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?

A Little Catch Up...

My family and I just returned from our July camp outing. Saying that makes it sound like we went hours away.....

In reality, it was only another short trip to a nearby state park. This time we stayed at Mirror Lake State Park.

Mirror Lake isn't as popular as Devil's Lake, but it's still a nice state park with decent campsites, easy hike trails, and a small, shallow beach.

We stayed for 3 nights this time, and...unlike last time, it didn't rain the majority of the time. We only had one night in which the storms found us. Unfortunately,  the humidity on this trip was about the same as last time, and just like on that stay, my hiking was only minimal.  *sigh* 

I am hoping my weekend outing at the end of August will be better in terms of weather and will afford me some good hiking.

My sister,  Gayle, bought herself a larger tent and this was her first time using it.  Her sleeping quarters were some of the largest I have seen yet. Her tent is Colossal (with a capital "C"). It has dividers to make 3 rooms and is plenty big enough for herself,  Brendan, Fiona,  and Winston (their Husky Lab X).
.....and I think they'd still have room in there for another 2-3 people and all their STUFF. My sister seems very happy with her tent.

We spent the outing mostly visiting, doing some very small hikes (mostly to the bathroom *giggles*), and goofing off with Fiona. There was silly string, water guns, and giant purple Frisbees involved. Fiona and I also had a rather engaging game of glow-in-the-dark horse shoes.
.....mostly that involved her handing me the horse shoes and telling me how to throw them. Sometimes Fiona is just too smart for her own good! 

On the horse front, I haven't been getting a whole lot of rides in with either horse. We seem to get a handful of nice, comfortable days and then a couple of real hot, humid, and sticky numbers that make me feel like I am a rainforest dweller.

I don't do a lot of riding on days like that, because frankly-- I just don't enjoy it.  With that said, however, I DO love just hanging out with my equine boys and so we spend the scorcher afternoons hand grazing, doing pampered grooming,  getting cool baths, and a lazy walk here and there.

The spring and fall months are my favorite times to ride and that's when I get the most rides in.

My phone is being a bit of a pain at the moment in letting me get all my photos attached, so I just have a few to share today with no real captions added....

Yesterday was my Holiday....

I made a promise to myself yesterday that it was going to be a minimal "chore" day and I was going to spend the day on myself. 

This was going to be my 4th of July Holiday so-to-speak (even though it was only the 3rd).

I usually get a nice paycheck if I opt to work on a holiday, so Monday would be a workday for me anyway. 

Unfortunately,  on Saturday night,  I had one of those sleepless nights that occasionally occurs when I am thinking about too many random things and just cannot. Fall. Asleep.

Nights like that suck.

So while I had hoped to get up and get my day going early in the morning, it didn't really happen that way.  I ended up playing lazy,  bed potato with my cats until about 10:30am.

All in all, that's not a bad thing--but I still didn't sleep (Ugh)....

It was going to be a caffenated, prop my eyelids open with toothpicks sort of day.

Since Griffin had my attention on Saturday,  Sunday was to be Tex's day.

We had our usual long grooming and bond session and then did some arena work with just a short ride out to the road after. 

Because my boarding barn is surrounded by DNR lands, woods and marsh, we get HORRIBLE amounts of bugs during the hottest parts of the summer. Unless you are willing to dunk your horse (and yourself) into a vat of pyrethrin, you can pretty much rule out an enjoyable ride in the woods & fields. From now until about early September,  riding in the arena and areas close to the barn are usually the best bet.

You know things are bad when the deer flies keep pace with your car (just outside the windows) while driving up to the barn.

Some years are worse than others,  and while I wouldn't say things are as bad as I have seen them,  they are annoying enough right now.

So with all that in mind,  Tex and I worked on lateral movements as well as our usual riding patterns in the arena.

Tex knows hindquarter yields fairly well, but his front end gets sticky and he is still figuring out that he can move is front half sideways while keeping the back half still.

I was even able to get him started on a few side pass steps in one direction over a ground pole (Good Boy, Tex)!!

It was a warm day, but there was a breeze and we had a nice ride.

Retrieving Tex from the pasture. He is the black horse half buried in the buffet table (round bale).

