Wishful Thinkin'

The sun is shining, the day is warm, again I really wanted to ride.  At home, the ice was all melted.  Surface of the ground seemed to be drying & the wind was blowing.  Butch had hitched me up, probably easier than hearing me moan & groan that I could have ridden... 

The gravel road out to Farah's barn, goes from sunshine to shade & can be so very slippery.  I have to be able to turn the trailer around on the shoulder.  The road wasn't bad, but when I went to make the U-turn, I could feel the outside tires of the trailer slipping.  The Bronco was up on the gravel & pulled it right around.

Farah was filthy!  No other way to say it.  This time of year there's no way of picking up outside on the hill, so they are a sloppy mess.  Since she's shedding - rolling is mandatory as far as she's concerned - regardless of what she's rolling in...   I spend at least half an hour with the shedding blade & was filthy myself by the time I was done.

On our way~

Only a couple cars in the parking lot, truck traffic was non-stop, dust flying high into the air.  The noise from all these trucks is so loud you feel like you're in the middle of an industrial zone.  We waited for a break in the traffic & made it across to the trail.

In the woods~

The first half mile or so the surface was really not bad.  Farah was sinking in a little in spots & but we weren't leaving much of a mark.

Sheet of ice~

As we entered the underpass, I could see white on the ground up ahead.  It was a solid sheet of ice, reaching all the way from one side to the other...  I've seen what can happen when a horse falls on ice - so I decided the smart thing to do was turn back.

Grazing~

 Farah wants her friends in WA, who are enjoying green grass, to know that here, you take what you can get!

The large grassy field~

 We stopped at the far end.  I picked up beer cans, beer boxes & other trash.  There was a blue tub for trash right next to the picnic table, but obviously no one had used it.  The limestone surface was rutted with bike tracks & even footprints were visible.

Our track :-(

 As we were coming back, we met a new friend, Jim.  He owns this beautiful farm that I've admired from my first ride past.  We talked horses, the trail, the weather etc. for quite a while.  A nice excuse to sit & enjoy the sun.  Farah cocked a hind leg & tried to take a nap.

Jim's farm~

 Jim said that the water table is very high through this area, so even though the surface looks dry, just a few inches down things are still frozen solid.  He said it would be at least another week - with No moisture - for things to dry out.  Since we have rain & even snow in the forecast, I think it will be a while.

Heading back~

 Even with Jim's horses running at the fence that goes alongside the trail, Farah kept her cool & walked right along ignoring the commotion.  She was as happy to be out as I was, even if it wasn't the longer ride we'd hoped for.  I can understand now, why riders stick to the gravel roads this time of year.

Coal Plant~

Corn fields & the Coal Plant.  What a view...  I took Farah back to the barn, then went on down the road to my turn around.  It was a little firmer than it had been earlier.

Trailer Tracks~

It can look so dry & yet Be so mucky just underneath.  Once in town I went to the car wash & spend $10. washing the Bronco & Trailer.  The road grime sticks like concrete to the underside of the vehicles & with the sand & salt that goes on the roads, it's no wonder most of the older vehicle's here have signs of rust.

We'll be waiting on mother nature now - to dictate our next outing~