We're Back

We made it! Shalla and I trailered from the barn to the mountains in little less than 40 minutes, arriving around 8:50 a.m. Joyce arrived with her horse around 9:00 and we were well down the trail by 9:15. It was a gorgeous day, blue sky and warm, but not hot. Perfect. Shalla started off a little hot, as in ready to go, but she was great all the way. A wonderful trail horse. Why did it take me 20 years to ride her? I guess I just wasn't ready. Anyway, we got back in one piece and all is well with the world. Horses are the best.

Really Catching Up

I can't believe it has been over a year since my last post in August 2007. It's almost the end of 2008! I either ran out of things to say or time to say it in.

But here I am just finishing up another Xmas Express newsletter (our 23rd) and getting ready to go for another trail ride in the mountains. I still ride with the same friend, Joyce, and normally the same horse, Doc. But today is a little different. It's cold, for one thing. The high Santa Ana winds we were having the past two days have died down so it should be a pleasant day. Today I am riding Shalla, one of our Arabian horses.

Catching Up

Missed the last couple of days. Thursday afternoon we had rain again--.28 inches. On Friday morning I did another head count on the geese and found that Lucky was missing. There is a very serious predator out there somewhere, and it or they have picked off all of the "leadership" of the geese flock. At this point, only one Chinese goose and 14 Canadians remain, plus Ralph, Jr., our only Muscovey duck.

Rain and Horses

Keeping in mind we live in a drought area (a desert, really), the thunderstorm we had yesterday was a doozy. It only lasted 20-30 minutes, but we got .30 inches of water in our rain gauge. Of course, when it was over, it felt like a wet blanket...a hot, wet blanket.

Today is trail ride day. I am meeting a friend in the mountains to ride the trails for 2-3 hours. It takes about 40 minutes to trailer my horse there, and another 40 minutes back, so it will take a good part of the day. However, since we are starting at 7 a.m., I'll be back home by 11:30 or so. It's supposed to be 101 degrees today, but we will probably be back before it gets above 95. Egads.

Walk the Dogs

As I was walking the dogs on the Sandy Creek Riding and Hiking Trail (1-mile trail around the ranch), I was thinking how happy it made me to be walking with my dogs: Spike, Ghost, Shadow and Lui. Spike is 12 now, and Ghost and Shadow will be 11 in October. They are getting old. It's very sad to think one day they will no longer be running along, sniffing, peeing and generally having a good time just being dogs.

Here's a picture of Ghost & Shadow in the snow.

Lui Learns a Lesson

Yesterday, as the dogs and I were completing our 1-mile walk on the trail that goes around the ranch, Lui, our Belgian Malinois, ran after the geese and set them flying. I yelled at the dog (bad dog) and he took off for home. This morning, as we made the same circuit and were nearing home, the geese took off again. Lui, three steps ahead of me, turned to look at me as if to say, "I didn't do it." I guess he learned his lesson.

Old Goose

Disaster! I went out to feed the critters this morning and noticed a lot of white feathers on the road in front of the pond. The geese were milling around the area, and I did a head count. We have three white geese: Lucky, a half-Canadian, half-Old Goose; Rickette, a Chinese goose formerly part of a quartet: Ricky and the Rickettes; and the Old Goose. The Old Goose is missing!

The Old Goose was our first goose, given to us by friends several years ago. This goose was the protector, first of a flock of 6 Mallards (gone now), and then of the Canadian goslings and their parents. The Old Goose was a fixture on the ranch and will be sorely missed.

We have a preditor on the ranch stalking our fowl. First, it got two of the Rickettes, then it got Ricky (a great loss also) and now the Old Goose. I still can't believe it.