Hiya Darlin',
Got to sleep late, then slept a little late as well, but it was a beautiful day, so a ride was definitely on the schedule! Especially since the forecast for the next couple of days is rain! After my usual morning chores, plus putting an extra layer of silver tape on the front end of the trailer to keep the rain out, I finally saddled up Flash and we headed out to do about 12 miles of the River Trail and a couple of other loops in the northern section of the forest. It was a slow ride! Between the rough terrain and difficult footing, we hardly ever got above three miles an hour. There was only one spot about a quarter mile across a field that we were able to gait through. It took us over 4.5 hours to do just under 13 miles, which was ridiculously slow. It didn't help that one of his boots kept coming off again, so I finally had to leave it off. I kept one on his right front hoof, the one that has a little split in it, to try to keep it from any further damage. We were all exhausted by the time we got back to camp. One thing I like about the trails is that they're all single track, which is my favorite, but at times the trail was so narrow that the growth on the sides made it feel like a jungle. The inconsistent footing, which went from mud to rock and everything in between, was frustrating. Some sections were very nice, with a good dirt bottom, but you had to go through hell and back to get to them. Along the river was particularly inconsistent, with a few lovely sections, but an awful lot of rough going as well. The climb away from the river seemed like a mile on terrible rock, reminded me of the last time I was at Big South Fork in TN, which I didn't enjoy very much. Some of their trail "remedies" weren't very good, Flash did not like where there were concrete bricks surrounded by lumber squares and deep mud, so we had to find alternate routes a couple of times. It was a tough day, though it is a beautiful forest. it's just too slow, we could never get above a slow walk. Lola did well, but she was exhausted by the time we got back to camp, too. Had a nice dinner, did my usual evening routine. Then I got a call from Jo that the AERC, the governing body of the Goethe Benefit Ride that we've been a part of for so long, won't be happening this year, because of a lot of political nonsense. Very disappointing! Hope that won't have any affect on my volunteering for the forest! Anyway, a long and tiring day, I'm headed to shower and bed! Good night, baby! Love you!

Hey Babe,
A good night sleep, probably because I put my earplugs in to fend off all the partying going on out there. It was absolutely packed here last night! They did quiet down by 10:30, so it wasn't that bad, but I figured some folks would be up and moving early this morning, and I didn't want that to wake me. Slept in a bit, worked on my shoulder a little, then got up to chores, breakfast and the first of three loads of laundry that I did today. I also did some housekeeping, and then finally, saddled up Apollo for a short ride. I had to trip him front feet first, though, since they hadn't been done in awhile, and I needed to fit his boots. We only went about 3.7 miles, which took an hour and a half, but it was rough terrain compared to what he's been used. He's been a flatlander on sand for so long, these hills and this rocky footing was a challenge! He was up to it, though, I was very proud of it. He seemed to limber up as time went on, so I was glad he was moving better the further we got. Lola came along as well, wasn't sure she would want to after our long ride on Friday, but she's seems to be back in perfect condition. Gave him a nice rinse when we got back, then I filled the truck tank up again, had to replenish their water and mine so I could keep doing laundry. A very nice day, gorgeous weather, got lots done, and had a ride. Who could ask for anything more? Life is good! Settled down for my usual evening, though I may take a walk again tonight to see if the Northern Lights are out there. At least tonight it looks like we have clear skies. Either way, I'll be in bed soon! Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hey Babe,
Had a better night sleep, got my chores done, saddled up Flash, including boots and his breast collar, and left camp about noon. Absolutely gorgeous weather today! The trails were a bit rockier than I like, so I was happy I had put his boots on, and especially happy that I put his breast collar on when we immediately started climbing hills and dales. I had a nice ride along the lake planned, only to discover that the main trail I had selected was not open to horses, so I had to make up an alternate route on the fly. We did end up reaching the lake, using the same trail I think we used last time we were here nearly 12 years ago, but then I added another loop further south, and finally, not wanting to repeat too much of my trip, took an even farther south loop to get back to camp. It was a lovely, albeit rocky, ride. I took a short spur to something marked on the map as a Nifty Rock, whereas the trail signs just called it a Big Rock. It was only about 150 feet off the main trail, and yes, it was a group of bigger rocks, so I guess it was a Kodak spot. Flash lost his boot a couple of times, and finally it was too muddy to stay on, so I tucked it in my saddle bag and he had to finish the ride without it. Thankfully, the last couple of miles were a lot less rocky, so we made it home okay. Got him rinsed off and put away, then got busy with some stuff on my computer. Unfortunately, while I was sitting outside with my computer in my lap, my unstable little table rocked a bit and knocked over my beer, and a little spilled onto my keyboard. I immediately pulled out the battery and turned it upside down, hoping to get most of the liquid out of it, and will leave it that way overnight. I ended up watching a very good movie called Atonement (I could see why it was nominated for seven Oscars, it had the British A-list of stars), and settled down for an early night, considering I didn't have my laptop to keep me from going to bed! Fingers crossed it will work okay in the morning. Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Pix to come.