Wondering if my hands are hiding a few Nicker Snacks while I attempt to remove the fly mask (My halter doesn't fit well over his mask, so I usually remove it when I put it on).

Groom session in the cool barn with only a minimum of biting insects....Ahhhhh...

The resident ducks came to visit & briefly hung out in Daphne ' s  stall while Kris was out riding.. (Daphne stays inside during the day & goes outside at night).

When the ducks got bored, they headed to the indoor to waddle around before going back outside.

Tex all set for his ride....

Taking a break in the shade between exercises...

After going to barn, I went home for a wee nap before heading over to Christmas Mountain Resort in the Dells to watch fireworks with the family.

My fireworks photos seldom turn out well, so I didn't take any.

Fiona kept me occupied playing with her giant, soft purple frisbee. This was her second year seeing fireworks.

Last year did not go well because the noise scared her.

My sister, Gayle, has since purchased a small pair of child- size ear muffs for her, so she can enjoy loud experiences like this without being afraid of the noise (which she will grow out of with time).

At first she wasn't sure about the huge, sparkly plumes in the sky-- but with reassurance from everyone (Grandma,  Grandpa, mom,  dad and myself were all in attendance), she was enjoying them by the end....even laughing.

She didn't want them to be over!

I wish I had some cute, Fiona pics to add...but as I said I was too busy catching a frisbee beforehand to take any.

Tomorrow its back to full days at work-- but a little camp outing in a week should sweeten that deal!!

Vacation. Birthday. Camping. (in no particular order)..

My annual birthday, camp outing couldn't have come at a better time this year.  I was feeling quite a bit burned out from work and,  in a sense,  wanted a little break from the horse life.

I am the only horse lover in my family (sadly enough).

....so when we want to spend time together, we camp (the non - horse kind).

My mom and I camp together quite often. As far as camping companions go-- I think we make a great team in that we share a site and work together to have a great time. I am hoping that one day,  we will be able to take some seriously long road trips in each other's company. 

...Unfortunately, in life, there are always obstacles.

I have my animals to care for (I don't trust most boarding establishments and have yet to find a great pet sitter).

...and my mom has my dad.

He loathes camping in the same way that Superman hates kryptonite. In addition to that, he is disabled and has difficulty staying alone over long periods of time.

Thankfully,  we have 3 beautiful state parks within a half hour driving distance of our homes.

We are lucky.

We can camp AND take care of our respective responsibilities.

....but maybe one day circumstances will change and we can have that far away adventure.

Our stay last week was at the very popular,  Devil's Lake State Park. Our site this year was 065 in the Quartzite campground.

As is generally the case, my mom choose the site based on her ability to back her small ( but not tiny) camper into position. My mother, who is a self proclaimed "Glamper." wants just about every amenity she can have (short of air conditioning and the kitchen sink).

I, on the other hand, enjoy a few amenities (i.e A decent airbed and the convenience of electricity when available), but I'm happiest cooking on campfires and sleeping in a tent.

I downgraded from my old Pop Up camper 3 years ago to a high quality, canvas tent. While I would be lying if I said I never miss the camper, I can also say that it's not enough to have the desire to go back. The tent offers me 100X's the flexibility of the camper and is the most doable option for horse camping should I ever get that horse trailer I've been dreaming of having for years (the money gods are taking their own,  sweet time shining that light in my direction).

Our campsite was nice, but less wooded than I would have liked.

The first night of our stay was fairly windy, but nice enough for a fire and a bit of hanging out.

My sister and her husband and my niece, Fiona, also joined us, but they shared site 046 with friends.

I had plans to hike my favorite trails during the day, but since the weather forecast threatened the chance of storms all weekend, I pretty much just used the time to relax. I did a short stroll around the campground here and there, but nothing of any distance (or sadly.....with any sort of pretty view). I mostly busied myself with my nose in a book or working on some crossword puzzles I had brought along.

I think the highlight of my weekend was watching Fiona delight at seeing the live frogs, turtles, and snakes at the nature center. She couldn't get enough of watching them.

....and she can't get enough of camping.

Fiona is not yet 3yrs old and she loves the outdoors with the same level of enthusiasm that my dad has in his hatred of camping.

