Hiya Sweetie!
Woke up to the sound of my non-horse camper's truck next door starting up and leaving around 5:00 this morning. Grrr... Some other folks were up pretty early, too, and someone started a generator well before the 7:00 quiet hours limit. Oh, well! I still laid in bed and read for awhile, but still got up earlier than usual. Did some busy work in the morning, then saddled up Flash to tackle the White trail today. This is the toughest trail out here. Two loops, we did both, which ended up being about 14 miles, lots of ups and downs, without the benefit of that many switchbacks, so a lot were STRAIGHT up and down, and much of it was still wet, so it was doubly tough by being so slippery. Flash came through it all with much aplomb, though, but I could tell he was still feeling it a bit from yesterday's ride. Not many opportunities to go fast, the terrain just wouldn't allow it, but I'm not sure he was ready to go much faster anyway. Still, it was a beautiful ride, once again weaving around the lake, where there was every kind of watercraft you can imagine, except under sail. Very busy, not surprising being such a warm day. Camp was busy, too, though most folks got out earlier than I did, so I was probably about the last back in camp. We were out more than four hours. Gave Flash a bath and put him away, then grabbed my chair and went and sat with Barb and Bill until dinner, which was a potluck they invited me to. Since I didn't have a dish to bring, I provided a little entertainment, doing my rendition of Snowy River, which was well received by this Midwestern and more professional crowd. Made some friends, and may even have finally found a way to get my horse's feet wet in the last of the five Great Lakes, Lake Erie! I've already done the other four, Erie's the only one left. Maybe next year! There are still some places in Ohio I'd like to visit, and I would do it this year if the temps weren't going to be so high from getting such a late start this year. After dinner, we chatted as a group for a bit, then I came back and fed the horses and walked Lola, then chatted with two separate groups for awhile, ending up with Barb and Bill until well after 9:30. Won't be long out of bed tonight! Still have my shower, and can't wait to get into bed. It was tough on my knee today, thank goodness for ibuprofen! Good night, babe! Love you!
Saturday, June 21, 2025 – And Again! Another Fabulous But Tougher Ride at Salt Fork
Friday, June 20, 2025 – Another Fabulous Ride at Salt Fork!
Hey Babe!
Woke up to an actually chilly morning, had to pull my heavy quilt over me during the night! Warmed up quickly, though, and even though there was a little rain in the forecast, it never materialized. Saddled up Flash and headed out on the Purple trail today, though it was a bit confusing because blue trails signs kept popping up, even though the blue trail was nowhere near us, which concerned me, but my GPS showed me on the right trail, and it all worked out. Flash was once again his brilliant self, climbing and slipping and sliding but always sure-footed. What a good trail horse he's turned out to be! For a horse who used to go in a straight line even when the trail turned, these days, he follows the trail and finds his own footing on a completely loose rein. Good boy! The trails were a bit more challenging, which I expected because it was rated a higher difficulty, but it really wasn't that much different than the moderate trail we did the other day. We didn't make quite as good a time because there weren't as many good areas to canter, but we still did when we could. Just under 12 miles which we did in about 3:15. A beautiful day and a lovely ride! Couldn't have asked for more! Chatted with my neighbors for a bit again, but there were a few more dogs in the mix and one went after Lola, which upset her and made her a bit more aggressive, so I didn't stay long. Had a non-horse camper decide to park next to me, and they sprawled across one of the few level areas, which was big enough to park to horse trailers, but they had a tent and a pavilion and a boat trailer and a truck and they just spread themselves out without any consideration. They asked to take my fire pit, which I wasn't going to use anyway, so I let them. It just bothers me that this horse camp, which is packed in tight, has to give up spaces for campers who can go anywhere else. Grrr! Anyway, I'm trying not to let it bother me. Had a bowl of cereal for dinner (I've lost a few pounds this week and am trying to keep that trend going!) and settled down to a couple of Earth: Final Conflicts. It just had a popup telling me that Season 3 will be leaving Prime in 11 days, and if the same is true with the next two seasons, I'm going to be hard-pressed to watch it all before it's removed. Of course, if it's 95 degrees outside in PA next week, I may just bingewatch and stay in the AC for a couple of days anyway! Had a little ice cream, ready for shower and bed! Good night, darlin'! Love you!
