EQUES-TREK               Ride Long and Prosper

Archives-Nov
Where we've been while you were sleeping.

The seventh month of Adventure !  Here is what we wrote earlier, with conclusion on the Adventure page.

October 29-November 3  Our last days in Arizona

We pulled out of our campsite at Cave Creek Regional Park and stopped by a motor home with a De Colores bumper sticker. We met Terry and Carl D., from San Antonio, TX and the Walk to Emmaus Community. Carl is a retired WWII trainer pilot and was excited to hear we had seen the Blue Angels. We exchanged e-mails and went another 1000 yards to the RV dump station to lighten our load. It was afternoon when we exited the park. The morning had been spent packing up and cleaning up. The horses had a couple of walks and I trimmed hoofs. That got me ready for a shower and we ate sandwiches before pulling out. Once we got on the road I called Dave C. who we met yesterday to be sure it was okay to come to his place. It took us until 4 to get there and Dave met us in his driveway. The horses had a large arena to run around in and the first thing they did was go for a roll and then a run. That evening we had a campfire and meal outside with Dave, Deborah, and a friend of Dave’s.

The next morning we packed sandwiches and followed Dave and Deb to Kartchner Caverns State Park. It was everybody’s first time. They rode Dave’s Harley Davidson Screaming Eagle V-Rod which he has put a turbo kit on. Beautiful, isn‘t it? The Kartchner Caverns are a great example of a living cave.  Discovered in 1974 by two Spelunkers who were exploring the nearby Whetstone Mountains, the cave was formed by water - a large an underground river.

“Most of the formations are composed of layers of calcite deposited by water. The form is determined by whether the water drips, flows, seeps, condenses or pools. Dripping forms soda straws, stalactites, stalagmites, conulites and coral pipes (above right). Flowing forms flowstone, canopy, rimstone dams or drapery. Seeping forms helictite (pictured here), shields, coralloid, or cave cotton. Condensing forms rims or coralloid. Pooling forms cave raft, shelf stone, cave pearl, or spar crystal.”

This is a well protected cave with limited tours and many chambers of air tight doors to keep moisture in and warm, dry outside air out. Even so, the cave is drying up from the seven year drought Arizona is in. After our tour, we picnicked outside the visitor’s center. It is not far from this state park that the Apache leader Cochise hid out in what is called the Cochise Mountains. From the state park we went to Benson, AZ to the Candy Station on Fourth Street. Housed in a 100 year old building it is a sweet tooth’s satisfaction. It was here we discovered we liked prickly pear candy made from the prickly pear cacti. The Candy Station even has the dentist office right next door! We also visited the Arizona Saddle Blanket Company two doors down. Besides blankets they have saddles, bridles and holsters. We also dashed in the local Wal-Mart for some vitals for the evening cookout. Such well rounded shopping!

Wednesday we drove to Tuscon and the Saguaro National Park-Rincon Mountain District (one of two areas of this park). We went into the visitor center bought our patches and watched a 15 minute informative video presentation on the park. The park is in the Sonoran Desert which has summer temperatures above 100 degrees and fewer than 12 inches of rain in a year. The plants and animals are unique that survive here. We drove the 8 mile loop and not far along it I spotted one, a coyote, and took this picture of him before he disappeared into the desert brush. Later we walked Javelin Rocks. The park is named for the Saguaro cacti that flourishes here and provides a condominium home to many animals including the woodpeckers, owls and even bees. We exited the park at 12:30 and drove across Tucson to the other part of Saguaro N.P. We went over Gates Pass, a beautiful pass through the mountains. We by-passed Old Tucson; an old western movie set recreated from some old buildings. We did visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, with a well done botanical gardens, natural history museum and zoo. A fascinating place as it had so much and many exhibits were hands on. They had the threatened Mexican Spotted Owl and the Thick-billed Parrot . The only remaining native hook bill in North America, the Thick-billed is being bred to be reintroduced to the area. Though I never bred this particular hook bill, in my 35 years of breeding hook bills I had learned of them. Ralph and I especially liked the museum’s cave having just been to Kartchner Caverns the day before. Their live snake exhibits were excellent too with this Speckled Rattlesnake. After a quick look in the gift shop we got back in the truck. We could have spent a lot more time there but we still had other things we wanted to see. Next was the San Xavier Del Bac Mission. The San Xavier Mission is a Spanish Colonial “Catholic church founded by a Jesuit priest, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, a European spreading the word of God in a new land in 1692. While traveling to what is now known as California, Kino found a Pima Indian village near a stream bed ("Bac" means "where a stream emerges") in the Sonoran Desert. He stopped and preached to the people who were receptive to his teachings. Father Kino did not stay in this location, but visited it often during his travels. From 1692 through 1782 various priests took charge of the church and either visited regularly or were commissioned there. The services took place in a different church than the one that exists today.” Today’s Church was built in 1783. We got home just before 5 and watched Dave practice his roping (he competes). That evening we cooked out and I helped Dave with pictures of his jewelry for his web page.