On the second night, we had a good storm for a few hours.

....as in several INCHES of rain.

My mom and I watched a movie (which we would do the 3rd night as well due to MORE rain).

My sister and her friends hung out in their rather large tent and made silly, Snapchat videos. Little Fiona thought the rain was about as much fun as bouncing on the air mattress in the tent. Thunder & Lightening? No problem....This little girl could care less.

Due to the impending rain (and a few mild leaks), Gayle & company choose to head home a day early. I didn't blame them as I also went home for the 3rd night due to the high incidence of heavy rain, lightning, thunder, and flooding. I needed to go home in the morning anyway to care for my cats-- so it worked out ok.

My mom felt safe in her trailer, so I left at 11 pm (quiet time). We watched an old Lucille Ball movie and ate Nachos up to that point. It goes without saying, that I would have rather enjoyed a campfire on a balmy evening....

.....but only Mother Nature can pick the weather.

In the morning, I was rather thrilled that my tent had undergone a second night of heavy rains and not a drop was to be found inside. I can't say enough for Kodiak Canvas Tents. I. Love. My. Tent.

It wasn't until the following day that I learned that Fiona threw a bit of a tantrum when her mom started taking their tent down. She wasn't ready to go home!!

....even if the big, bad storm wanted to huff and puff and blow their whole campsite down!!

Fiona had already made herself a "professional" camper. On our first day there, she made the observation that my mom's camper has wheels. In talking with her, I then proceeded to show her how the camper must hook up to the truck so it can be pulled to the campsite. I showed her the truck hitch and the coupler on the camper.

After this little show and tell,  Fiona took it upon herself to make sure all friends & family in attendance knew how these things worked.

She's not even 3 years old.

Bright. Little. Girl!!

As luck would have it, our last night gave us perfect weather. My mom and I enjoyed a lovely campfire, super yummy ribs, and banana split marshmallows for dessert.

My only regrets were that the stupid weather chased me home for a night (and that I let it....) and I didn't even get in a single hike on a favorite trail.

.....at least Devil's Lake is super close to my home and there are plenty of day trips to be had yet this summer!

Next month we are all at Mirror Lake SP for 3 nights. I am hoping the weather will be better as I am overdue for that pretty hike!!

Paint Nite

I've been very behind on my blogging lately...

It didn't really help that my week last week was so busy, I felt like I needed to add time to breathe into my schedule.

I did do one fun thing, however....

Paint Nite.

Paint Nite is a series of random, get togethers at various businesses (usually places that involve eating, alcohol,  entertainment,  or a combination of all three). It's a sort of crash course in creating a nice, canvas painting in a group setting.

An interested person buys tickets ahead of time to attend and participate. They are provided with all the materials (i.e brushes, paints, a paint smock, and canvas) to create a painting.  Each paint nite has a selected painting and an artist who is present to provide instruction for each person to create "their own version" of that painting.

Of course,  if the individual wishes to create a different painting or variation of the provided example, they are free to do that as well.

More information on Paint Nite can be found HERE.

As it turns out, my sister, Gayle, had coupons for any Paint Nites in the month of October. She had already done one earlier in the month and enjoyed it.

After talking about it with my mom, they decided doing one with the 3 of us together might be fun. With me being a poor horse owner and my sister a poor parent, my mom offered to buy the tickets for all of us....

At first, I wasn't completely sure I wanted to go with how crazy my daily schedule has been lately..

But...

....then I looked at the painting we would be creating and fell in love with it. Bonus points were added because it had a dog in it...(although, of course, I would have loved a cat or horse themed painting even more :-D ).

I agreed to go, thinking my apartment could definitely use a little more wall decor...

Unfortunately, when that evening finally rolled around (last Wednesday), I found myself feeling quite run down physically and under the weather. A sore throat was plaguing me and threatening to turn into a full blown, cold.

How nice (insert sarcasm).

In spite of my physical self not wanting to cooperate, I still wanted to go. I dredged my way through work,  and somehow managed to find the extra umph to get myself there (thankfully, the hosting business was close by).

Our artist's name was Laura Clark and she did a fabulous job giving us encouragement and instruction. I wish I had gotten a photo of her with the original painting.

