Not Quite Cool!

First of September!  Already?!  The weatherman promised a cooler day & clouds, but instead I think it was probably mid-80's with a very high dew point.  I spent some time talking with Terry at the stable.  He's such a nice man & tries so hard to keep all the horses comfortable.  He's been working on the steep drop out of Farah's stall door to her run.  I think we'll end up hauling rock & making sure she can't slip a foot under the edge of the stall wall...

In the Timber~

At Waubonsie - as we pulled in - it was hard to miss the only campers in the horse park.  The outdoor shower is pretty slick! 

Nice set-up!

There were no vehicles around.  By the time we'd returned, still no one around.  There was one other family camping.  They said they'd be riding horses tomorrow - no horses with them today.  I was so surprised there weren't more people here - with the three-day weekend upon us!

Bark!

Thank you to Raym for the identification!  This is the bark of an Ash tree - just amazing.

Tree down~

We've had to duck under this tree forever, then the man who's been working on the trails cut the lower branches off.  Now - it had fallen completely over the trail - but a new path goes around it on the left!

Soft Trails!

All the trails had been gone over again & are just SO nice!  You can plainly see why Farah doesn't need shoes here!  Her hind feet step into the depressions left from her front :-)  We do this loop twice usually.

Deer in the bush~

We saw her before she saw us :-)  Talk about blend in!  Farah is actually getting used to the deer jumping out now.  I think we chase them from one end of the park to the other.

More barbed wire~

Our BCH friends Robert & Amy, took out a good section of wire that had caused a couple accidents the weekend of our work-party - but there's more in this spot.   Rusty barbed wire is one of the reasons I don't go off trail.  Too many years of old fences everywhere.

Cool shrooms or fungi~

Today we trotted, galloped & Farah was smooth as silk all afternoon.  When we returned & talked to the couple camping - they mentioned that they liked the trails here better than where they're from.  The Bedford area is near the Lake of Three Fires!  I couldn't imagine why?  Three Fires is so pretty & has more miles of trail.  They explained it's the best place for technical hills & that is So true.  Farah is staying in wonderful condition & I'm sure the dirt footing will add years to her longevity.

The "rear view"~

I love sitting & watching Farah graze, she's so good about staying close.  She's much more relaxed this year.  Butch thinks it's because she's no longer the lonely, only horse.  In WA we rode with friends when we could - so she could socialize.  Now - she has that at the stable & our rides have become our together time.  She's always happy to see me & ready to jump in the trailer.

It will be a working weekend for us - I'm hopeful that Butch will get the sliding door installed in the family room!