Jurassic Park

Lions and tigers and…. dinosaurs? Oh, my! We came across this bag of bones on the trail yesterday and I swore it was a raptor from Jurassic Park! But no, just a dead deer lying in the middle of the trail. The horses weren't real keen about going around it. A lot of snorting and some big ears before they finally concluded it was harmless.

We stole another day from winter yesterday. Highs were in the low fifties and surprisingly, no wind. I met Robyn and Sam at Camp Moses. My heart sank a bit when I went to register at the visitor's center and the sign said "Horse Trails Closed Today" implying wet trails. We hadn't had any rain or snow lately, so I was surprised. I called the park manager and said he was worried that there could be ice under the leaves. Since I know the trails so well, he agreed to let us go ahead and ride at our own risk and just asked that we stay away from the steep trails. I was so thankful he agreed to let us ride there. Not that we wouldn't have found somewhere else we could go to ride, but we wanted to ride Camp Moses.

Before we rode out, we had plugged in a crock pot at the campsite. After about a 3-1/2 hour ride, we came back to the trail head for a mini-feast. Who would have thought we would be sitting at a picnic table, outside in Nebraska on November 27^th? It just doesn't get any better than this. The weather today calls for more temps in the fifties, but the wind has returned, so it won't be that pleasant.

In the Still of the Night

John went to work today, the boys were with friends and I was home alone. I don't have to be back to work until Monday and had really hoped to get some horse time in. The temps did reach the mid-forties, but once again, the wind was so strong that I was not even tempted to saddle up and ride. There are nothing but baron fields around here now; no break from the wind.

I made a quick trip into town. My Black Friday shopping consisted of going to Bomgaars farm store and buying a package of ten hand warmers for $10, a Mr. Heater for the trailer ($59.99), some miscellaneous light bulbs and wintergreen mints. When I got home, I put the new tires that I had picked up on Wednesday on my little Sundowner trailer. I'll need to have John tighten the lug nuts in the morning and then I'll plan to haul out and ride tomorrow. It's supposed to be near 50 degrees.

I was going crazy sitting in the house tonight. Nothing on tv except stupid football to which I have NO interest in (zilch, nada, none). No one to chat with online. (They must all be watching football!J) So I put on my coat and headed to the barn. Wow. No wind. It was almost pleasant.

I didn't see the horses by the barn, so I called for them. I love when I hear the thundering hooves before I catch sight of the horses. I put a couple bales of alfalfa in the near empty round bale feeder and they quickly jockeyed for their spot. I stood between Ginger and Butter, giving Butter, who is at the bottom of the pecking order, the opportunity to eat undisturbed. Windy was on the other side of her. In the distance, a dog barked. They all quit chewing and looked in that direction. After a few moments, Ginger put her head down and started eating again, the others following her lead.

Later, I went back to the barn and put some more alfalfa in the hay bunks. Eventually, Windy and Butter will be pushed from the feeder and hopefully they will find this second stash of hay. The rooster had already found his spot on the stall wall and was not too pleased I turned on the light. Two of the cats were in the tack room; one of them lying on a saddle pad I had strategically placed for just that purpose. As winter progresses, I'll have fewer nights like this. The temperatures will be so cold that I will rush through the barn chores without savoring the moment.

The Bucket Brigade

On another subject, have any of you followed "Kathleen's Wild Ride"? Kathleen left Oregon in May with two of her horses and for the last few months has traveled across the U.S. to her final destination, New York City. Now her friends are putting together a "Bucket Brigade" and are asking for volunteers to trailer Kathleen and her horses back home. I have volunteered to haul from the Omaha area to Grand Island or Kearney. She will need help in every state, most generally following Interstate 80. If you would like to be a part of her Bucket Brigade, visit her Facebook Page. You can read her story on her blog, You Might Think This is Crazy.