Thursday, June 19, 2025 – Rest and Recovery Day
Hiya Darlin',
It rained off and on during the night and most of the day again today. Before getting out of bed I had a cramp in my leg, than as I was getting out of bed, I suffered a terrible back spasm. Not sure what that was about, but I drank a bunch of water figuring it was partially because I was dehydrated. Took some acetaminophen, got my chores done, then sat in my recliner to read and ended up falling asleep. I had another spasm, so I crawled back into bed and read and dozed some more. A very lazy day! A lot more trailers came in today, not surprisingly, and I had a nice chat with a couple across the road from me, Barb and Bill, before settling down for the evening. It finally cleared up this afternoon and turned into a beautiful evening, and it's supposed to get down to 58 degrees tonight, which I'll certainly appreciate, considering the forecast is for the 90's by the end of the weekend. Hoping I'll feel well enough for another good ride tomorrow, sure want to take advantage of nice trails and a nice day! Heading to bed soon! Good night, sweetie! Love you!
Wednesday, June 18, 2025 – Gorgeous First Ride at Salt Fork
Hi Sweetie!
Woke up to a much prettier morning, though we still had a couple of showers before I was able to saddle up Flash and hit the trail. I decided the orange trail, which was about 12.25 miles, would be a good introduction. It's considered "moderate" but it was a bit more slippery that normal, which made it a bit more challenging, but we had such a good time! The forest is thick, the trails are mostly single track with occasional sections of double track, mostly dirt with only some areas of round glacial stones, so I didn't even have to put boots on him, which was a good thing with all the mud around. I took all the bypasses around the gorge and two canyons this time, though I definitely would like to come back and do them when it's a little drier. Once he got warmed up, Flash was raring to go! We did a lot of gaiting and cantering whenever he had the chance, even through the forest at times, and definitely along the lake. What beautiful terrain! This place had it all, fairly steep grades, stretches right down to the lake, couldn't have asked for a more beautiful ride! Got back to camp in exactly three hours, so we were moving along pretty well! I just managed to get him untacked, rinsed off and put away when yet another little rain shower came in, but I managed to get everything away just as it was starting. Then it cleared up beautifully again, though as I write this, there's a strong line of thunderstorms heading our way, due in the next couple of hours, so I've folded up the chairs and brought the awning partway in to protect them. Just have my shower left before going to bed! A fabulous day! Good night, baby! Love you!
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 – Frustrating End to an Otherwise Productive Day
Hiya Babe,
Lots of rain off and on today, but I let the horses rest today. They're under a pretty good copse of trees, so I don't think they got that wet, and they were happy with standing around. I headed down to the nearby city of Cambridge to pick up feed at the Tractor Supply and do a little shopping at Walmart, then headed up to pick up hay from a haymaker at Kimbolton. Beautiful first cutting, actually, nice and green, the horses are going to love it after all this coastal. One thing I love about northern hay, green and cheap! Five dollars a bale! Had to put the tarp on it, though, to avoid any stray raindrops, and was happy when I got back to camp and the sun was shining just long enough for me to get it all put away, both the hay and the groceries. Then I discovered that the bank transfer I started on Sunday was on some kind of ridiculous, potentially ten day hold, and my IRS payment had been bounced, and my upcoming autopay for my airfares for my trip to Yellowstone is in jeopardy. I spent the next four hours "chatting" with the people at Discover to try to remedy the situation, but got nowhere. I've been using the same accounts to transfer money around for YEARS and I've never had more than a one or two day hold, and now, all of a sudden, they're saying they can hold it for ten days! So now I'm royally screwed if I can't money transferred sooner. So frustrating! Anyway, it's a bad end to an otherwise perfectly fine day. I ended up just having a bowl of cereal because I couldn't get away long enough to cook anything, much less watch any TV. I guess there's a diet in there somewhere, skip meals by contacting your bank with a problem and "chat" with them for a few hours. Anyway, the horses were happy to get some of that new hay, though I mixed it with the old as is my habit. to prevent such a major change from causing any digestive problems. Had a couple of glasses of wine, which I guess helped. For the first time, I didn't have any pain pills today, and I still managed to get through the day, even walking around Walmart, so I guess I'm on the mend. Heading to shower and bed, hoping to ride tomorrow, there are a lot of trails out here to explore, not sure I'm going to get them all in! May have to come back again, or stay an extra week if my next event doesn't come through. Good night, darlin'! Love you!
