Hi Darlin’,
Had my usual morning, then saddled up and went on about an 8.5 mile ride on Flash. Rather than have a set plan, though, I decided to uncharacteristically wing it today. I’ve seen so many trails that aren’t on the map, trails that are on one version of the map and not another, all kinds of confusing stuff, but since I’m bored with the marked trails, we got a bit adventurous. We headed out on the trail to someplace called Murder Mountain. Not sure why, not sure I want to know way, but it was pretty short anyway, and essentially just went out to the end of a ridge where you have a good view of the gravel pit that sits pretty much in the middle of all of this property. After that we headed in the general direction of the creek, until I decided to try to find the “blue connector” that Chad has spoken about last night, because I wanted to see this new staging area they’ve put together. The advantage of that is that it’s more in the middle of the property rather than all the way on one side like the campground, and frankly, it’s level so it would make a better campground, but I gather that’s not in the cards right now. Anyway, I managed to find it, but whether it was the right trail the entire way, I have no idea, since there’s a lot of unmarked trails out here. Anyway, from there we had to come back down Camp Road (too much road riding here!), but then we went on the new Ridge Trail, because I suspected when I went on it the other day with that other group, a chunk had been cut out when the leader went around a downed tree, turns out I was right. There’s a whole stretch with another overlook (also mostly of the gravel pit) that was missed the first time. We started out with boots on Flash, but then I got the impression he wasn’t happy about it, so I took them off, and sure enough, there was chafing on one of his bulbs again. He was happier after that. I hope with ten plus days off after this he’ll finally grow a callous, or I’m going to have to do something drastic to stretch these boots out. The only alternative is to try another boot, I’m thinking Scoot boots next time, they apparently don’t enclose the bulbs at all. Anyway, we got back to camp just fine, then I read most of the rest of the day. Trying to store up some energy, it’s going to be a busy day breaking down tomorrow, a long drive on Monday, then the rest of the week is going to be busy with me traveling out to Vegas for a job. So that’s it for today, my love! Good night!

Hi Sweetie,
Slept later than I should have again today, I really need to get on a different daily schedule! Spent most of the day just reading and doing a few odd jobs on the computer (as well as playing a few games, of course), then received a message from Chad, the president of the local horse association that does the upkeep on the trails here and organizes the events, about meeting him for dinner at a local restaurant. We agreed on 7:00, which gave me time to feed the horses and get ready. I put my green faux leather jacket on, but didn’t realize until much later the dang thing was falling apart on me! The outer layer was just peeling off, so I put it in the trash when I got back. Really a shame, I loved that jacket! But one less thing to carry, right? Dinner was at the Portage Lake Parlor, a local hangout, with mediocre food, poor service, and acoustic music that was so amped up it made it almost impossible to talk. Met a couple that was here at the horse camp last weekend and chatted with them for a bit, too. Got back to camp by 9:00, where quite a few campers had come in today, though not anywhere near as busy as last weekend, put the blankets on the horses again, even though it’s not supposed to get that cold tonight, I don’t want to take any chances on them starting to sprout a winter coat! Not when we’re heading south next week, where it’s still 90+ degrees in Indianapolis (not to mention over 100 in Las Vegas where I’m flying off to). Anyway, it was a very quiet day overall, ready for shower and bed shortly. Good night, babe! Love you!

Hi Darlin’,
Rain was all gone by morning, sunny skies all around, a beautiful morning! Got the horses all squared away, then headed off to Jackson for some shopping. Filled up three propane tanks and stocked up on horse feed at Tractor Supply, then headed off to Walmart for the rest of the shopping. I’m stocking up for the critters since I’ll be off to Vegas next week and I needed enough for my boardees to take care of everyone while I’m gone. A pretty mundane day otherwise. Settled down for the evening, finished binge-watching Manifest, now it’s time for shower and bed! Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hey Babe,
Had another great night sleep, though it rained a little overnight, nothing serious. Got my chores done, and watched the mass exodus as the crowd kept thinning and thinning. I started my laundry as soon as it looked like the folks on the other side of the copse of trees I’m next to were leaving, since they had a great sunny spot where their highlines were. Sorry to say they didn’t do a very good job of cleaning up after their horses, but at least it was clear enough to hang my laundry. Got two loads done and everyone was just about gone by the time I got the second load hung up. So quiet and lovely here now! It was nice to see the activity, but nicer to have it back to being empty except for me! I read most of the day, then remembered I would need hay sometime this week, so I got on Marketplace and immediately found a listing in Chelsea just 15 minutes away, posted two days ago, for nice grass hay for six bucks a bale, so I made arrangements to meet the guy in half an hour, and picked up a nice load of hay. Gotta wean these guys off the alfalfa stuff, and this is really nice soft green hay, so hopefully they won’t mind too much. Got the hay loaded in the trailer, then had dinner and a movie, my shower, and soon to bed! Good night, darlin’! Love you!

