Hiya Darlin’!
Well, sorry to say the mechanic never made it today. I waited until nearly noon before I contacted him to find out when he would be there, and he finally answered 3:30, but by then I thought it was too late to take a ride. Can use a break from that anyway, though I would have taken a short ride on Apollo if Sheila wanted to go, but she was in packing mode and kept busy all day. Linda left in the afternoon, so the place is clearing out. So I ended up mostly reading, enjoying the perfect weather. Though the temps apparently got high, it was hardly noticeable because of all the shade around, a nice change from practically everywhere I’ve been camping in the last year and half. I’ve definitely decided to go to Lost Corral after getting extensive reports from a woman on one of the Facebook groups, and she even told me about a train ride that leaves a stone’s throw from the campground and does a day trip out and back to north Georgia, going through a lot of forests, and is considered one of the few remaining passenger trains that goes through areas that are relatively unchanged since the railroad was built in the 1800’s. It also is the only train east of the Mississippi that loops around it’s own tracks, which sounds like an interesting trip. I reserved a seat in the Dome car, so I’ll have a great view of everything. It’s about a nine hour trip, though about two hours is at a little town at the end, with restaurants and souvenir shops and the usual stuff. Sounds a bit like that train we took out in the Black Hills! I don’t remember ever hearing about this before, but I figured it was worth doing while I was right there. Anyway, the rest of the day was uneventful, until we started a game of Farkle, without Linda this time, so it was just the four of us, and once again, luck was on my side, I got a lot of good rolls early and ended up winning both games, although in the first game, Deb got ahead of me when she went out, but I managed to pass her on my last roll again. They all think I need to buy a lottery ticket! Anyway, the mechanic didn’t show, so the day was otherwise shot, but he’s promised to be here before 10:00 in the morning, so hopefully it will get done tomorrow, and I might still have time to ride in the afternoon. I hope he can get the parts we need! Otherwise, I may have to stay a few extra days to get it done. Hope not! Otherwise I’ll be playing with the domino effect on my plans for awhile. Anyway, watched a fun movie called Game Night, ready for shower and bed! Love you, babe! Good night!
Archives for April 2023
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 – A Great Conditioning Ride on Flash
Hey Babe!
What a perfectly beautiful day! Mid 70’s, gorgeous! Did some computer work in the morning, spend a long time on the phone trying to line up someone to work on my brakes. The guy that was supposed to come, his wife was in a car accident so he’s been totally out of it, so I proceeded to try to find someone else, must have made a dozen calls, finally found a tire place that has road service, is used to working on big vehicles (including semis) and a five star rating that could come tomorrow. So relieved about that! Once I got that settled, I saddled up Flash and we went off and running, literally. After the first mile, he just wanted to move out, so, naturally, I let him! We went west out to Allard, a nice section with some beautiful, though unkempt, trails. A hidden gem that could certainly use some TLC!! A lot of the trails are hard to follow, but it’s not a huge area, so it’s not too hard to find your way around. I actually ended up following one trail all the way up to the Suwannee River, didn’t realize I could even do that! Flash was a dream today, and Lola certainly enjoyed herself, too. It was a great conditioning ride, too, he was cantering and gaiting through the woods for miles, and didn’t seem to mind at all. Gave him a nice rinse off when we got back, then I helped Linda air up her tires, she’s leaving tomorrow after having been here for six months! Of course, Flash promptly rolled, no surprise there, but it will fall off. Since it’s only going down to the mid-50’s tonight, I didn’t put blankets on, hope they’ll be okay, especially Apollo since his summer coat has barely come in. Settled down for the evening, my usual routine of a movie, Sleepytime tea, shower and bed! Fingers crossed my brake problem is resolved tomorrow! Good night, sweetie! Love you!