The next morning we pulled out after hugs and waves to Dave hoping he and Deb will visit us in Georgia. We went down I-10 to Hwy 80 toward Tombstone, know as “the town too tough to die.” There we stopped in the Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park. It is a two story building with most of the history of the town of Tombstone. It is most famous for the gun battle of Morgan, Virgil and Wyatt Earp (the Earp brothers), and “Doc” John Henry Holliday (a degreed dentist and thus the nickname) against the Clanton Gang; Frank and Tom McLaury, Billy Clanton (these 3 died that day) and Ike Clanton, Billy Claiborne and Wes Fuller. Another one of those American “heros” (Wyatt Earp) who, upon closer inspection, might not have been quite the man of honor history would have him to be. The museum was made more interesting to me for having both the historical record and now, more recently, the forensic record. There was also much data and artifacts from Tombstone’s early years. We also went to the Bird Cage Saloon, where dancing girl Fatima was made famous in the west by singing from her perch above the saloon crowds - in a human bird cage. [An interesting note: Larry W.‘s great grandfather was the music director in the what became the Bird Cage Theatre during its operation.] The town was begun in 1877 when silver was found. By 1882, when the gun battle took place, it had grown to 5000 people. It now has a population of 1504, largely men who act the parts of gunfighters, stage coach drivers and miners to fill the streets of the present day with some ongoing interest. We walked the streets with Gizmo and then went on to our next stop - Douglas, AZ. We pulled in to Belle Starr’s Silverado ranch at about 1:30. Belle Starr was raised in VA but moved to AZ 15 years ago and is here to stay. At 80 years young she raises Appaloosa Horses and burros (full size and miniature) and runs a non-profit therapeutic ranch.  That afternoon we went to Old Bisbee and walked main street, looking in galleries, jewelry shops and antique shops. Bisbee was set on the map when one of the largest deposits of copper was found. First it was mined in 1871 for silver but was found to hold a “gold mine” in copper in the early 1900s. It was amongst this copper that some of the finest American turquoise was mined as well. Mostly it was found by the miners. The Silver Queen Mine, now known as the Lavender Pit (named after Harry Lavender, one of the higher ups in the Phelps Dodge Mining Corporation), is now one of the biggest open pit mines in the U.S.A.