Hey Baby,
Had a decent night sleep, but had no urgency to get up this morning. I was supposed to be collecting glow sticks on the white trail today, but with no 100 milers, and with 75 milers making really good time yesterday (the last rider went by the finish line at 8:40!), they elected not to put them up, so I didn't really have anything to do today. Since I was scheduled, though, they were kind enough to let me stay the extra night, which I really appreciated, since I hate driving on Sundays. It was a beautiful day, so I saddled up Flash and rode the white trail anyway, since everyone was telling me that was the nicest trail. Well, I'm afraid I'd going to have to disagree, I didn't particularly like the white trail. Yes, it went along the river for a while, but the path was gravel and had heavy pedestrian and bike traffic, and spent a lot of time going around the perimeter of fields, just wasn't my cup of tea. It only got interesting when we were going backward on the red trail, which right now, is my favorite. So I''ve ridden the lime, purple, red and white, and haven't ridden the blue, orange or either of the yellows. Apparently yellow west is only open for this event, so I'll probably never see that. Anyway, we left camp about 10:30 and got back before 2:00, not a very fast pace, but we weren't in any particular hurry either. Got back to camp, gave Flash a rinse and cleaned up the water tank in the back of the truck, then put just enough water in to fill up the horse buckets and give me a little more for my shower tonight, I was down to one light on the monitor, and didn't want to run out. I also don't want to carry much water down that big mountain we have to go down tomorrow! I'm planning on checking the trailer brakes and possibly adjusting them tomorrow, they don't seem to be doing much when I hit the emergency button on the controller, but we'll see. Anyway, settled down for the evening to a couple of Northern Exposures and a movie, won't be long out of bed! Good night, my darlin'! Love you!

Pix to come!

Hey Babe!
Well, today was more like it! A good night sleep, easy chores, then out on the trail before 11:00, with a much more interesting trail that was much more to my liking! Rarely on the road, lots of hilly terrain, seventeen miles, Flash really got a workout today! He's been a flatlander for so many months, and even though he's very fit, he had to work harder than usual today. Nevertheless, he came shining through with his usual aplomb! The trailmaster here, a man named Stagg, had generously given me some tour tips for this trail, which included a stop at an outdoor venue with a big pavilion tent, a statue of Diana, and an incredible view of the front of the Biltmore house, with a whole layer of mountains beyond it. Truly spectacular! I had to put Flash on a hitching rail and walk over, and then managed to get a woman there to take a couple of pix for me. Got back to camp, worked up the trail details, and discovered it was a bit longer than it was supposed to be, something I"ll have to talk to Stagg about when I get the chance. Had a quick dinner, then attended the last half of the ride meeting (I didn't know it was going on, never got a schedule, first one I've ever missed), then back to the trailer. Bonni came by to take me out to where my spotting and crosswalk duties were to be done, getting back around 8:00. Having a little trouble with my TV streaming today, no doubt because there are so many folks in camp using up the bandwidth. Heading to bed soon anyway, got an early start in the morning! Good night, my darlin'! Love you!

