We'd driven by the sign that leads to the West Oak Forest parking area many times. Butch took the day off & I wanted to get out & go for a hike! There's something about the last days of one year & the beginning of the next... I get antsy for open space & fresh air.
Butch & Nika~
The weather man gave us one more day of sunshine, with temperatures in the 40's. It's been dry, but rain is coming in tonight & supposed to last through the day tomorrow.
The first climb~
With the highest point over 1,100 feet above sea level, we knew we'd be doing some hill climbing to reach the crest of the hills & the views.
I've seen the above berries in several of the parks. Thank you to Jerad G. who provided the ID! I want to buy some to plant along our back bank!
Butch & Nika, top of the first bluff~
Lucky for us, it's been dry. There were many places where the trail was very slippery. The ground frozen, with a thin layer of melted soil on top. Hiking here - once we get moisture or in wet weather is just short of impossible. The mud clings to the bottom of your shoes. If you wear hiking boots, they soon become heavy with stuck on mud.
Old root cellar~
As we dropped to the bottom area, between two hills, we came upon this old cave. It was brick lined, with pieces falling from the ceiling. Probably five feet deep, I sure didn't want to go in! Neither did Nika!
The water below is from the March floods. Some of the fields have finally drained. The smell of rotting plant
material is horrible. Pretty in pictures, but not if you live nearby.
Looking NW - toward Omaha~
The plant below is my nemesis! It's almost impossible to see when you're walking through any kind of grassy ground. I was first introduced to it when I walked Pierce Creek with the rangers, laying out a new trail. Another time - Farah's legs were covered & I had to scrape them off with my hands! Here at home I've found them too - pulling them & putting the entire plant in the trash.
Tomorrow is the winter open house at Pony Creek Conservation Center - we may stop by. I hope to ask Dessa - the Naturalist there - to help me identify the reddish berry.
Heading back~
With about 3-miles of trails, we ended up doing a loop at the top. We also took a spur trail, but it ended at a private home. Horses are allowed here when the ground is dry. (It would have been tough to get even my horse trailer in the parking area.)
Southwest~
Coming back, the sun was lower in the sky & clouds were starting to move in. We hadn't eaten since a morning piece of pie... I was thinking about an early dinner for over an hour of our two-hour hike! My months on the elliptical have paid off. I do wish I'd brought my trekking poles for the downhills.
The truck waits~
We spent a few minutes scraping mud off our shoes, on the edge of a rough concrete pad, before getting back to the truck. Dinner in Council Bluffs hit the spot!
Our second year - seemed to fly by faster than the first! It was the unexpected & unplanned that demanded a certain amount of fortitude.
Farah wanted another selfie, the day after we'd returned from our Christmas trip to WA. I honestly think she recognized us on the phone! We were so happy to be together again. Ten-degrees felt cold - at least to me! The New Year seemed filled with promise, shiny & bright!
January 4th~ Happiness is!
I took advantage of the indoor arena at Farah's stable. February, we managed to get in a ride at Two Rivers State Recreation Area, NE. With more snow on the ground than we'd expected, it was slippery, but felt so good to be out!
Two-Rivers, February 17th~
March, friends offered Farah a home on their farm. It took a lot of work to get the little barn ready. By month's end, Farah had moved from the boarding stable to the farm! I'd be able to ride the fields & secondary country roads without trailering to far off parks with limited trails.
Sunset at the Farm, March 3rd~
It was great to have Farah totally in our care again, the farm felt like an extension of home. I unpacked all the boxes of tack & thanks to my husband - had a real tack room again. I took advantage of every opportunity to ride. We both enjoyed exploring new places. Leaving in a different direction almost every day & some days visiting friends who lived within riding distance.
April 27th~
The ride above, was to be the last day I'd have full vision in my right eye. That evening - the blotches appeared & have never left. The cause was a blood clot in the central artery (CRAO). Time & physical therapy helped, but the adjustment is ongoing. I think of that ride - often.
Lush greens, May 15th~
Early spring was spectacular. The countryside came alive with every shade of green. Summer was hot & humid, with more rain than usual. By June, with the help of a Village of our friends, the fencing was completed for Farah's pasture! I was so happy to think that after over a year, she would have a place to enjoy her freedom & grazing. Sadly, it was not to be so - the bugs off the fields attacked her in hordes every time we took her out.