Belle’s ranch foreman, Enrique, brought his son, Pablo, to ride and guide us the next morning. Our guides live in Mexico, 13 miles away by vehicle (6 miles by horse), and Enrique comes across the border daily to work. He is a very skilled horseman and he watched me unload the horses and immediately exclaimed "muy bonito" when Jur stepped out. He was also very impressed with their bare feet (no shoes on their hoofs). The four of us rode out of Belle Starr’s Silverado cross country, only occasionally using dirt roads criss-crossing the desert terrain, up on some rocky knolls that gave us a view down on the ranch (above picture ranch is in the middle). The closeness to the Mexican border is evidenced in the innumerable water bottles scattered in the brush, there is one every yard. Also we had been warned of the banditos roaming the brush seeking victims to rob or worse. They prey mostly on the Mexicans trying to cross the border. (Already illegal they are less likely to report the crimes.) We were back before noon and greeted by Richard, a friend and neighbor of Belle’s. He sat and talked with Ralph a spell. Richard first came to Arizona with a girlfriend. When they arrived they traded their car for a mule. They divided up their goods into a pile of what they needed and what they did not. Then, with the pile of what they needed, they again divided the pile into what they had to have and what they could do without. What was left was loaded onto the mule and they walked into the Dragoon Mountains to build a rock and mud hut which they lived in for one year. Belle had made a 1:30 appointment with her veterinarian in Sierra Vista for our final vet check (required for traveling). We got the last appointment available for the next three weeks so after already trying two vet offices we were glad to have that done and out of the way. When we got back I went to talk with Belle Starr for awhile. That afternoon Ralph and I went to Bisbee and drove up Beverly Street but did not get far with that “Monster” truck in those tiny 1800 streets. We parked and walked. Founded in 1880, Bisbee is in the mile high Mule Mountains and once the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco (it even had its own stock exchange). We went to some of the shops we had not got to visit before and I did get tempted into buying 2 pieces of Bisbee Blue Turquoise. At five o’clock we walked to Café Roka (recommended by Larry W.) and enjoyed drinks and a four course meal for $55! We were too full for desert so we waddled back to the truck and back to the trailer. I went to work on Belle’s paperwork.

The last day in Arizona, we were and packing up, Ralph on the outside and I on the inside. We sure have enjoyed this state and agree with Rex Allen, Jr. words in the song "Arizona." Then we had a some time with Belle discussing some of her ideas about her ranch and all she would like to do. She just needs someone just as determined as she to help make a haven for mind and body. She welcomes boon-dockers, those willing to “live it rough,“ no pipe water or electricity. That may be what got her in trouble when she first got here. Fifteen years ago she did not know much. She had bought these acres with a pure and generous heart. So when border patrols came barging in one day and hauled off her Mexican help and threatened to do the same with her she started getting mad. But it was when the sheriff arrived with the horse trailers saying they were taking her horses, she pulled the gun and said one of them was going down if he touched one horse. The government people left without her or a horse. She remains determined to hold her own. She joined me on a tour of the horses. She has several Appaloosa studs and some beautiful foals. The paint with the blue eyes is Tarage Day. The miniature donkeys are the cutest things and also wonderful guard animals. They bray loudly at intruders and did not care for Gizmo, even outside the fence! Of course, Gizmo gave it right back. After a grand tour, we exchanged hugs and we pulled onto Hwy 80E. The country side is vast grasslands outside of Douglas. It is like driving in a huge bowl; we are in the bottom and the mountains are the sides. But it has a pouring lip and we are driving through that opening. On Hwy 80 is the historical monument of Geronimo’s surrender in the Skelton Canyon. Then we passed the Wonderland of Rocks, Coronado National Monument. Next we passed Granite Gap Ghost Town in the heart of some beautiful granite rock formations. Near Silver City, NM we crossed the Continental Divide at 6355 feet. The terrain had changed once again. We took Road 35 to the Gila Cliff Dwellers National Monument. It is a 36 mile drive from the “bottom” to the Visitor’s Center. It was just turning dark as we turned into TJ Corrals Campground and Trailhead so we quickly got the horses settled and then cooked hamburgers for ourselves. Check back for our ride at Gila Cliff Dwellers National Monument.

