Pix to follow

Hiya Babe!
What a great ride today! Not the best night sleep but I woke up more rested than I was yesterday, and after breakfast and chores, I saddled up Flash and headed out on what I’m calling the “outer loop.” As you know, I always like to try to do a perimeter route on my first day so I can get a lay of the land, as it were, and today’s 10 mile ride fit that perfectly! I left camp, got about 100 yards and realized I’d forgotten to put Lola’s safety vest on, so I gaited back to camp to get it, then headed out again. What nice trails! These are the kind of trails I miss not going to National Forests, but they’re campgrounds are a bit dicey for a rig my size, so I’m not sure how many of them I’ll be able to go to. Even this one, I’m not sure if I can leave the campground and turn south, because it’s a narrow road with about a 340 degree turn, so I may have to go north and find a different way. Anyway, that’s a problem for another day! The trails are most dirt with some gravel, but it’s a nice small gravel that doesn’t bother anyone. Only a few mud patches, and they were mostly dried up since we haven’t had any rain in a long time here now. Beautiful deciduous woods, rolling hills, nothing too steep, nice switchbacks occasionally, a few pine forests wedged between, really nice! There was one section that went along a gravel road, but it wasn’t too bad either. I ran into a couple of groups on the trail, some folks seem to worry about me riding alone, which I can appreciate. Some see it as brave, others foolish, others stupid, but I just call it living! One thing that was always true about us, we never let our life be ruled by fear, and I don’t intend to start now! Got back to camp around 3:30, sponged Flash down, then proceed to try to get a cell phone signal good enough to internet, I’m just on the edge here. Managed to do a little work, but can’t upload pictures, so they’ll have to be added later. Meanwhile, I’m having my first glass of wine, I’ve put up the grill so I can have a nice burger in a bit, ready to settle down for the evening. Not much to add, you know what comes next, so I’ll upload this early while I’ve got a signal! Good night, sweetheart! Love you!

Hi Darlin’,
Had a good rest overnight, but was still feeling a bit tired today. I discovered I had a book order come in late last night, so I packed that up after chores, made a list of a couple of items I needed and headed into French Lick to the post office. I discovered this was quite an historic area, with lots of buildings from just after the turn of the last century, evidently there were springs here that claimed healing powers and people flocked here for the cures. I loved the old post office, one of those great old buildings with the super high ceilings and beautiful wood, from back when they really knew how to build grand buildings. I stopped at the tourist office to pick up some maps and brochures just to see what the history was about, pretty interesting. It gave me a chance to scope out my exit route, too, and it looks pretty good, except for the turn out of the campground! That looks the most harrowing, big ditch, driveway points the wrong way, I may need to find an alternate route just in case I can’t make it. I filled up with fuel while I was in town, best price I’ve seen for diesel in a while, just $2.29 a gallon. Since my next stop isn’t all that far, and I don’t anticipate going out again, I should be good for awhile. Also stopped at the Jay C grocery store for a couple of things (I forgot Total cereal for Lola’s satin balls the other day), and then I was back in camp. It was cloudy all day, so I only got a little boost from the solar panel, but even so, I didn’t need to turn the generator on until dinner time, and only for about 30 minutes. Hopefully it will be sunnier tomorrow, though they’re calling for rain in the afternoon. I didn’t feel like riding today, but I did make out three routes to cover all the trails, two for Flash and one for Apollo, so I’m ready to go. I’ll take Flash in the morning for a perimeter ride. I’m told the trails are rocky, so boots for him will be the order of the day. Read for most of the afternoon, watched a few old things on the Dish PVR, otherwise an uneventful and restful day. Heading for shower and bed now. Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Pix to follow when I have a better cell phone signal!