With a few cans of Dr. Pepper (I rarely drink), and a bit of concentration, I have to say I enjoyed the evening and came away with a painting I liked.

Oh....and I almost forgot. The dog in my painting has a cat friend! :-)

...and perhaps the best part? I never got a full-blown cold, just a few little aches and pains and  that pesky sore throat.

As always -- photos are below.

Fiona 's FIRST horseback ride!

Yesterday marked one of those rare, weekend days Gayle was off from work. She works in the tourism industry,  so weekends are generally required.

We had talked earlier in the week and decided to take Fiona for a visit to the barn for a second time. She was pretty little the first time she saw the horses, and although she was curious about them, they scared her.

I wasn't sure what to expect yesterday since she is still just 2 years old and I knew the large horses could still seem intimidating.  I actually found myself wishing I had a pony or miniature instead of 2 15+ hand horses.

.....but Fiona is also an incredibly smart little girl. Almost everyone who meets her comments on it (..and, No, I'm not biased--perfect strangers have said this).

I had just gotten Tex saddled for a ride when my sister arrived at the barn.  We drove in seperate vehicles, so Gayle could bring her after her afternoon nap.

Fiona wasn't even out of the car yet before she was excitedly calling  out "Chickens, Chickens!!"

Tammy has a little Chicken coop by her house and the birds were making their usual verbal, ruckus.

I rode Tex over by the car. Fiona looked at me a bit strangely  ("why are you on top of the horse?"), but seemed very happy to see me and be at the farm.

Once out of the car, Fee made a beeline for the Chicken coop. She watched the Chickens for a short time, enjoying their erratic Chicken hops and squawks.

Afterwards,  we wandered around outside some of the nearby pastures, so she could see the other horses. She met Chance, Tucker, Minnow, Taco, and of course, my old man,  Griffin. She now knows who Griffin is (by name) and that he is "brown."

As we made our way back to the outdoor arena. I asked Gayle if she wanted to hop on Tex and have Fiona watch HER ride. I thought this might spark Fee's interest in trying it for herself.

Gayle rode and showed horses herself in 4-H when she was a teen, so I had no worries about her on Tex (Her 4-H mount had been a playful bucker, so Gayle is no stranger to silly, equine antics).

After Gayle climbed aboard and I adjusted her stirrups, she and Tex set off around the arena. Fiona and I sat in the porch swing by the edge and watched.

Unfortunately,  Gayle only made a single lap around before Fiona became restless and wanted to go by her mom. I asked Fee if she wanted to ride and she was already pulling my hand towards her mom and Tex.

We went back over to the mounting stairs while Gayle sidled Tex up alongside.  I once again asked Fiona if she wanted to ride and she had already climbed the first step of the mounting stairs. "up, UP!" she said holding her arms up to be lifted.

I helped her climb up to sit in front of her mom, then took Tex's reins to lead them both around.  Gayle kept her focus on holding Fiona in front of her and I on walking Tex.

This whole idea worked perfectly as Fiona grinned from ear - to - ear while being aboard her VERY FIRST horseback ride! A few times she pointed to the other horses out in the pasture and hollered "Tex!, Tex....!" ("No, Fiona..You are riding Tex.").

It was a short ride, before Fiona asked to get down again, but I was over the moon, happy that she had wanted to ride in the first place.

As I unsaddled Tex,  Fiona and Gayle visited with another boarder friend, Meridee, and her Morgan mare, Missy. Fiona enjoyed watching Missy get a bath and was delighted to pet her as well.

"What color is Missy?". I asked.

"Brown."

Brown indeed.

"What color is Tex?".

"Brown..." came the answer.

I pointed to Tex standing just outside at the hitch rail. "What color is Tex?" I asked again.

"Black!"

Such a smart girl!! 

Before we returned Tex to his pasture,  I asked Fiona if she wanted to walk him. She eagerly grabbed for his lead rope and set off for the outdoor arena. I followed alongside Tex, holding his halter and doing the actual leading for safety reasons. That didn't matter to Fiona...she enjoyed "walking" Tex and stepping in all of the sandy divets she could find in the arena.