November 4-11  New Mexico

We gained an hour on November 3 crossing into the central mountain time zone only to lose it on November 4 to the end of daylight savings time. The first thing we did after breakfast was go to the visitor’s center. We watched the video on the Gila Cliff Dwellers National Monument, bought our patches and a few other things (Ralph found another book on turquoise and spent the afternoon reading it) and then drove to the cliff dwellings. The monument actually is quite small as it just encompasses the dwellings in this one canyon (there are many more in the surrounding canyons). But the monument is within the Gila National Forest and 36 miles from the nearest town. You walk up the valley on a 1 mile loop trail, a slight incline on a narrow rocky path it has been improved with rough cut steps in some places by the park service. But it (and the dwellings) remain so similar to what they were that it is easy to imagine the Mogollon people and others before them walking here 800 years ago. Our first glimpse of the is ¼ mile up the walk. It is a great overall view of the predominant caves and their walls. The hike up from there is a little more strenuous and at over 6000’ elevation we feel it. Fortunately it is a short one and then we are at Cave One (there are seven). The first cave appears to be a communal kitchen housing 3 small storage rooms, a hearth, and two circular indentations that might have supported large pots. Cave Two was empty of any artifacts and walls had been bashed and wood roofs burned. Even so, 80 percent of the dwellings are original including all wood but the ladders. Cave Three is a great representation of the people’s ingenuity as they built the rock lip to block the hot summer sun and yet let it in to warm the cave in the winter. The many fires that turned Cave Three’s ceiling black may have been ceremonial rather than utilitarian. Caves Four and Five contain many of the forty rooms. In Cave Five there is evidence of a previous use as a rock used as a pestle lies beneath a part of the fallen ceiling and yet the same soot blackens that section of ceiling. Caves Six and Seven are natural caves without improvement. Cave Seven shows no use at all and was only accessed in 1968 by rappelling. It is a fascinating look into the past and yet it remains mostly a mystery. With so little artifacts much of the past here is theorized, and there are several. Most dominant is that these particular dwellings were for spiritual gathering rather than actual dwelling. I have a theory too. I suggest that the people who stopped here (for they did not stay long) were ancient immigrants and fled to these caves to escape being hunted and turned into slaves by the people of the land. So when they deemed it safe and after ceremonies to ask the God’s blessings, they made their move to a more permanent place. One can only imagine. It was only just after eleven when we got back to Gizmo and the trailer. I saddled up Jur and Ralph settled down with a book. I rode out from the campground into the Gila Wilderness and Little Bear Canyon. What an awesome place. It is a canyon floor where a river runs when there is water. The walls rise on either side and get narrower and narrower. It was spectacular. I emerged into a bigger canyon and rode several more miles to Jordan Hot Springs. Unfortunately, I did not have time to enjoy the spring as I had to return the same route before dark. You would think I had no more pictures to take as I had just come this way. But now the sun was at another angle and the lighting kept tempting me to photograph the scene. We were back at the trailer at five. Ralph got the generator out for some power tonight. We watched a movie: Robin Hood: Men in Tights, a comical spoof. What a great day it had been!

