Trail Clearing

This past weekend, our group from the Nebraska Horse Trails Committee met at Rock Creek Station near Fairbury for a trail clearing. While some manual labor was required, most of the work was done from the backs of our horses (and mules). And I really appreciate how well the trail horses will stand as we trim from the saddle, branches falling on their heads and necks and down around their feet. Or the steadiness they exhibit as we reach down to pull dead timber from the trail. A work day can be a great learning experience for a horse! Many hands made light work and by noon on the first day, the major trails were cleared and dirt work done and we got to ride, eat and relax the rest of the weekend. Many of our parks have experienced huge budget cuts, so giving just a few hours of time to our trails can help out the management who makes trails available for us.

Scenes from Rock Creek

I did not participate in Sunday Stills this past week. The subject was “nuts”. Keeping it horse related, I am sure I could have photographed a nice looking stallion and related parts, but didn’t have the opportunity!

On another subject, I have to admit I am not a fan of Facebook. I joined the “community” at the invitation of some friends and quite frankly, I don’t really get it. Maybe my age is showing, but there isn’t a lot that interests me out there. I see a lot of surveys such as “if I were a car I would be a VW Beetle” or “my butt looks like Tina Turner’s”. Notes from casual acquaintances tossing out a one liner about how much they hate to do laundry or that their significant other is having some sort of medical procedure that I know MY husband wouldn’t appreciate me sharing with cyberspace! People give me fake animals which I don’t understand at all and I occasionally get “friend requests” from people I don’t know and it scares me! Luckily I found the “hide” button, so I can tune out some of the dribble. I consider myself a pretty hip person (don’t ask for my kid’s opinion on that) but if Facebook went away tomorrow, I wouldn’t miss it.

On the plus side (always looking for good in everything), I have been able to connect with some friends from my past with whom I’d lost touch for no other reason than miles and time. And that is worth every imaginary flower I have to plant in Facebook’s cyber garden, (whatever the hell that is all about.) And while on the subject and knowing people Google their own names, I have lost touch with a childhood friend named Donna Willett, daughter of Bob (can't remember her mom's name), sister of Wayne, Mike & Desmond (?), who moved from Nebraska to Kansas probably in the early 70’s . We lost touch after a few visits back home. Donna shared my love of horses – had one on her acreage that we would ride. I hope she is well and happy and if you read this, Donna, email me! I would love to say “hey” and see where life has taken you.

Rock Creek Station

Early in the riding season, I penciled in weekend plans – whether it be day rides, camping trips or those deemed “vacation worthy”. The kid’s summer activities then start to roll in and take precedence over any riding plans, but usually it all works out one way or another. It’s been several years since we visited Rock Creek during their annual celebration. Always a favorite with the boys, it seemed to work well into our busy summer schedule.

Rock Creek Station was established in 1857 along the Oregon Trail; a resting spot for weary travelers and later a stage and pony express station. Rich in western history, most notably a gunfight between the local bully David McCanles and Wild Bill Hickok, Rock Creek Station’s reconstructed ranch comes to life during Rock Creek Days. Re-enactments, period costumes and merchants come to town for the small celebration of history.

As with every weekend trip, I begin getting things together early in the week; from shopping for groceries to packing up the trailer. Everything needed for horse and rider. The day of the trip, I hook up the trailer and move it into the driveway and begin to do an inventory of camping supplies and horse tack. I pre-cook what I can and take the food to the trailer when it is ready. I loaded the hay and water and truly thought we would be ready to go when John pulled in. Well, the demons decided to play havoc with our plans. In the last few hours before departure, the following happened:

• Refrigerator in living quarters of the trailer refused to light, thus more ice and coolers needed.
• McCain went to get ice & the hose broke in his car on the way home
• Bad cell reception where he broke down & I had trouble finding him
• John’s truck vapor locked coming home & he literally coasted into the driveway
• While quickly baling the last of the hay, the hitch broke on baler
• Stray kid at our house couldn’t find anyone to come get him
• Once departed, we had a blowout on the trailer tire 10 miles from home

But later while sitting in camp – after overcoming all of these obstacles – the sky fell from John’s world when he found out I forgot to pack the ketchup! I had obviously failed as a wife and mother.

John, Case & McCain

Despite the Heinz emergency, I was still able to feed my family and we hit the trails with full stomachs the following morning. It was good to have both our boys with us as well as our friends, Julie and Steve and Julie B. We meandered in and out of the trails of Rock Creek, every watchful of Julie B. on her young BIG horse, AJ. Although he had a few cute “colt moments”, he had his big boy boxers in place and maneuvered the trails well. Julie B, on the other hand, may want to invest in a face cage for her helmet. The 16+hh gelding affords her little room to duck under branches and certainly those of us on our 15hh horses aren’t clearing the spider webs for her!

Julie B on AJ

We rode through the “ranch” as the re-enactments were taking place. There was a stagecoach with a team of mules that caught Windy’s attention and not in a good way. We worked on “moving closer, staying longer” – but quit that exercise once I knew gunshots would be going off from the “shoot-out”. But to hell with the gunshots – Windy was sure the mules were on her tail! Sorry, but I had no free hands for pictures.

Kathy and Rich joined us in the afternoon. We slid down some very slick trails – their fox trotters “dropping to their haunches” as well as any good quarter horse. We found the canyon wall creek and stirred up a very small fawn along the trail. We did some bushwhacking on what appeared to be a new trail! That Kathy sure can lead us on some wild goose chases! And there is no hill she won’t climb! (Running & ducking…)

After a ketchup-less supper, we headed out for a sunset ride as the full moon was rising over Rock Glen Wildlife Management Area. We went to the top of the hill and took a long look at the area around us before heading back. It was dark when we entered the trails in the trees that took us back to camp. Lightning was visible in the west and we could hear the faint sound of thunder. We packed up camp and in a matter of moments, the rain and hail drummed against our trailer roof and no doubt muddying up already slick trails. We headed home early Sunday morning without having the opportunity to really explore nearby Rock Glen wildlife area on this trip.

Windy, Butter, Blue & Ginger: The morning after the storm

For those of you visiting south central Nebraska, Rock Creek Station near Fairbury is a very horse friendly park with miles of trail and history galore! I hope to make it back there before the end of the season.