Mimi's Treasures: July 2008

Blake and Carlianne

In the sheep camp

Swimming at Palisades

Church at Gray's Lake

Me and my shadow!

Dad's shadow being mine, of course!

Our favorite rock spot

Mason and friend, Jake.

Me and my honey.

Jake on wonderful Tiniya!

Last day :(

I know these are in backwards, but I can't help it! This was actually our anniversary but it was the clean up and get out day so the ride had to be fairly short.

Marianne, Joshua, Camille (on Mason's new 3 year old, Sugar) and Carlianne on her new 3 year old, MoonDance. Amazingly wonderful horses. Merm and Joshua are also on 3 year old fillies they raised.

Anniversary ride with Latimers

Yet again! The guy who fixed our last blow-out mess apparently didn't tighten the lug nuts. The wheel flew off on the highway to Ennis at about 70 mph. It rolled along in the borrow pit next to the truck and eventually passed us! What a blessing it didn't get tangled up in the heavy oncoming traffic!

Check out the ripped out holes where the screws tore out! We just limped along to the trail head. We went with Gregg, Corby, Mikelle and her friend Isaac. Sorry about no pictures of them! We all rode to the Lake and then Gregg, Dad and I rode over the top of the mountain and came out at the Coffin Lake trail head. Corby drove out outfit back without horses and then picked us up in Gregg's rig. We brought the wheel home to get it fixed and we will go up in a few days and bring the horses and trailer home.

Sheep Lake

Hiding out under the trees waiting the storm out. Big lightening and rain and wind. Fun!

The Lake was high and clear. Trout swimming where we could just watch them. We ate lunch here.

Sheep Creek

Nearly to Sheep Lake. There was water everywhere! Very wet trail, and as you can see, gorgeous.

The summit, 9200 feet!

This was unbelieveably high! Huge climb to get to it.

This was a "light-weight" switch back. The bad one was earlier on the mountain and Velvet fell down and had a struggle getting back on her feet. She went right down to her belly and I couldn't get off so I just waited for her to gain her legs again. She was SO tired. It was quite a pull for a young horse.

I'm trying to give you a feel for the beauty!

Down the trail, Gregg and me.

Near the top of the Watkins Creek Drainage.

Hoo-Doo checking it all out. We felt like we were REALLY in bear country. The trail is essentially unused here. It was hard to find. Gregg and Christian went over the top and back a few days before just to be sure we could make it.

Dad loves flowers

And there were SO MANY!!!!!

Near Two-Top

Check out the green roads!

I wish you could get a feel for how thick the greenery was!

Two Top ride

Riding with our favorite riding buddies. We had so much fun this past week riding every day with Gregg and Helen. This was an exciting ride to Two-Top, but we never got there! We rode 18 miles (7 1/2 hours) checking out every unmarked trail on the mountain at first to get there and then to find our way out! It was nice not to be in a hurry and VERY nice we left early enough that we weren't trying to find our way in the dark.

This is just proof that Dad was really there! He loves shadows.

Yes, I'm having the time of my life! It was so green, it felt like we were in a rain forrest (whatever that is:) The mosquitoes were bad, but nothing can dampen my spirits on a ride!

Does it get any better?

I submit, it does not! I wish I would have remembered to use the camera on the way home yesterday when we blew both left tires out on the horse trailer. We didn't discover it until we had driven on the rims for a few miles. We were so stranded and the phones weren't calling out. A nice family stopped and asked if we needed anything and we borrowed their phone and called grandpa. He drove up with the horse van and I took the horses home in it. Dad put a spare on one tire and limped along with the other rim just above the pavement. Then we got home and found Dart and Rouge had been frightened through the fence by the neighbor's fireworks (rockets actually shot into their pasture!) What a miracle that I still have Dart in one piece. Rouge took out about 8 posts and dragged the fence and Dart jumped it. Rouge can't walk today. I am hoping it is just severe bruising. She has a bunch of minor wire cuts. Amazing blessing that it wasn't worse. The crazy thing is, these city folks were STILL lighting them off!!!! And the horses were still running from them only in the next field! I need to get out in the country again!

Back in the saddle again!!!

We camped up at McCoy Creek so Carlianne could spend some time with Blake. It was so much fun to hop on the horse over and over again as we checked the sheep with Blake and as Dad and I just explored the terrain. We have a new favorite place! And Velvet is her old sweet self again! Yippee!