The Pasture, June 24th~
The bugs were horrible, Farah appreciated her mask, her leggings & fly spray. No fan, as there was no electricity to the barn.
6-29-18 Bandaged
The end of June, we received a call. Farah had jumped her enclosure & escaped onto the road. We're sure she was driven to it by bugs coming in off the fields to attack her. A big Vet bill, but the damage was superficial. This was the first time she had Ever had an injury of any kind. Undoubtedly the scariest thing to have ever happened to her & to us...
Farah's summer look :-) Waubonsie, July 26th~
July, Butch drove us to Waubonsie, where we rode all our favorite trails. It was a really fun place to ride the hills & great for conditioning, but not as beautiful as Pierce Creek.
8-15-18 Rain Ridin'
The ability to ride out from the farm was such a blessing. No trailering & enough riding to keep us occupied. One of my favorite rides, was in the rain.
8-30-18 Almost to Mineola~
I'd had a plan - to try to ride Farah from the farm, to the Wabash Trail & from there to Mineola. Horses are not allowed on that section, but no one was ever out during the week & we'd be quick :-) At Tobey Jacks, Farah was served washed, cut, cold carrots! Wow! Now, her favorite restaurant too :-)
9-8-18 Pierce Creek~
Pierce Creek was a favorite for us both. Farah loved it so much, she'd get excited before we were even close to the trail where I could let her open up! Here too, with water available, she could have a nice bath after a hot sweaty ride.
September, I made the decision to send Farah back to WA. After two-years of trying to make riding work here for the gold girl & me - it was over. We'd given it our best shot... In the end, I have to pray I made the right decision for the welfare of a superior mare.
Farah, September 8th~
For the first time in almost 30-years, I end this year without a ride... My long-time riding friends in WA will understand - the massive change this has been for me... I used to ride the old year out & sometimes, the New Year in... Time has moved on - life has moved on & I'm moving with it - abet on foot.
A Sunny Saturday & Butch had an activity to drive. A perfect day to head south to one of our favorite places to ride, Pierce Creek. The last time I'd been here, was the end of April, when I'd first lost vision in my eye. We'd dropped off fuel for our BCHIA SW Chapter, for a second day of trail-clearing & turned back to the optometrist office in Glenwood.
SW corner trails~
That same group had spent a hard days work last November, with chain saws, cutting back the trees & shrubs for this new trail. All those Volunteer man hours & effort to open over a half-mile of trail through the timber. I'd spent another day last fall following the Ranger to get the general idea of where the trail was to go.
Lake at Pierce Creek
The April BHCIA work crew had finished off widening the trail enough that the Rangers could mow it. I was so excited - finally - after all this time - to ride it! There was a light breeze, it was a cooler day & the humidity was amazingly low. Especially as wet as the ground was. The most saturated I've ever seen it - though I'm not here as often as I'd have liked.
Crossing the dike~
Such a spectacular day! Such a spectacular place, so rare in this state that has been dominated since it's inception, by thousands of acres of crops.
View from the SE corner~
Blooming Goldenrod dominated the landscape. There were butterflies everywhere, Monarch's in abundance! The bugs were still very bad, much worse than this time last year. I was going to use Farah's mask, but instead just used spray & a roll on. It wasn't enough.
Into the Timber~
We both knew where we were heading! Farah trucked right in to the timber trails. Even the grass areas were overgrown & hadn't been mowed in a while. That should have been my first clue...
Trail???
At first, I rode right by the turn-in to the new trail, but within a few feet realized that we'd passed it. No wonder, it was impossible to see. Farah turned right in, she knew where it was & didn't hesitate. At least not until she started lifting her front end off the ground, followed by stomping her hind legs! I dismounted - to find her Covered in burrs! Her legs were a solid mass of burrs going right up onto her chest & belly. She had a light sheen of sweat, which helped as I started using my hands to scrape them down & off her legs. She was so good to just stand there while I worked to get the worst of them off. I remounted & looked around. If it had been up to just me, I would have never found my way out. With one eye & no depth perception - it was a jungle...