...meanwhile, Tex wondered why we were walking around in little circles...

Afterwards, the 3 of us headed over to Pizza Ranch for a yummy, early dinner. Gayle was amazed at how much Pizza and Chicken Fiona managed to gobble down. I told her having fun with horses builds an appetite!

Because both of our hands were full most of the time making sure Fiona stayed safe, we didn't get much for pictures. I mentioned to Gayle that next time we'll have to bring mom (grandma) along as the official picture taker!!

...that, and hopefully Fee can have a ride on my boy, Griffin!!♡♡ (we just used Tex because I already had him out). :-)

 

Another outdoor lover in the family!!

My sister, Gayle, sent me a couple of photos and a text yesterday...

The text message reads...

She says "Im camping"...LOL Mom just ran in to grab something.

The accompanying photos (which are shared below) are adorable!!

Fiona evidently thought following my mom into her camper was pretty cool. This little girl has camped twice now and it has already proven to bit a hit with her!!

Personally,  I am over - the - moon excited that my little niece is already showing an affinity for camping. I am looking forward to many future outings with her along.

Fiona loves being outside so much that getting her to go back inside is sometimes a HUGE chore. She will also take your hand when you are inside and lead you to the door to go outside to play.

What can I say?

I think it's a genetic thing......

I also want to add that I also came across a Facebook posting regarding these photos (and some others) that the dress Fiona is wearing was, at one time, the same dress my mom dressed Gayle in.

Definitely early 80's chic there, mom! I hope you didn't use mothballs (blech)!! 

A day not exactly as planned....but with an enjoyable ending!

My day today didn't exactly turn out as I had hoped.

With my mom and dad attending a car show, I was hoping that I could take Jerseydog and do a nice hike at Mirror Lake State Park (which is nearest to my parents' place).

My back seems to definitely be on the mend and it would have been nice to do something fun.

....but I had told my parents that I would mow their lawn for them.

Last week.

My intention was to do it on Thursday, but hurting my back spoiled that.  It also rained.  (OH Puddlesticks)!!

So, unfortunately, the lawn got put off until today.  My parents own just under 5 acres (although not all of it is mowed).  With that said, however, it is not a 20 minute job.  The first 2 photos below illustrate just a partial bit of my handiwork.

With the lawn work job done, I had every intention of relaxing a little bit in front of an actual computer (my parents have 2) and reading some blogs and writing on THIS blog (I don't own a computer.  Most of my blogging is done on my cell phone).

That didn't happen either, as the wireless router at my folk's place decided that IT was going to go haywire as well....hence, NO wifi, NO internet. **sigh**  Since I was unaware of how to fix it, I watched a little TV instead.  I tuned in to a few episodes of Forensic Files and an episode of  Hoarders: Buried Alive.  I don't watch regular TV at home, so it was a nice treat to watch a few programs I enjoy.  Every time I watch  Hoarders, it makes me glad that I am a Minimalist.  I will never have such a problem with my chosen lifestyle.  While I can't say I understand what causes people to hoard things, I do understand that it is a serious, psychological condition and I feel badly for those (and their family members) that struggle with it.

My mom and dad walked in the door around 5pm, which surprised me as I didn't think they would be home until at least 7.  My mom was still restless from her busy day (selling T-shirts at the car show) and she wanted to know if I wanted to take Jerseydog to the dog park with her.

We didn't get the hike I had hoped for earlier, so why not?  (Well sort of, anyway.  I DID take J for a little stroll up to the nearby cemetery when I first arrived at the house, but since that only takes about 20 minutes, it wasn't much of a hike).

Upon arriving at the dog park, we encountered a pleasant surprise.  My sister, Gayle, was there with  her dog, Winston, and little Fiona!!!!  (Seeing my little niece is ALWAYS a treat to me).

I got a lot of great photos (also below) of the dogs playing and little Fiona at the dog park.  It certainly was a busy place tonight as there were around 5-7 dogs total playing (it's late, and the count is fuzzy in my head).  Everyone got along beautifully (which is sometimes a concern at busy dog parks) and had  a lot of fun.

Jerseydog came home happily worn out.

I came home with some fun doggie park (and Fiona) photos!!!