Monday, June 16, 2025 – Travel Day to Salt Fork, OH
Hey Darlin'!
Had a rough start to the day, though the packing and getting ready to leave worked out. The way their dump was situated (on the wrong side) made it easier for me to just back up to it from where I was, a good 80 yards, and when I did the dump, it almost immediately overflowed, so it was all over the place anyway. I rinsed it down the best I could. I had to do another maneuver to be headed out of camp. Lonzo led the way, knowing I was worried about making that 350 degree corner, and I was right to worry. I almost made it, thought I had, but the rise in the corner was too great, and I got stuck on the tarmac. I went too far and couldn't back up either. Lonzo tried to pull me out, but his tires were spinning, too, but then the other guy, the deputy, came up behind and managed to pull me back off it. Of course the steps are mangled again, so I'll need a sledgehammer to straighten that out, if it's even possible. I managed to do it the second time, though I momentarily got stuck on the gravel (which is why I didn't swing wide enough the first time, I was trying to reach the tarmac and not get stuck on the gravel) so I needed another pull off the gravel. Thank goodness those guys were there or I would have been in a world of hurt! Anyway, that was the only drama of the day, the rest of the trip was uneventful, U.S. 23 was a fantastic road up to I-64, then I-77 until I finally reached Salt Fork, which is only a few miles off the highway. GPS brought me straight to the horse camp, even though the signs didn't always indicate that. This place surprises me, though, a lot of people have said wonderful things about it, and yes, it quite manicured, especially for a primitive campground (typical state park), but almost none of the area is level. I was hoping for a shaded site with enough sun for my solar panel, but all the shade was down in a hollow, so I found about the only level spot big enough for me, and even then I didn't push too far back because I didn't want to get too far off the gravel, especially since they're calling for a lot of rain this week. Other than a single day rider, there wasn't anyone in camp at first, so I put Apollo on his anchor and let him and Flash graze on the nice manicured lawn. Thank goodness there's a decent cell signal here, I won't have any trouble communicating or live streaming. I had six voice mails waiting for me, not sure why they didn't go through when I was on wi-fi before, but I got them now! I got set up, having already filled both the RV and the tank in the truck with water from the wash rack, and finally settled down for the evening. Sorry to say another camper showed up, so I had to collect the horses and Lola and put them all in restraints. Was kind of hoping for a couple of days of freedom, but not to be! Dinner and a movie are done, just shower and bed remain! Good night, sweetie! Love you!
Sunday, June 15, 2025 – Back to an Old Routine Sunday
Hi Sweetie!
It's seems like I'm finally on track to have a typical summer Sunday, when I do laundry (four loads since I have electric and water), housekeeping and general packing. It's the first time since leaving Florida that it's been a more normal Sunday. I did some reading, watched an excellent movie about the terrorist acts against the Israeli Olympic team in Munich in 1972, which I vaguely remember hearing about, but not all the details, of course, called September 5. I also took a walk to see the dump and figured out the best way to it will be to back up the driveway to it, since it's on the wrong side going out, and trying to get around these tight turns in the campground will make a mess of their lawn, particularly with all the rain we had off and on today. Otherwise a relaxing day! Looking forward to my next stop, though getting out tomorrow is my first challenge, trying not to worry about it, nothing I can do but DO IT! Having my tea and shower shortly, then off to bed, since I want to get up extra early tomorrow. Good night, babe! Love you!
Saturday, June 14, 2025 – Longest Post-Surgery Ride Yet!