Hiya Darlin'!
Went to bed early, took awhile to get to sleep because I realized the increased altitude had made the bed much firmer than I like. I forgot to deflate it before I left the last place, not realizing what a big mountain I had to climb just before getting here. I thought about it as I was climbing, and hoped I wouldn't do any damage to the new air mattress, and evidently I didn't, it was just too firm. I finally fell asleep but woke up just after 4:00 and had a hard time getting to sleep, again, because it was too hard! Before going to bed tonight, though, I've let some air out, so hopefully it will be a more comfortable night's sleep. Had a wonderful ride today, my first here at Biltmore. I was instructed to check the lime green trail and the purple trail, most of which was shared with just a few places that were different. It wasn't as pretty as I had hoped, lots of roads, going around perimeters of fields, and some areas that had been logged so it was a case of trail by bulldozer, not my favorite. There was one section on the purple trail I really enjoyed, with tower pines and a fern floor. It was short-lived, unfortunately, I would have like to see a lot more like that. I understand the red trail, which I'm doing tomorrow, is supposed to be nicer, and the white trail, where I'll be picking up glow sticks on Sunday, is the nicest of all, so I'm looking forward to that. I put boots on Flash because I didn't know that the terrain was like, and I was glad I did, as there were quite a few sections with gravel, though I could tell Flash wasn't that happy about it, but he went along with it. We passed some bearded goats and lots of geese, heard some cows bawling but never saw them, and had to deal with a lot of cars and runners. It's a busy place! The end of the purple trail finished where the riders are camping, and I saw Patsy's truck, so I went over and chatted with her for a few minutes before heading back to my trailer. Once Flash was back in the paddock, he spent a lot of time laying down. It's the most comfortable place he's had to lay down in in a very long time, and he is taking full advantage! The grass is about a foot high (though they've been munching on it and rolling on it, so it's getting flatter all the time), so it's a very lush bed, so I can't blame him. Apollo's been doing some rolling as well, so they're both happy campers at the moment! Went down to Patsy's for dinner, then to a volunteer meeting where I finally met Bonni, who is the volunteer coordinator, and we got along great! She had several volunteers that had to cancel at the last minute, so she's very grateful I called, and I'm very grateful to be here! After our meeting I came back to camp and found that my new neighbors are the same volunteers I met at the meeting, and they have a very energetic, 14 month old Doberman that Lola (who came with me to the meeting) wasn't sure about, but once they met off-leash back at camp, they started running around and playing together, so I can see Lola getting plenty of exercise, which she'll need since she can't come with me on the trail here. She was mad at me when I got back from my ride, but there's nothing I can do about it here, so this is good that she has a playmate next door. Finally settled down to a Northern Exposure, a bit of bourbon and a small cup of ice cream for the evening. Just about ready for bed, now that it's going to be more comfortable. I do love that bed! Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hey Sweetie,
Had a hard time getting to sleep last night, read until the wee hours, but was up and ready to ride by 10:00, but Patsy was running last and didn't get here until after 10:40, but we were out on the trail with her friend Cynthia by just after 11:00. There was a lot of dog activity today, evidentally a field trial competition (the shooting started even earlier than usual, at 7:45 a.m.), so she led us out to a detour around the working areas, mostly on the Red arrow trail, which was quite nice. As usual, Flash was in the lead, and Lola came along, and soon we were way out front with his four mph walk. I had to canter him out a few times just to settle him down, but overall he did very well. We ended up going about ten miles on some very nice trails, just a little bit of the road. After they left, I got ready to go into town to pick up the part for the truck, but that ended up being delayed. I went into Walmart to get Lola's prescription, but there turned out to be a problem with it, they didn't have the right dosage, but that turned out to be a mistake on the written Rx, as I learned after I got home. Going to have to figure that out tomorrow as well. Got a few things there, topped of the fuel tank so hopefully I have enough to get all the way to the Biltmore on Tuesday, went to the AutoZone and had to wait for the delivery. I had been told 4:30, turned out to be 5:30, but at least I have the part in hand now. I sure hope they can put it in for me in the morning, or at least let me have a corner to do it myself, in case I need their help. Finally settled down for the evening to a fun Sly Stallone movie, Avenging Angelo, and heading to bed forthwith! Good night, baby! Love you!