It was 26 degrees (water froze in the horse bucket) again the morning we left. We are leaving Gila Cliff Dwellers Natl. Monument and the Gila National Forest and heading to Lincoln National Forest near Ruidoso, NM. As we drove out I took pictures from Copperas Vista. Gives you an idea of how high up we traversed. Ralph considers this (Road 35) and Hwy 152 among the most difficult roads we drove. Half way we went through Emory Pass with fabulous views but hairpin turns on a steep downhill. In Hatch, NM we stopped for diesel and Ralph got a sandwich that was H-O-T! Hatch is the chili capital of the world or at least of the Southwest USA. It sits right on the Rio Grande. We took a turn at Las Crues unto Hwy 70 East, the Bataan Memorial Highway. For those of you lacking World War II knowledge, the Bataan Death March, as it is now known, was when troops of besieged Americans surrendered to the Japanese who then forced these starving men to march over 100 miles to a concentration camp. Many did not make it. The Highway is appropriately named as there is not much to see, mile after mile you drive on and on hoping you do not run out of fuel before you make it. On Hwy 70 we went through an Inspection Station. Unlike others, that are agriculturally related, this one is about illegal traffic, both human and goods. The only question asked us was “Are you both American citizens?“ Not a mile up the road is the White Sands National Monument. In the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert, the Tularosa Basin holds the worlds largest white gypsum sands dune fields. “Normally, gypsum is dissolved by water and carried to the sea. But no river drains the Tularosa Basin.“ From the Ice Age Lake Otero bed, the gypsum dunes grow, crest, and slump, driven by the wind. The sand is endlessly changing the landscape allowing very few plant‘s roots to take hold in this shifting environment. Ringed by the San Andres Mountains to the west and the Sacramento Mountains to the north, the monument is completely surrounded by White Sands Missile Range. We saw a B1 Bomber and I got a couple of shots. We were also told there was no camping that night as there was an early morning missile test. Hwy 70 will temporarily close and all but military are evacuated from the range, covering 4000 square MILES! We drive on between Tularosa and Ruidoso is Mescalero, the homeland of the Mescalaro Apache Tribe. We are finding our road into the Lincoln National Forest in the dark. We go ½ mile and I see a sign for Philadelphia Canyon and a wide camping area off of it. Not our original destination but we turn in and are set up with horses fed and watered in a half hour. We took sponge baths to conserve water and we were both in bed by 8:30. Ah, camping!

November 6, it was cold enough to run the gas heat. We got dressed in layers knowing the high would be about 58. I never took one layer off. We met the campers near us as he needed gas. So Ralph gave him our five gallon can of gas and he said he would return it filled again. We rode up Mill Canyon and really started climbing, a slight but steady incline in most places. There was one spot that was so rocky with switchbacks that part way through it we got off and walked the horses. Then the only other time we got off was close to the top when we did so to relieve the horses. They were sweated up when we got to the top at 9000+ feet. We reached the top of Monjeau Peak at noon and were soon eating our lunch atop the fire tower. Built in 1937 it is a historical site. After an hours break we were riding back down by way of Trail #25 and Rodamaker Canyon. This too had some steep grades and we got off to walk in at least two places. But it was a very direct way down with many water crossings that the horses and Gizmo enjoyed. We also passed two miners’ digs before we got to the bottom and Bonita Lake. We road the paved road all the way back to camp, about 2.5 miles, which was the least enjoyable part of the ride. We met with a couple of cars and one was Irene H. She apologized for driving up on us and then asked where we were from. We invited her to our camp and she invited us to her house. It was finally agreed that she would come and pick us up in the morning to take us to her house and feed us breakfast! How do we manage these lovely arrangements?! This is what is making The Trip so enjoyable; all the people who make up this world. It was about 3:30 and we were able to relax the rest of the day. Ralph did get a fire ready for the evening. I made dinner and we ate inside before bundling up and going out to enjoy our fire.

With very little power next morning, Ralph made coffee on the stove and I got dressed in the cold. We were ready when Irene came to pick us up. Her house has a lovely setting and a view of her horses. She has only recently started raising the dogs and trains them for police as sniff dogs and some for attack. Irene made us a wonderful breakfast of eggs, bacon, fried tomato and toast and then pancakes. We talked about the Trip; our favorite places, the scariest moments, etc. and showed our slide show. When we were done it was 12 noon! Irene drove us back to camp. She is already hoping we will return next year for a long weekend so I can work her Spotted Rocky Mountain Horse and Ralph can do some repairs. We got on the road at 12:45, not bad. No sign of our gas can or the camper. We drove 26 miles to Fort Stanton and found our next campgrounds without any problem. After setting up camp we detached the truck and drove to Fort Stanton. Now a rehab center there is not a lot to see of the old fort. We went into Capitan to do wash. We got in four loads and then walked across the street to some shops. We never got past the first one. Jake Wolfhart is a leather worker and jewelry artist. We ended up in there for over an hour. Then we went and folded our laundry and stopped in the country grocery store before returning to the trailer and making dinner.

