Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016 – Rainy Day, Corral Shortage

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Well, rain came in overnight, but fortunately we slept through most of it. We set the alarm for 4:30 this morning, determined to be on time for the 8:00 muster. I ran down in the rain to the dining hall, only to discover they didn't have any cereal out, and they were out of coffee, so Hubby and I went out without breakfast. I managed to grab a couple of OJ's, but that was it! We broke down the tent and equipment in the rain, but just as we were heading out of camp, it quit raining for awhile, thank goodness. Of course, we have our slickers and hats, so we stayed relatively dry, and the warmer temps made it almost pleasant. Hubby is still suffering from shortness of breath, though, a remnant of both the cold air and the incredibly salty food, which always has an effect on him. It was another relatively easy day, despite the rain and the sloppy trails. Clio is still taking swipes at horses that run up on her fast, but otherwise is behaving well. Apollo has gotten used to the crowds, and only pins his ears back on occasion when someone gets too close. This has been really good for them, particularly if we decide to go on more organized trail rides in order to promote the book. Because of the weather, it was decided that we wouldn't stop for lunch, which was scheduled to be just a mile away, but rather head straight for camp and have lunch there instead, so off we went, arriving by about 1:00. Unfortunately, there was a shortage of corrals, and people were racing around, just like in musical chairs, to try to secure their spot. Apparently a bunch of the "workers" had reserved theirs by leaving hats and halters around, which I didn't think they could do, but somehow we managed to get one right on the end, which was a great relief. Some folks had to wait more than an hour for more panels to be set up! This was a small camping area, and the corrals were actually set up inside the cow pasture, so the cows were doing a good job of stealing hay from the horses. Obviously, we couldn't camp near the corrals tonight, so I quickly located a spot between two larger tents, halfway under a tree, and held that spot until we could find our luggage, which, miraculously, was in the trailer right next to us! It began to rain again just as we were setting up, but I still managed to keep most everything reasonably dry, for the moment. Lunch was a small sloppy Joe and a bag of chips (again). I was right in my suspicions about diminishing portions, every meal has been getting smaller. After not getting breakfast (because they didn't bother to put out cereal), we were starving, but sloppy Joe's was not a good choice considering the lack of water (which has been a problem, but has finally been resolved by a truck with full tanks that now shows up at every meal), and the need to wash up afterward. Another silly thing about this caterer, the only napkins they provide is in a cutlery packet, so if you need a second one, you have to open an entire cutlery packet to get it! What a waste! Anyway, after inhaling lunch, I managed to get the tent set up in a light rain. Hubby was feeling so poorly by now, so short of breath, that he is all but helpless. I made him sit in the dining tent while I did all the work. Eventually, everything was set up, but it was starting to get harder to stay dry. We hung around at our circle boss's trailer for awhile, staying dry under the awning, and it was our first chance to actually talk to anyone in our group for more than a passing comment, then dinner and to bed, all still in the rain. Also, my video camera somehow didn't turn off when it was supposed to, so now my battery is dead, and I'll only have my very poor quality phone for photos from here on out. Fortunately, I'll be able to recharge my phone, several people have adapters that fit my phone, and access to car batteries or generators to keep the juice up!

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