly, even when he thinks we aren't taking his side (as if there are sides to be taken when it comes to the health and well being of a loved one). ♡♡

We are all praying that the recommended changes will prevent any (near)future hospital stays and that we can help dad stick to the necessary changes that need to be made.

******

On a lighter note, I did get myself out for a hike earlier in the week. 

Last Wednesday brought warm temperatures and humidity, but not quite severe enough to be dangerous (OR to discourage me from getting outside for some after work enjoyment).

So after my house chores were done, I stuffed myself into my coolest tank and capris and headed over to Devil's Lake for a hike.

There was a very mild threat of rain, so I chose an easy hike I have done many times before. I plodded along the Tumbled Rocks trail over to the south shore beach and back again (because plodding is all I do when it's sticky humid outside). 

The photos below are from my hike...

This is the North Shore beach. It's the more popular of the 2 beaches and is one of 2 ways one can take to the start of the Tumbled Rocks Trail.

This is the start of the trail. It is 2 miles from here to the South Shore beach. Going out and back, I did an uncomplicated,  4 mile hike.

While parts of the trail are sunny, there are some nice, shady sections as well. This was a wonderful reprieve in the humidity.

The Tumbled Rocks trail runs alongside the lake, so the views are pretty and listening to the waters lap the rocks is soothing to the ears.

Recent storm damage (we've had a lot of storms lately) created an unexpected obstacle. It's a good thing no one was sitting on that bench at the wrong time!

A view of the downed tree from the other side.

I snapped a photo of a person using a paddleboard out on the lake. This is on my "bucket list" to try one day!

Despite the slimy temperatures, there was actually quite a few folks out hiking.  I passed a few couples simply enjoying a hike as I was. 

In addition, another 3-4 folks passed me doing some trail running.

One gentleman was watching wildlife at one of the benches with his binoculars. 

Another gentleman approached me from behind on the trail and inquired if I lived here and if I had ever swam in the lake.

..."Yes and yes, I have..."

He then wanted to know if it was clear water and therefore suitable for scuba diving. 

I told him I have never Scuba dived, but I thought the lake fairly clear and it might be worth a try if he had the equipment and expertise to do so.....

On the South side of the lake I talked to a few other people who were fishing, but unfortunately-- the fish were not too interested in biting...

Sometimes on these more commonly used trails, it's nice to chat with people and see how they are enjoying their day.

As for now-- I am silently praying to Mother Nature to give us a break from the heat and humidity so I can try to have an enjoyable week this week. 

We shall see.....