Tuesday, April 18, 2023 – Ride on Flash with Sheila
Hiya Sweetie,
Had a great night sleep, though I think it was a peacock that woke me up, but it was about 7:00 anyway, so that was fine. Woke up to a chilly morning in the mid 40’s, got my chores done, spent most of the morning finishing off the paperwork and computer business related to my recent job in Odessa, then ran the package down to the post office in town. Got back, and after a little bit, I saddled up Flash and Sheila did the same with her mule Pete, and we had a nice 5-mile plus ride along the river. Flash was ready to go, go, go, so it was a pretty quick ride, and beautiful as always, and we were back in no time. Had dinner, then gathered for another game of Farkle, though it was just the three of us. I came in second for the first game, and then, on my first turn, I managed to miraculously ring up 4550 points! That’s even more than I got in my last roll last night, which I never thought I’d be able to repeat! A typical turn gets you about 350-500 points, so you can see how rare it is. Naturally, with that big of a head start, no one could catch me, so I ended up winning that game. What a night! I left about 9:00, put the blankets on the horses again, settled down to ice cream, Sleepytime tea and a Remington Steele, now I’m heading to shower and bed. A nice day! Hoping the mechanic is coming tomorrow, but we’ll see! Good night, my darlin’! Love you!
Monday, April 17, 2023 – Travel Day to Shelia’s at Suwannee
Hi Darlin’!
Didn’t take long to pack up, it seemed it didn’t rain again last night, but it was cloudy and threatening when we got all loaded up and heading out, just after 8:30. Ran into rain very quickly, though, darn it! I hate driving in the rain, and for a minute on the radar it looked like I might sneak through a break, but instead, I was full on in tropical depression downpours for over two hours. Stopped at a small truck stop for fuel, turns out my Flying J card was good there, but it wasn’t actually a Flying J, and the diesel price was about 40 cents cheaper than at the Flying J, so it was a good choice! Finally broke out of rain north of Daytona, and it was nearly clear skies for the last hour of the otherwise uneventful drive. Arrived at Sheila’s at exactly 2:00, and then the excitement began. Last time I was here I got stuck, but they apparently put down a bunch of limestone gravel after I left and they thought that solved the problem. At least, no one else got stuck. Of course, I didn’t realize that the new surface actually made the site a tiny bit higher, and I didn’t get enough steam up to run up the slope (it was tiny!) and I ended up getting stuck again! We tried using the track mats again, but that didn’t do it, then we hooked up Deb’s van and that didn’t do it, then we added Sheilas 4×4 to the line-up, and we FINALLy managed to pull it forward enough to get out of the hole. Once I got the truck disconnected, but put the tracks down right where they’ll need to be when I hook up again, so hopefully we won’t have the same problem. Took us 90 minutes to get that all done. Got my hookups done and started a load of laundry, then ran into the Walmart for a few odds and ends and to get fuel, which was another 60 cents cheaper than my previous stop (so about a dollar difference between truck stops and Walmart. Go figure.) I managed to make a quick dinner, got in another load of laundry, then joined the gang for some Farkle, a dice game they all love to play here. It’s a lot of fun, and we had a good time. The first game I ended up somewhere in the middle of the pack, but on the second game, I was over 4000 points behind (the goal is 10K), and I was the very last person to have a chance to beat Linda, the leader with 10,250, and incredibly, my last series of rolls actually put me in front! I made over 4000 points and won the game! Rare, but it happens, obviously! It was just getting dark, I played with Lola for a few minutes to hopefully tire her out enough to sleep tonight, and put the light blankets on the horses, since it’s going down to the mid-40’s tonight, and they’re winter coats are all but gone now. Made some Sleepytime tea, going to have some ice cream, watch a Remington Steele, take a quick shower and head to bed on fresh sheets! Good night, babe! Love you!
Sunday, April 16, 2023 – And A Fourth Ride Today!
Hiya Babe!