Hiya Babe,
Had a good night sleep, puttered around in the morning, did a little research of possible places to go after this. I emailed some folks at the upcoming Biltmore ride, and they were happy to take me on as a volunteer! I've always wanted to go there, but as you know, it's pretty pricey, but as a volunteer, I was delighted to learn I can get free camping! Very happy I checked that out! So I extended my stay here until next Tuesday for now, depending on whether I can get into Biltmore Tuesday or Wednesday, and thankful they didn't make a fuss about the maximum camping time, which may or may not be 14 days, I don't know, I didn't check. Anyway, once I got that and a few other things sorted out, I finally groomed and saddled up Apollo, though I also had to trim his back feet, they were if dire need of trimming. I thought I had a sign to pick up out on the green trail, but when I got there, there wasn't one, and after seeing where it was, way, way off the road, I can understand why. Note to self, take a better inventory of what we put out so I can keep track of what we need to get back! I did find two more signs by the road that belong to the other group, so I after getting back to camp, I drove out and picked those up. It was a great ride! Apollo finally got some exercise (we went about 7 3/4 miles!), and Lola came along, her first ride in a very long time! I trimmed her sore nail as much as I could, and it didn't seem to bother her one bit, thank goodness. She's been sleeping all evening, so it was obviously a good run for her, which she badly needed. Had dinner (I've been eating nothing but hot dogs, beans, and mac and cheese leftover from the ride all week, and probably have enough for another week!), watched a Northern Exposure and a quirky Robin Williams movie called the Big White (when aren't his movies quirky?), now I'm heading to bed, hopefully early. Starting to feel like my summer is shaping up, particularly if I can keep following the endurance ride circuit, though I'll be in NYS less than I had originally thought, which is fine. Been there, done that, anyway! And believe it or not, most of my fairy lights are STILL LIT tonight! Amazing! Good night, my darlin'! Love you!

Hey Darlin'!
Well, despite all the sleep and rest I had during the day, I had no trouble having a good night sleep last night, and woke up pretty refreshed this morning, still laying in very late while I waited for the temps in the 30's to warm up a bit. This is the coldest night, and will improve this week, so I wasn't too worried. Did my chores and had breakfast in a leisurely manner, finally saddling up and getting on the trail around noon. Flash was in a pretty lazy mood so it took us a bit long to take the lights down than I thought. I was amazed at how many of them were still lit! I thought they were only supposed to last 24 hours, but many were still going strong three days later! Even as I'm getting ready for bed, a lot of them are still lit! It was a beautiful day, so it was a nice ride, though I am getting a bit bored with the blue trail, as this is our third time riding it, not to mention putting signs out. My intention was to pick up one FEI sign, but then I ran across more than half a dozen other signs, so I picked those up as well. Turns out they belong to Angie, but Patsy didn't know where they were, so didn't know to pick them up. Anyway, I got all the ones on the blue trail, as well as the sections of yellow that is shared, hopefully I can get them back to Patsy before I leave here, or at least leave them somewhere where she can get to them. Arrived back in camp around 4:00, fixed the highline as it was sagging and I wanted to shorten one end to fix that, finally settled down for dinner and a movie. Ready for another nice night, not so cold as yesterday so I'm hoping to leave the window open a crack for some fresh air. No nearby generators to shut out now! Looking forward to another good night sleep! Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hiya, Darlin'!
The day has finally arrived, and, for the most part, the preparation has paid off. No one got lost, nobody, horse or rider, got injured. One guy got stuck at a crew point, and some poor communication had him sitting out there a lot longer than he needed to be. We had hot, humid weather most of the day, until some severe thunderstorms came in and got everything drenched and a lot of equipment wrecked with the wind and the rain. Several bouts of that didn't help much. My main job today was to ride the blue trail and turn on the little LED lights that Becky had installed a few days ago, every tenth of a mile for 16 miles, by pulling a tiny tab on the battery. Flash and I had that done in about 3 1/2 hours, helped along by every rider that zoomed past us, which made Flash want to zoom out with them, so we made good time, even with all the stops. If it weren't for the rain, I think just about everything would have gone smoothly. As we approach 11:00, there are still four riders out, three on the final loop and one on the second to last loop, but it's questionable whether she'll pass the next vet check and make the final loop, meaning she may take another 3-4 hours to finish the last loop at the rate she's going. Nevertheless, the vet check is still open with enough help that Chelle and I decided we could go to bed, since so many of the team will be dragging in the morning as they wait for the last riders to come in. Once I got back from my ride, I spent most of the day just hanging around, taxiing people around and filling in where needed, so not really a taxing day, which was a relief. As the night dragged on, I did my Spanish lesson, and I'm heading for the shower as soon as I finish my bourbon! Good night, sweetheart! Love you!