We had a leisurely morning with full power to make coffee and pancakes. We got dressed for riding and rode the Access Trail Loop, a short ride so we could go to the Museum of the Horse in Ruidoso. We ate and headed out. There were two more shops there we wanted to explore in Capitan on the way. One was a gallery of local artists and very good. We drove into Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino. Then we went to the Hubbard Museum of the American West, originally the Museum of the Horse. It is right next to Billy the Kid Museum and right down the road from the race track. The museum was full of carriages, saddles, and other horse items as well as a great gun collection. From there we went to into Ruidoso to see a few shops and back to the trailer.

The next morning I made the crab bisque in anticipation of Irene joining us for lunch. Irene came early in the morning as one of her horses had coliced and she needed to get back. She arrived with a brand new gas can to replace the one we lost to the camper. She insisted we not think all New Mexicans are thieves. We knew they were not and actually this was the first thing for us to have “taken” on the entire trip. Irene sat with us about 45 minutes and we had a great time again. I sent her off with a bowl of crab bisque and she insisted we return for at least three days. She wants me to start training her Rocky Mountain horse and Ralph can do some things around the farm. Irene left us with fond goodbyes and Ralph and I broke camp. At 11 o’clock we were on the road to Roswell, NM. It was great fun to see the aliens decorating all the signs. We drove right into town to the International UFO Museum. The museum is so full of documentation that it would take days to read just the wall displays. There is also a (the worlds biggest) research library on UFOs open to the public. We did not do anything but read the wall exhibits and we barely dented them in time we were there. Back at the trailer, I walked Gizmo while Ralph made us turkey sandwiches. We ate on the way to Carlsbad now more prepared to spot Unidentified Flying Objects!

We turned in to check out Brantley Lake State Park and found they do allow horses in their primitive campground down by the Lake. The Lake was being drained to give their agreed quota of water to CA or somewhere so it was not very pretty but the park was close to the Carlsbad Caverns and a safe place to leave our horses and camper while we went to the Caverns. Or so we thought! We came back from the Caverns and discovered this crop circle. Had we been visited by aliens?

With no sign of strange lights we got a good nights sleep and were ready for our day at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. I made a lunch of turkey sandwiches with all the fixings and drinks and Ralph took care of the horses. Gizmo was to stay at the trailer. We got to the Caverns just in time for the 10 o’clock tour of the King’s Palace. Our two guides took us down by the walkways and viewed the King’s Palace and then the Queens Chamber which I liked the best. After an hour and a half we were on our own and walked the entire Big Room. What a cave! It is so immense it is hard to give a grand enough description. But when you are at one end and the other end has people that appear about two inches tall in the distance, you know you are in a BIG space! And all this 750 feet underground! Ralph liked the “Chandelier” in the Big Room the best. It is a magnificent formation of what is called “draperies” in the center of the room. It truly looks like a chandelier. By the time we walked the whole thing it was close to two and I was getting cold (I needed to eat too). So we exited the cave quite happy with how much we had seen and bought our patches and drove to an overlook to eat our picnic lunch. We drove back by way of Sitting Bull Falls. We wanted to see the Falls without pulling the horse trailer. Unfortunately, we were five minutes past the closing time on the gate to the Falls. So we could not access them and had to turn around and drive the 30+ miles back to camp without seeing them after all. But we did see a beautiful sunset over the Guadalupe Mountains. When we got back to camp and started the generator we found it was not giving us power so we could not use the microwave or computer that night. And not good news as we were going into the Forest for two nights. This was our last night in New Mexico and it was early to bed with nothing to do.