Had a big scary storm move in around midnight last night, Lola kept trying to get into the bedroom (she hates storms!) but eventually settled down. I had to put my earplugs in, though, so I could sleep through the rain. Turned into a beautiful morning, though. Really getting back into the swing of things! After chores, saddled up Apollo for a short ride, tried to stay mostly in the shade as it really was hot and humid again today. West out the loop to the west, then cut over to Tree Frog Camp, then cut through some open range until we met back up with the trail again. He was a lot more sluggish today, back to his old ways I guess, but he did all right. When I got back there were a couple of trailers full of day riders, they came and went, then later in the afternoon a whole group of kids showed up to ride, though I got the impression they weren’t really riders, it was just some kind of kid’s outing. Meanwhile, I started packing some things up, put the awning up, which is getting harder and harder. The motor seems to be working but it’s not retracting the way it should, so I’m going to have the RV guy I’m expecting to work on my brakes next week to also have a quick look at that. From the youtube videos I’ve been watching, it seems to be a fairly common problem, hopefully he’ll have a quick fix for it. Everyone cleared out, and not much later another strong storm came through. I just managed to get just about everything put away when the real deluge started, literally the moment I closed the door. Some lightning strikes were a bit close for comfort! I also thought I heard a big popping sound, like maybe a transformer snapping, but not sure about that. It rained so hard I thought there was hail, but there wasn’t. I did end up putting the generator on for about 45 minutes today, since there wasn’t a lot of sun today, but that was enough to really bump up the voltage in the batteries. But I think four and a half days is doing really well on one small solar panel! I only have a few more small things to pack, and I’ll be heading out in the morning. Looking forward to moving on, though I did find a few more possible unofficial trails to explore next time I come here. Watched a fun movie with George Clooney and Julia Roberts set in beautiful Bali (one of those shore stops we were supposed to visit but got canceled on that cruise we ended up not taking!), and a few other things along with some reading. Love getting back to riding more often, feels great! Looking forward to our next stop! Good night, sweetheart! Love you!
Saturday, April 15, 2023 – Three Days, Three Rides! Back on Track!
Hey Sweetie!
Loving getting back to my routine! All the usual morning chores, then I saddled up Flash and we took a great 10+ mile conditioning ride. With the Shore to Shore Ride just six weeks away, it was past time to get serious about getting us both in condition for 20+ mile a day, so we walked a mile, ran a mile, walked a mile, ran a mile the whole way. He did great! He wasn’t at all bothered by the smell of pigs, but he did need a little encouragement to go over a long wooden bridge, it’s been so long since we’ve done bridges. He stalled a couple of times going over, but didn’t hesitate at all coming back. No gimpiness at all today, thank goodness, though I did have to put some more glue on the hoof that has a little crack on it. Nothing serious, I just don’t want it to crack any further. I’ve been filing it down to take the pressure off, treating it with alcohol or Vetericyn and hoof shine, and that all seems to be helping. It was a great ride, but once again, it was very hot today. Can’t wait to get further north to cooler weather!! Can’t be this far south this late in the Spring again. Said the same thing last year, and did, in fact, move a couple of weeks sooner, but still not early enough. Got back around noon, let the horses graze again, read, did a little computer work, then settled down for the evening once again. So good to be back to my usual routine, feels like I’m on vacation with this schedule! Life is good! On Day Three without running the generator, had a good day of sun on the solar panel, very happy with these new batteries! Could never have done this with the old Crowns. Trojans are the best, for sure! Worth the price! Been doing a good job of conserving water as well, still have 3/4 of a tank. Really getting back into the swing of things, it feels WONDERFUL!! Just tired of sweating, looking forward to traveling north on Monday. Love you, darlin’! Good night!
Friday, April 14, 2023 – A Nice Ride on Apollo
Hiya Darlin’!
Another good night sleep, another beautiful morning! Today I decided to ride Apollo, it’s been so long since we’ve been on a ride alone together, and it really showed! First, he was walking faster than he’s walked in a long time, at least somewhat faster than the slug pace he’s been doing for so long. He seems to be just as glad to be on new trails (well, not new, but only been here once before), and back on the road as I am! But then he got all skittish when he smelled pigs (lots of pig sign around) and it took me awhile to get him past that area, he was convinced they were all horse-eating pigs! Eventually moved on though, and the rest of the 5.5 miles was great. Not much to look at here, pretty boring riding, but happy to be anywhere else these days! Saw some parachuters dropping from the sky and remembered that the same thing happened last time I was here, there’s a small airport nearby where they come out from. Fun to watch them search for thermals, some of those folks really stayed up a long time! Once we got back I let the horses graze all around the campground, they were happy to be on fresh grass, and the rain we’ve had the last couple of days has helped green it up nicely. Spent the rest of the day doing some computer work, submitting my taxes, reading and watching TV, a movie about a detainee at Guatanamo Bay, the usual evening. Been pretty hot, but a few more rain showers has thankfully cooled it down a bit. Just in time for shower and bed! And by the way, I’m on the second full day of running strictly on solar power, getting enough sun before the afternoon showers to plump up the batteries somewhat. Trying to figure out just how many days these new batteries will go be I have to top them off with the generator. Good test! Good night, babe! Love you!