Hi Darlin’!
Had a good night sleep, still slept late this morning. Guess all this activity has worn me out! So I decided to make today a quiet day. Well, except for a few extra chores. Lola managed to open a seam in her bed and proceeded to pull a bunch of stuffing out, so the bathroom floor was a mess. She hasn’t been on the trail in a couple of days, and because of all the activity I’ve had to keep her mostly tied up, so she was really ticked at me, her face this morning said it all! So after chores, breakfast, and sewing her bed back together, I took her down to Crooked Lake boat launch just down the road and we fetched and played for quite awhile. We actually saw a seaplane take off from the lake, as well as some boaters doing a variety of activity. She was much better after than, no more evil eye the rest of the day, thank goodness! Got back to camp and mostly read for the rest of the day. Had a couple of visitors, first Paul, then Chad, and then late in the evening some friends of Chad, who presented me with a beautiful painted rock. It’s gorgeous, but I explained I don’t need to carry any extra weight, and they suggested I place it out in the woods like some of the other ones, or give it to someone else, which is what I plan on doing. It reminded me of an old Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz movie called the Long, Long Trailer, where she decides to collect big rocks at every place they stop, until the weight gets to be so much they can’t get up a hill. It was a really stupid movie, but it came to mind for obvious reasons! Anyway, I finished off a limited series program I’ve been watching, now it’s time for shower and bed. Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hi Darlin’!
Though it took awhile to get to sleep, I ended up having a good night, nice and cool this morning! Almost too cool! But I put on my sweats and did my chores, changed my water filter since the charcoal one I put in not too long ago is already clogged up, read for awhile, then took a ride out to the local store, just over a mile up the road to the Village Market, where I was able to get onions, mayonnaise and eggs for the deviled eggs and macaroni salad I’m going to make for the big Saturday night dinner. I also asked about a palette. It had occurred to me that if I put a palette down and put my mounting block/stairs on top of it, it might be tall enough and sturdy enough so that I could raise the trailer up high enough on the front to be level. Lo and behold, they had one! They were going to give it to me, but I insisted that would bring it back before I left. I don’t need to carry the weight and it was a really sturdy one that they were using to block leaves from getting into their HVAC system, so it seemed only right to do that. Anyway, it worked out PERFECTLY! It’s like having a little deck, it created an extra little step, and raised it high enough so the first step out of the trailer is very comfortable rather than terribly scary like it was before. Problem solved! I read most of the rest of the day, while watching the campground fill up with trailer after trailer coming in. I chatted with some of the neighbors, got invited to go riding, which I turned down, I was really just wanting to relax today, then had my dinner, then sat around with some of the other campers for awhile. Then a huge old LQ horse trailer showed up, and suddenly it seemed like the population of the campground tripled! It was like watching a VW full of college kids unpeel from inside, one after another after another, people of all ages somehow appeared. Evidently it’s a very large family that camps here every year, and have done for over 40 years, so it was quite something to watch them all set up. As it got dark and the mosquitoes started to come out, I decided it was time to come in, but first I stopped to put blankets on the horses. Yes, blankets! It’s supposed to get down to 47 degrees tonight, and the last thing I need is for the horses to start getting their winter coats in September! One extreme to the other in just a few days, but I have to say, I like the cooler temps much better than the hotter ones! At least I can dress in layers and not sweat like a pig. Anyway, I’m off for my shower and bed, I have plans for a good long ride tomorrow. Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hi Darlin’!
Well, a good night sleep, slept rather late because I read late, but it was nicer because it was a little cooler after the rain, thank goodness! No worries, I had such a short drive today, probably the shortest I’ve ever done, less than 30 miles, but it was all back roads so it took about an hour. When I was at the dump I asked a guy to listen for my electric brakes on the controller, it’s not reading that it’s connected, even though the lights come on, so I don’t know what’s wrong. He said he didn’t hear anything, which means the brakes aren’t working, so that’s a problem I’ll have to address asap. Meanwhile, I drove VERY CAREFULLY on al those back roads, making the mistake of following Google maps. They actually had the horse camp right, but I thought I needed to check in first, so I was trying to find the main entrance where they usually have a ranger station where they do that, but instead it took me near the riding stable, with no ranger station is sight, and pronounced that I had arrived! Naturally, there was no place to turn around so I kept going, then turned on to another road thinking that I might back up and turn around, but there were bends on both sides and I didn’t dare back out without help, so I checked to see where the road I was on went, and decided that could bring me back to the horse camp, where I had decided to go first. Well, I made it, but the roads were almost all dirt and gravel and had some slippery spots and a few steep hills, so it was a bit dicey. Once I got to the camp and filled the trailer with water, I called the reservations office to see which sites were going to be open the full two weeks I plan on staying here, and after getting that list, reconnoitered around the campground until I found quite a nice spot. Like Brighton, most of the sites aren’t very level, but I did manage to find one that wasn’t too bad. Of course, according to their website, my rig wouldn’t fit into ANY of their campsites, when in fact there are a number that are just fine. I opted for a shady spot, even though the forecast is for cooler weather (not falling for THAT again!), so I won’t get as much solar energy, but I shouldn’t have to use much propane if I’m not running my AC anyway, so it sort of balances. Anyway, I got all set up, my only con is that the site goes uphill at the back, so I had to run up my levelers so high that the stairs/mounting block leaves me with a very big first step out of the trailer, which I’m going to have to be careful with or I’ll be doing a header straight to the ground! The slope makes the screen room very tall, the bottom just touches the ground, so no problem with the door opening against the awning like it does sometimes. Despite getting lost, I was pretty well set up by about 2:30, so I headed out to find the ranger station, where a very nice gentleman helped my get registered and paid up, then I headed off to Jackson, the nearest town, to fill up two propane tanks and do some overdue grocery shopping, and was back by around 5:00. Did a few more set up chores, like the grill, then settled down for the evening. It’s much cooler, and supposed to get down into the low 60’s tonight, and the low 50’s over the next few nights, so we’ll be going from one extreme to the other! But I’d rather have 70’s during the day and 50’s at night anytime! That’s always my weather goal, and I’ve finally made it! Seems like the first time in awhile, though I’m sure it hasn’t been that long. Anyway, all settled in, time for shower, bed, reading, then sleep after my busy day! Good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hi Sweetie!
Took a long time to get to sleep last night, but ended up with it being a good night. I spent most of the day just putting stuff away, letting the horses graze, reading and watching a movie, a nice relaxing day. It was actually more relaxing after I texted this Dan guy to tell him to buzz off, turns out he’s not only a poor communicator, but he’s been increasingly high-maintenance, and NEVER on time for anything, with no apologies for it, or any sense that being late is the least bit rude or wrong. Not what I need in my life! So once that was done, I was able to relax the rest of the day. As I was putting stuff away, Flash kept coming over to see what I was doing, and at one point, he literally leapt into the trailer! I don’t know what he planned to find in there (breakfast maybe?), but when he discovered there wasn’t any grain in the manger, he promptly turned around and leapt out again. Silly horse! I remember the days when I could hardly get him in there! How times change! Anyway, I managed to get most things put away, then a line of thunderstorms came in late in the afternoon and cooled things down, yay!! It’s supposed to be a much cooler and absolutely beautiful week, and I’m so glad, this heat has been a real killer! Being that it’s almost September, I’m hoping I’ve seen the last of the great heat, and that I can time it right to get to Florida before seeing any frost this year. I’m setting my sights on a Halloween party at my friend’s in Jacksonville, figure that’s about right weatherwise. Then I can bounce around the state all winter, wherever the weather suits! Well, I’ve already had my shower, just need to finish making the bed (oh, yeah, I did laundry today, too), and retire for the night. Good night, babe! Love you!