I gave Farah her head, she started back, only changing direction slightly once. Once we were back on the main trail, I decided to go to the far end by the campground & try to go in there. After all, I couldn't imagine that it wasn't open at some point? Wrong! Again, we got in a short way before we were again covered in burrs. There had been absolutely No attempt by the park Rangers to keep the trail open. We fought our way back & to the campground.
On my leg...
I spent at least 30-min. removing burrs from Farah, the cinch, my legs, boots etc. How discouraging. I almost thought about taking the roads back to the horse park, but instead remembered that the main trail was at least rideable.
Our attempts to ride the "new trail"~
It's not just the amount of volunteer hours that went into getting this trail in. It's also discouraging that the people who come here often to ride, can't manage the few hours it would take to go through & keep it open. Not hard work, at least it wasn't earlier in the season when BCH had it all cleared.
East side of the lake~
I was glad we'd taken the trails. It gave me time to wear off my bad feelings towards the people who manage this park & those that are lucky enough to ride here - yet do nothing visible to maintain it. The firepits were full of cigarette buts & trash etc.
I just had to take this little video of Farah :-) She knew that I was paying no attention to the reins & was filming - so eventually she had to take advantage :-)
Looking back across from the west side~
Back over the dike & onto the much better trails near the gun club. Better - as long as it's not a day that the shooting is going on. We crossed the other access road & went up onto the hillside where Farah likes to move out. Move-out we did! We galloped our running hill twice, the second time, Farah kicked it into high gear & we had our Yippee run!
Bronco & Trailer - Between the Ears~
I'd been going to give her a bath before heading home, but the fly's were So bad! I put her out on the ground tie, put her face mask on & let her graze.
Starting a roll~
She laid down & had a wonderful roll, back & forth! Enjoying every minute, since she's not had a good one on grass in a while now. I sat & spent the time taking more burrs off myself & our tack, before loading her up.
Our route~
It was a great ride! All rides are Great rides! But my disappointment in the management practices here know no bounds. I just hope that BCHIA hasn't given any funding to this park. At least not until they are sure that the money is used to actually maintain the trails!
I'd been so looking forward to this weekend! Our BCHIA SW Chapter was going to finish clearing the trail through the timber at Pierce Creek! I'd met with the Ranger for a first walk September of last year, to help lay out the proposed trail. Then, the first work-party day, the group of us labored so hard, but fell short of our goal of getting it all the way through. (A skid-steer had been scheduled to widen & finish it off in January, but somehow those plans failed.)
Friday evening, Butch & I were sitting out, when suddenly the vision in my right eye turned gray? I put in drops, but I still couldn't see much of anything. My entire field of vision was gray, separated by a few small spaces where it seemed I could see clearly. I called my optometrist & left a message.
We were on the road early on Sat., anxious to get to Pierce Creek - bringing fuel for the saws. About 1/2 way there, Jacque called. After I described my symptoms, she told me to turn around & come back to her office for a full evaluation. We dropped off the fuel & turned back to Glenwood...
It seems that my cornea was somewhat sandblasted. I think from the huge wind gust Farah & I went through on Friday. I was sent home & told to use drops every hour & take it easy :-) By day's end, the eye was less cloudy & that was a huge relief. Our stalwart BCHIA friends did finish the trail without us!
Sunday we'd planned to start getting the pasture fence in at the farm! The wind was again blowing something fierce, so I kept my eye drops handy & only did hand pruning. The vision in my right eye was again blotchy & I was worried.
Farah loving the green grass~
Butch laid out the pasture area & we started moving posts. Soon Linus & Kay arrived (with donuts)! Everyone got busy & it was amazing how quickly those posts went in!
Layout~
There were several areas where Butch used the chainsaw to clear the perimeter. Kay & I started hacking & cutting back the underbrush.
"Before"
With the creek in the middle, we've had suggestions to use a culvert & cover it with dirt, but enough dirt would be hard to come by. Janice & I like the idea of a little bridge :-)
Our cleared path!