Hiya Babe,
Finally decided to take a long ride today, figured, Flash has had two days being stall-bound, so he would be raring to go. Got him saddled up and was out by 10:30. Since there only other "trails" to ride here of any length seem to be the road along the river to the lake, that's the one we headed out on. The first mile plus was dirt and small gravel, until we went around a closed gate, and it was mostly just dirt after that. I had put his boots on for the gravel, though we probably didn't need them for the dirt. We went through a short but nice section of woods, then it opened up into a small power line easement, just a single line, all paralleling the river. There were several "rest stops" along the way, with picnic tables, hitch rail, and a mounting block, which I'm guessing the previous horse club put in. There were a few steep grades, but nothing we couldn't handle. I had to stop and tighten his boots a couple of times as a precaution. Shortly after passing Rest Area 3, about six miles out, there was a bunch of downed trees over the trail, and the only way around was about 30 yards straight up an embankment. Pass! I wasn't so enamored with the trails thus far, I wasn't about risk injury myself or Flash trying to get around that! Especially when we are going to a place next week that's a well-known and well-loved horse camp (though I've never been there yet myself) that has many miles of trails better suited for horses. So we turned around at that point. Considering there was rain in the forecast, I didn't really want to be out that long anyway. On the way back, one of his boots came off (the old one that's stretched out a bit), so I just put it in the saddle bag. Once we got back to camp, I took him around to the trail we did a few days ago, the one with the steep beginning, because I didn't get the GPS going early on that ride and wanted to fix that. Flash wasn't thrilled about climbing that hill again, but he's a good boy, so he did it! We took the rest of that loop, then got back into camp, rinsed him off and put him away shortly before the first heavy rain came in. Spent what was left of the afternoon icing my knee, doing a little bookkeeping and reading until it was time for my usual evening routine. A nice day, but I've had enough of this place. In my typical categorizations of horse camps, i.e. I either want to come back or I don't want to come back, this one falls in the latter category. Not enough trails, no map at all, and having so many lights on at night it feels like I'm camping in a Walmart parking lot, not my idea of the kind of place I like to go. I'll be happy to use their dump, and I'm doing my best not to think about the drive out of here on Monday, my only concern now is laundry and housekeeping tomorrow! Good night, my darlin'! Love you!
Friday, June 13, 2025 – Brakes and Spice Cupboard Fixed
Hi Darlin',
Another bright night, but I slept pretty well. Didn't do much today, except fix the wiring on the trailer brakes that were broken when I got run off the road coming in here, and do the final install in the spice cupboard once the glue was dry after 24 hours. The rest of the day was pretty low-key. I watched a couple of movies, took Lola for a quick swim down at the river, and generally just had a quiet day. I wanted to give the horses and my knee a day off. We had a good storm come in around 7:00, and there's more rain in the forecast for the next couple of days, so I'll be taking my rain gear with me if I go riding tomorrow, which is the plan at the moment. Other than that, a pretty mundane day! Good night, my sweet! Love you!
Thursday, June 12, 2025 – Another Short Ride on Apollo at German Bridge
Hiya Sweetie,
I had a pretty good night sleep, though woke up early, read for awhile, then fell asleep again, so I was late getting up. No big deal, I have no pressing appointments! After my usual morning routine, I saddled up Apollo for a short ride, just to get him to stretch his legs since he's stuck in a stall all day. Fortunately it's a big stall so he has some room to move around. We took Lola along as well, just to get her some exercise, too. We only went out a little over a mile, then back, it was pretty hot and I didn't want to overdo it for either one of them. Apollo was particularly slow today, though he had no trouble climbing a hill when we came to it! Mostly flat today, and a lot on the road, though. Once I got back and put him away, I started on a repair that needed doing. I noticed the first time I opened my spice cupboard after getting here that the two screws holding the top frame had come out, so I took everything out, cleaned everything, and put the screws back in with some glue as well as a couple of brads along the bottom, since that wasn't very secure either, though I don't think they held once there was weight on it. I have to wait 24 hours for the glue to dry to finally put it all back together, but doing a deep cleaning, and throwing away some herbs and spices I've probably had for 15 years or more was long overdue, and now I have more room in it. That took most of the afternoon again. So a productive day, and a ride day! Quite a few more campers came in, none of them with horses, but lots of kids and family types. Looks like it's going to be a busy weekend! Heading to bed soon, so good night, baby! Love you!