Hi Darlin’,
Had an excellent night sleep, seems like the first in a long time, probably because I splurged and ran the AC for a couple of hours to well and truly cool the trailer down before I went to bed. We also had some rain move in, which helped a bit, so it was all good! It rained a bit in the morning, managed to get the horses fed between showers, then I put them out on the grass for most of the day. It got really hot and humid once the rain passed, though, and the mosquitoes were swarming so bad, I just couldn’t see doing anything outside, so I literally spent most of the day in my recliner with a floor fan blowing on me, so for the first time, I actually felt pretty cool most of the day. Still had to run the AC in the late afternoon, though. I considered riding, but frankly, just didn’t feel like dealing with the heat and the bugs! Can’t wait for a cool front to come through, this has evidently been an unusually hot summer here in Michigan, just my luck! Anyway, watched some good programs, did a lot of reading, played games on my computer and just generally did nothing today. Not very exciting, I know, but it’s hard to get up the energy to do anything when it’s so hot and humid! Anyway, the day is done now, off to shower and bed. Good night sweetie! Love you!

Hi Babe,
It was so hot, it took me forever to fall asleep! I did run the AC for a bit, but not long enough, and I ended up having a terrible night. Sandy slept on cushions on the floor and said she was more comfortable than last night, but it still must have been tough with the heat. Of course, up in the “loft” the rising heat is always worst, and I don’t think it ever got below 75 last night, if that. Anyway, we had breakfast, didn’t have enough time to ride, so Sandy was all packed up and left just before 11:30. I changed my clothes and head out shortly afterward, first to my second massage this week, then down to a nearby farm for some beautiful hay, and finally to TSC to pick up propane and a few bags of horse feed to get me through. When I got back it was so hot, I just had to run the AC for a couple of hours just to get the heat out, and to be somewhat comfortable. Hoping I’ve done enough to get me through the night, it does seem a bit cooler in here now. I settled down for leftovers and a movie, now I’m headed to bed to read and hopefully, SLEEP! Would like to have a good night sleep for a change! We’ll see. Heading off to my shower and bed now, my love! Good night!