Hi Sweetie,
I swear I just don’t understand people these days. I packed up the final few things this morning, had a bit of a problem getting the slide in because I was at the wrong tilt, but solved it by putting the boards under the tires on the left side, which was just enough to let me pull it in with a strap. I had a pretty straightforward drive, mostly on freeway, which was a bit longer mile-wise but a lot safer and easier to drive. I arrived at the tire place where I had the tire delivered, and they did a great job, got it done in about 30 minutes, mounting the new tire on the rim, disposing of both old tires and replacing the spare, but I fear it’s so much fatter it’s going to stuck up there forever, and only charged me $14! Amazing! They were right around the corner from Walmart so I took a quick trip just to pick up a few things I had forgotten the other day, and headed for the camp, just 30 minutes away. I arrived, scoped out the place (the best spot, the most level and the largest for a unit like mine was already taken by some non-horse people with a tiny pop-up camper), and another camper came in just behind me and took a corner spot, but it wasn’t one that would have been good for me. I ended up in the middle of the loop right next to the water, which, despite assurances from the main office that the water spigot had threads, they did not!), so I had that new issue to deal with, then I put out the electric fence (I took up a good amount of space, I admit, but there’s plenty of room for neighbors if I get any), then discovered that the hitching rail I surround with my fence looked like someone had spent the whole weekend with a couple of horses tied to the rail and never once bothered to pick up any manure! So I had to cart two wheelbarrows of manure away just so I could use the spot. What is it with Indiana people and the Hoosier Forest? I remembered the last time we went somewhere where the people left a big mess like that was ALSO in the Hoosier Forest, down at Germantown. It left a bad impression of Indiana in my mind for a LONG time, and we never came back again, not until I did this summer. What is wrong with people? The folks that took the corner are across from me, and once again, for some unknown reason, they cranked up a generator (fortunately it’s a more quiet Honda), but they left it running all day, even when they went out riding! What’s up with that? That’s happened a couple of times to me this season, I just don’t understand why anyone needs to waste gas generating electricity if they’re not doing anything that needs electricity! Weird. I’m going to ask tomorrow and see if there’s a reason that’s just escaping me. Anyway, it’s been a long day, I’m exhausted, I took my shower before dinner, watched some things on Dish because the cell phone signal is pretty weak here so I may not be getting Netflix (I was too tired to mess with it tonight), and now I’m heading to bed to read, and hopefully get a good night sleep, though I’m definitely putting in my earplugs since the generator is STILL on at 10:00 at night. Sigh… Love you, darlin’! Good night!

Hey Babe,
A nice quiet day (though it once again started out with the sound of heavy equipment being moved around), where I paced myself doing the packing up in preparation for our departure tomorrow. Everything’s put away, awnings in, just have to hook up the truck. I’m on too much of a slope to do it today, so that and getting the high line down are about all I need to do. I called ahead to the tire place where I had my replacement tire sent, I’m planning on stopping there on the way. It also happens to be very near the Walmart, and though I don’t need much, I can kill two birds with one stone while I’m there. I could even walk over if time allows. Looking forward to getting into a national forest again, these state parks are too civilized and too crowded for my liking, though it was finally quiet today. A tenter came in late last night, and later a woman from the office came down and moved him, apparently their “first come” policy has been superceded by a reservation only protocol, so he had to move, or maybe he just left, I don’t know. He didn’t have a horse so he shouldn’t have been here anyway, and I don’t understand why he camped right across from when when the entire campground was empty! Go figure. Anyway, I did all the laundry, washed the horse blankets and saddle bags by hand, it was so sunny everything dried just fine. This is the last day I’ll have electricity for quite awhile, so I did all that I could. Not much else to report, happy to be moving on! Good night, my love!

Hey Sweetie,
I’m obviously getting into the swing of these lazy, end of summer days. Another great night sleep, and right after chores I found a guy selling hay that was only about 15 minutes away. Evidently most of what they grow around here is about 70 percent alfalfa, 30 percent orchard grass, and if I wanted a lower ratio I’d have to travel 40 minutes, so I decided to go for the more rich stuff, but at $6 a bale it was hard to pass up. Maybe since it’s not pure alfalfa it won’t make the horse go completely crazy, but I don’t mind a little extra pep, especially in my old slug, Apollo. That didn’t take long, though I didn’t transfer it to the trailer yet, I thought it would be easier if I can back up into the side door, but there’s no room at the moment, too many campers. I debated about going for a ride, but I really like to take Lola with me, and I didn’t want to be on the trail with so many other people, especially kids, it might have created a conflict. I haven’t seen anyone else take a dog on the trail so I suspect it’s frowned upon, but if I wait until it’s less crowded, I supposed it wil be okay. After all, I did it twice last week already. Anyway, I spent most of the day reading, playing the occasional computer game, and finished off with some more Voyagers. I’m down to the end of the last season, so I’ll be looking for something else soon. And now, it’s that time again! Good night, babe! Love you!

Hi Hon,
Yet another great night sleep, a cool front came through so I didn’t even have to run the fan last night, it actually got down to 53 degrees! Perfect! It warmed up nicely later, not a cloud in the sky, and this place was so packed with people, a perfect 3-day weekend for most folks. Lots of kids here, glad to see the horse camping tradition lives on in the next generation. I spent the morning preparing paperwork to support my cause against the union, got that sent in, did my monthly bookkeeping (which doesn’t require much these days, so few expenses!), looked for some hay (these last bales are so poorly packed and light they’re not lasting for five minutes!),
then spent most of the rest of the day in the screen room just reading. A fabulous, lazy day. Added apples to the horses’ dinner just for fun, then settled down to finish a Voyager I fell asleep during last night, then watched a movie for a change, about a woman who drifted for over 40 days in a disabled yacht after a hurricane, based on a true story. Pretty interesting. But now it’s that time again! Good night, darlin’! Love you!

