Dear Diary: Summer is Flying By. August 23

Jose

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Dear Diary: Summer is Flying By. August 16

August 16 (how did that happen??)

Dear Diary: Summer is flying by. July 25

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Dear Diary. Summer is flying by.

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Dear Diary. Let it be Spring. June 19

I finally found a quiet moment this morning to write something and noticed the last post was April 8 !!! how did that happen?

I’m not sure I can even count back and figure out where the spring went.. We had some gorgeous weather in March and early April, and then it seemed the wind never stopped blowing. So the garden and ranch/yard work was spotty - I got behind on a lot of stuff there. It’s really hard to get out when it’s cold and windy…

I did a few rides with Smokey (I love this mare!) - our 50 mile Tough Sucker ride here at the ranch on April 9. We bailed at the Eagle ride April 23 - rain all night, cold and raining and windy in the morning and we found a million excuses not to saddle up and ride. So we played cards in the camper while the hearty ones rode in the weather.

We did a 55 mile ride at Owyhee River Challenge - lots of fun. Then geared up to host our epic City of Rocks ride at City of Rocks National Reserve - 200 miles west of here near the historic town of Almo. It’s a gorgeous place - stunning scenery. We do 3 days of 25 and 50 mile trails. It’s as much a big party as anything. All the friends pitch in, we work really really hard, but make sure we reward ourselves with pizza at Rock City, the local pizza/beer/sundries shop, and daily and/or nightly trips to Durfee Hot Springs - clean pools of water for every preference (I like the hot one the best).

It’s a crazy intense fun exhausting time - we got there on Saturday to set up and mark trail, the actual ride was Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and we made it home on Monday. We had 40 riders the first two days, and 60 on the last - and all the crew, family, friends, staff, Wynne's gang cooking meals for everybody. So many people, camping and riding over the same ground that the pioneers rode (or walked, or drove) in the 1840's. Historians state that during the peak of the gold rush and emigration west over 10,000 pioneers traveled through the City of Rocks.

We had 150 miles of trail to mark and unmark, tents to raise and bring back down, everybody’s stuff to sort and unsort, fencing and water for all the horses we bring so we can ride and have fun too … it’s like building a little city. We’re still unpacking stuff a week later… Why do we do this? Hard to say, but so far we’re still gung ho. I rode Smokey for two days - fun sorta-fast rides, she’s a really good horse for this sport, and it is such beautiful riding - this is my reward I guess!

(photo by Steve Bradley)

Now I’m home, getting caught up on yard, ranch, garden work. The weather has been pleasant, though we did have another big wind yesterday afternoon. Today is warm and sunny and calm. I’ll ride this morning, then some yard/garden work, play music (I’m playing fiddle again after 35 years! It’s fun). Time to relax and enjoy summer for a while.
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Dear Diary: Let it be Spring. April 8

April 6

We've had crazy weather - summer and winter are still duking it out. This week it hit 80 degrees. (last week it got up to 55). But for the most part Spring has Sprung.

Lilacs are blooming, dandelions taking over the lawn, cherry blossoms, cottonwoods shedding cotton, the trees along the creeks are green now and the hills are green with spring grass. Still a lot of snow on the mountains - this is good!

The birds are mostly back, though I haven't seen the orioles yet. We have a pair of phoebe's that have been nesting in the corner of our porch by the front door for as long as I can remember. They are used to people and dogs and the door opening and closing, even during the rides and clinics they get on with their business. This year I tore down the old nest (mud and stuff) and closed off the hole into the wall, but tradition held, and they built a new nest on top of the porch light.

I've been watering the pasture and gardens since March - it's been dry and windy this spring and I needed to start the water early. The kildeer love it when I set the sprinkler in the pasture. Their cheerful peep peeps are a sure sign of spring.

Steph

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Dear Diary: Let it be spring. April 4

My 16,000 mile American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) patch came today - that’s 16,000 miles worth of endurance rides in the USA!

And here’s a thanks to the horses and the endurance miles they earned for me. Some had short careers for one reason or another (sickness, arthritis, injury, age, attitude) some stayed with me for a long time. Some were ridden by others as well as me. They were all special in some way!

Tiaro - my first Arabian endurance horse! scrawny and ugly but tough and loved to run. 1025 miles (1075 total)

Carrousell Vision - beautiful and capable Arabian. 1075 miles (just me)

Viargo - Carol's horse, a great ride. 50 miles (375 total)

CMR Benewah - fast and barely broke and loved to run. 525 miles (1200 total)

OMR Kalligraphy - ex race horse, awesome ride, retired due to arthritis. 150 miles (805 total)

Nature’s Quicksilve - half Russian Orlov Trotter - amazing mare. 680 miles (2200 total)

Nature’s Khruschev - half Russian Orlov Trotter - fast, safe, sane, tough, the best. 2865 miles (3415 total)

Nature’s Fantastic - half Russian Orlov Trotter - fast, but had a mean streak. 525 miles (575 total)

Bunchuk - pure Russian Orlov Trotter - imported from Russia as a driving horse. fast trot!!! 520 miles (1125 total)

Great Santin i - a rescue horse, Arabian, tough and game. 1305 miles (2455 total)

Sukaro HCC - ranch bred Arabian 'tougher than snot'. 325 miles (3625 total)

Jaziret Bey Musc - the best endurance horse - tough, fast, fun. 4105 miles ( 6620 total)

AM Bold Destiny - Heidi's horse. beautiful Arabian. 100 miles (840 total)

Jose Viola - the most fun horse to ride - happy, willing, tough. 450 miles (3985 total)

Ravenwood Dark Desire - aka Batman - fast and bold, a true superhero. 750 miles (2014 total)

Owyhee Smoke Signal - aka Smokey - born here at the ranch, a strong minded mare, a great ride. Many more miles together I hope! 455 miles (just me!)

Steph

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