Kay & I did a super job, if I do say so, of cutting everything back for the path. Butch came through with the chainsaw. There was only one tree we had to remove & a widow maker stuck in some higher branches.
Dean arrives with the tractor~
Dean on the tractor was a huge help, moving an old round of hay off the path & pulling the fence fabric tight. While cutting back greenbrier at the base of a huge tree, we found this beautiful nest with three speckled eggs! Dean identified them as White Breasted Nuthatch!
A beautiful nest~
Needless to say, we left the nest alone & Dean added a few branches to replace the greenbrier we'd cut & pulled out.
Plenty of lush grass!
We ran out of white tipped posts, so had to go to red - so much for my color scheme :-) It was a beautiful day, except for the wind...
Lunch in the tack room~
I'd made a pot of my three-bean dish. Just full of hamburger, bacon, onion & usually, a meal in itself! We all decided we'd be much more comfortable in out of the wind!
Walkway posts in!
By about 4 p.m. it felt like quitting time! Linus again mentioned ice cream would be a great way to end the day. Tastee Treat - was as busy as we've ever seen it - but we managed to get a booth! We're far from done, but in another weekend or two, Farah will have her pasture! Many thanks to some really Super Friends!
Are rare indeed... The calendar page is still on the month of December - and yet - we continue to have the best weather of the entire year. Day after day of sunshine, blue skies & moderate temperatures. It is bone dry, the dirt in Farah's run is the consistency of talcum powder. When Margie messaged me that she & John planned to ride at Pierce Creek, I had to tag along.
View east~
As I pulled in to pick up Farah, she galloped up the hill of her run to meet me. First to arrive, the wind was howling & it felt darn cold! I had my thermal shirt & polar fleece on under my lighter weight Carhartt jacket. The wind was cutting right through both.
Following Margie & John
Soon, Margie & John pulled in & we were heading out - wind & all! I'd had a little discussion with Farah & told her that I was too cold to put up with any shenanigans - windy or not!
Stunning View from the SE corner~
It just seems amazing to me - but without much history to go by - to see temperatures in the 40's & 50's in December. It can't be anyone's idea of normal...
Margie, Coco, John & Posey~
I think the horses in this state, used to nice quiet winters - are as surprised as any of us - that they're still under saddle. As we rode the perimeter, with so many deer in the park, we yelled when coming up on brushy areas.
Farah~
I saw the exact spot where Farah had bolted our last visit here & could see why - heavy brush along the fence where the buck had been laying. I'm still learning this country & plan to be more careful, when we're near these areas.
Trail into the Timber~
With the days so short & the sun so low in the southern sky - it's like riding in the late afternoon even when it's still early. The quality of the light has that thin, golden glow.
Wounded Buck~
As we wound our way along on the new trail, John saw movement off to our left & we watched as a large Buck came to his feet. He'd been laying in the brush, almost impossible to see. As he started to walk away - a limp was obvious. One of his horns was hanging crooked... Just so sad & sickening to see such a magnificent creature in obvious pain. I don't know what kind of hunter would let a wounded animal get away. Butch mentioned that of course hunting isn't allowed in the park, but I would think tracking a animal wounded elsewhere would be permitted?
Margie & John
It was really fun to watch these two horses gait while their riders enjoy that Cadillac smooth ride. Farah's trot has always been smooth - but I do post :-)
Purple vines~
The color doesn't show up very well in the photo, but the bare vines were florescent purple! I stopped & asked Margie, thinking I was seeing things - but she agreed! We eventually left the Timber & moved along the eastern shore of the lake.
Two Eagles had flown over us while we were in the Timber. The pair of owls that I've seen before were in the trees too & flew out above us as we passed by.
Lunch!
As we rode to the west side of the lake, we could see the Eagle out on a sand bar, totally unconcerned that we were anywhere near. His attention was on the very large fish he was having for lunch. We watched for quite a while, feeling lucky to witness this bit of nature.
Our route
We did a little gallop up Farah's running hill. Margie found that Coco has a competitive streak & was not going to be left behind! :-) It was so nice to have such good company on the trails. By the time we returned to our trailers, two more had pulled in. Great to see other riders out enjoying such a nice day & place to ride.