Hi Honey,
A wonderful night sleep, despite the rain, slept later than I probably should have, but after breakfast and chores, I delved into trying to satisfy the absurd requirements of the union in order to get a contract, until I concluded that I couldn’t do it without further guidance from their “safety board,” so I wrote a letter asking for clarification on half a dozen items and sent it off. Somehow I doubt I’ll get the response I need, so far they keep avoiding all of my questions, and I don’t suppose this will be any different. I’ve already filed a complaint with a government organization against them, we’ll see how that goes. Anyway, it was 2:00 before I went out to nearby Hamilton to shop, going to Meijers for some more of the hard-to-find joint juice, then Rural King for horse feed (they keep a much more complete stock of Nutrena feeds than Tractor Supply), finally Walmart for the rest of my essentials. I have to confess, I bought a new kind of limited edition ice cream that is just too decadent for words. Turkey Hill Brown Sugar Bourbon Vanilla. Hmmm, hmm good! It might not quite surpass Blue Bell Spiced Pumpkin Pecan, but it certainly runs a close second! I took a detour for fuel, because Walmart didn’t have a gas station and the ones nearby were all at 2.69 a gallon for diesel, but a few miles away there was one for 2,29 a gallon, so it was worth the detour. Got back about six, starving, so I made myself a cup of Ramen noodles (my new favorite food!), then fed the horses and Lola, and settled down for the evening. Won’t be up late tonight, heading off to shower and bed soon! Good night, my sweet! Love you!

Hi Babe,
Couldn’t get to sleep last night, so I woke up tired this morning, and it didn’t get any better throughout the day. I knew I needed a day off, so I spent the day reading, arguing with Equity via email, until finally, it was dinnertime, when I started watching a little TV. It wasn’t long before I was falling asleep in my chair, and just as I decided to take my shower and get ready for bed, it started to rain, four hours ahead of schedule. Good thing I have earplugs! So, now I’m off to wash dishes, take my shower and go to bed, also hours ahead of schedule. I hope I sleep better tonight! Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hey Sweetie,
Once again, I went to bed expecting one kind of weather and woke up to something else. Forecast last night was a 30% chance of rain for about an hour later in the morning, woke up with rain coming down heavily and a 100% chance of rain, duh! Fortunately the radar showed it wouldn’t last too long, and that Hueston Woods was sunny, so I crawled back into bed to wait it out. Once it started to wane a bit, I got up and had breakfast, and by the time I was done, the rain had gone. I finished packing up, hooked up and pulled out the trailer, loaded up the horses and off we went! It was an uneventful trip (my favorite), except when I arrived at Hueston Woods, I noticed a long scratch a several dents along the compartments under the manger. I have no idea how they got there. I’m sure I didn’t run into anything, but I don’t know how anything could have run into me, though I did stop by the side of the road one time, but I pulled off pretty far, and I would have thought I would have noticed if someone slid along my side. I took the long route on purpose, to keep me mostly on freeway, but I don’t know, it’s a mystery. Anyway, my first stop at Hueston Woods when I arrived at 2:00 was at the dump, since Hocking doesn’t have one, and then off to my site, which is in the middle of a row of sites. There must be some kind of event or something here this weekend, because practically every site is booked. I barely have enough room for the trailer here, but I managed to get in okay. I had do to some extra maneuvering, because the electric boxes are side by side every other site, which means for my site it’s on the wrong side of the trailer, so I had to stay close to one side to make sure it would reach, just barely! That gave me a tiny bit of room to put up an electric fence around the (sigh) hitching post, and up along the slide-out, but it’s hardly enough to turn around in. The good news it that the newer maps show a lot more trails than the older maps did, so it looks like we have a lot of trails to explore. The bad news is they’re busy “upgrading” the trails with gravel, big chunks on the bottom, then some of that netting material, then small chunks on top. Looks like it’s going to be boots for the boys for the next 10 days! I really can’t understand why these decisions are made, everyone I talk to KNOWS that horses don’t like gravel, but some bureaucrat somewhere has decided that this is the way to do it, and that’s that! Frustrating. Anyway, I was completely set up with screen room, fence, grill, the whole works by about 5:00, then settled down for a nice grilled pork shop and sides and an evening of reading, TV and extremely frustrating letters back and forth to Equity about meeting their absurd covid requirements. Grrrr! For a union of artists, they have NO imagination. Anyway, I finally showered, and am off to bed. Good night, darlin’! Love you!

Hi Babe.
A good night sleep and a lazy, rainy day. Did little else but the minimum of chores, put the horses out on anchors for a bit to get some fresh grass and clover, repaired a tear on the dining bench that Lola made, read for awhile, watched TV, played games on the computer, just a relaxing, luxuriously boring day. Unfortunately, it looks like rain again tomorrow, clearing up on Sunday, so I guess I’m not going to get another ride in, since Sunday I’ll be packing up. I imagine the trails are super muddy by now with all the rain we’ve been having, and the remnants of Hurricane Laura will be coming through overnight, which will only make it worse. The trails here do tend to get muddy, though I will say, this is the quietest Friday night I’ve ever seen, so not many horses out on the trails today! Heading for shower and bed, we’ll see what the rest of the weekend brings. Good night, sweetie! Love you!