Thursday, April 13, 2023 – FREEDOM!!
Hi Babe!
That’s the word that was screaming in my head this morning when I woke up! Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, I’m free at last!! I feel like I’m finally getting back to my life! I had a great night sleep, woke up naturally and fully refreshed at 7:00, got back to doing my “normal” chores, i.e. feeding the horses, cleaning out their stalls, tying them up outside of the stalls so they’d be ready when the vet arrived, grooming them to get some more of their winter coat off, especially Apollo who’s finally starting to lose his shaggy look, feeding Lola and having breakfast, all part of an ordinary day, with no tension or expectations from anyone, no one to worry about whether I’m doing something wrong, just back to doing MY thing, MY way! It feels wonderful! The vet arrived right on time, and was done in less than half an hour, and charged me about HALF of what the vet in Jupiter charged me for the same services last year, plus she added a tube of Banamine and some bute tablets, just in case. I’ve never had those handy before, but I know a lot of people always carry some around with them, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt. So both horses and Lola are done for another year, and I’ll have the paperwork to be able to leave the state. After she left, I took Flash for a short ride, less than three miles, because I didn’t want to stress him after all those shots, plus he seems a tiny bit gimpy, couldn’t find anything specific, so I brought him back early to rest. Spent the rest of the afternoon reading, occasionally dozing, hoping the rain would come in to relieve the heat (nearly 90 today!), finally did around 4:00, and a couple more short spurts through the evening. Had a nice dinner, watched a couple of Remington Steeles (I just started Season 4), and a good movie about a blind opera singer,now I’m about ready to retire for the evening. Loving life again! Good night, Sweetie! Love you!
Wednesday, April 12, 2023 – BACK ON THE ROAD!! WHOO-HOO!
Hi Sweetie!
At long last, I’m FINALLY back on the road again! Yay! It didn’t take me long to pack up, since I’d done so much already. Brother Karl and his friend Randy left this morning, too, just before the rain started. Unfortunately, I didn’t get out before the rain, but I did manage to outrun it. Jeff’s girlfriend Karen, who got in last last night, had just enough time to say hello and good-bye before I headed out. Only had to go about 75 miles to my first stop, St. Sebastian River Preserve, where I have a vet appointment tomorrow to get me the paperwork I need to get out of the state. Arrived about 11:30, got the horses squared away in their stalls, which fortunately are half-covered so they have someplace to stay dry. There was actually some sunshine this afternoon for a short bit, then the rains finally caught up with us, though it didn’t last for too long. Did some reorganizing, got Flash’s bridle fixed with the new headstall that I ordered the other day, it’s a much lighter leather, but it might actually suit him better, being the little horse that he is. Settled down for the evening, getting back into the swing of things. I’ve been spoiled with having electricity and water, so I’m having to get back to my more primitive ways, conserving water and power. Ran the generator for less than an hour, though, and it fully charged the batteries. Will be interesting to see how long these new batteries last on a charge now. At least with the rain it stayed cooled, but the forecast is saying mid to upper 80’s starting on Friday, hopefully it won’t get too bad. Vet will be here in the morning, so I’m going to have an early night. It’s so quiet here, and thankfully, cool, so I’m looking forward to a good night sleep. Love you, darlin’! Good night!
Tuesday, April 11, 2023 – Packing Day
Hey Darlin’,
Another good night sleep, fed the horses (but forgot Lola because I skipped breakfast), headed out for labs now that I have insurance again. My appointment was for 10:10, arrived at 10:00, wasn’t taken in until 11:19! Why do they make appointments and then make you wait for an hour? Must be a better way, but they haven’t figured it out yet, apparently. Stopped at Walmart again because I forgot to get a case of drinking water yesterday, then got busy as soon as I got back to the trailer. Packed up everything I could, got the truck lined up so all I have to do is drop it on the hitch, just have water and drain hoses and the electric cord to unhook and I’ll be ready to go! SO looking forward to getting back on the road! The gypsy in me has been crying out for MONTHS!! Anyway, finally settled down for the evening, time for my shower and bed! Good night, babe! Love you!