The next morning we went on to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We left Brantley Lake State Park with fresh water and horses and dog ready for the two hour pull to Guadalupe Mnts National Park. Before we even exited the park Ralph and I were singing “Happy Birthday” to my Great Aunt Helen. One hundred and one today, she is as sharp as ever. She said if she were a car, her odometer would be turning over and showing only one. She is following our trip avidly! The magnificent Guadalupe Mountains are to our right as we drive down Hwy 180 into Texas. They ring us like a bowl and I can imagine this being under water, a reef back when God had the earth covered in water . We went to the visitor’s center at Pine Springs. After getting our patches we drove to Frijole Ranch (where we are going to camp for the night). It was only a wide spot on the dirt road. A Ranger was parked there sewing a patch on his shirt (too funny) and I asked him where we park. He told us right there. So I saddled up and left Ralph to level the trailer and set our camp up. I rode out the Foothill Trail toward El Capitan Trail which I rode out to the Salt Flat’s lookout. The views out there were spectacular of El Capitan and the salt flats. The trail is narrow (about 18”) and, once up on the hills, very rocky with loose shale. So as I got further out and went into more and more gullies it became more and more difficult to transverse. There were also many places with steps some almost 18” high. So I enjoyed a great view before retracing our steps. Jur was doing great and the boots were enabling him to move well but I did not want to risk injury. On the way back Jur and I took the Foothill Trail into the foothills instead of straight back to camp. Most of that trail I could see the trailer in the far distance and I think Jur could too. We rode it to the Frijole Ranch Trail and went by the ranch to get pictures and have a gentleman take our picture. Then we rode back to camp. It was 4:30. It was dark at 5:30. With little battery power it was an early night.

November 12 - 21: Texas from West to East

We were up early that Monday and leaving the beautiful Guadalupe Mountains at 8:45. Only we lost an hour as we passed into the Central Mountain time zone minutes later. We drove down Hwy 180 past the Texas Salt Lake. It shimmers white in the distance. The big production here is natural gas. The other is oil and we passed an oil rig junkyard. Also I had not realized how much cotton was grown in Texas. How bizarre to see the oil rigs amongst the cotton. The day was a long one and made longer by a long stop at a Texas rest stop with Wi-Fi where Ralph made tuna sandwiches while I got our e-mail. Another long stop was in Big Lake where I spotted Diamond C Feed and Supply. The owner, Joe C. had retired twice already and this was his third career. We were glad he was there as we needed hay and feed and good quality (this was to see us the rest of the way home). We had to unload the horses to load the hay. We also got diesel twice and went to pick up dinner items. We arrived at San Angelo State Park after 4 and it was after five before we were set up and I could saddle up. Jur and I took a quick ride out Strawberry Trail and then started to circle the entire campground but with the sun fading I cut across the RV camping along the cabins and got back to camp. Some nice riding and Jur enjoyed the stretch too. I cooked steaks on the open fire pit and Ralph grilled vegetables. We enjoyed roasting some marshmallows afterwards. A mellow evening.

We had a leisurely start the next morning to Camp Peniel where we were due to work. I was having difficulty with my web page program and not able to work on the update. Very frustrating. So I packed everything away and put the laptop in the truck. In the tiny town of Spring Valley, TX we stopped at their 1938 school house and ate lunch of chicken salad. This is the birthplace of the inventor of the electric typewriter, James F. Smathers. We arrived at Camp Peniel at about 3. We had the help of Josh M. to get the horses settled in stalls and then met Ben W. who showed us to the RV section. We then set up in as much shade as we could find (it was hot but a cold front was coming). Ralph then went off with Ben to see about a tile repair job. I sorted laundry which I hope to do in the next couple of days and then back to the computer. Ralph was back in less than an hour. He had already taken up the tile and will replace it tomorrow.

The next morning Ralph made us pancakes with the last of the huckleberries picked in Oregon. Ralph went to work on the tile after breakfast and I drove to the barn. I saddled up Jur to explore the trails and almost immediately started clearing trails. We crossed the creek which had flooded causing such damage in the Spring. (They had 19” in four hours.) The camp is still recovering from that. At two I went to eat lunch and Ralph was back and he made us hot dogs. We left for Suzy and Hank S.‘s 36 miles away in Leander. Suzy was a roommate of mine in college 30 years ago in Hollywood Beach, FL! We have not only remained in touch, we cherish our friendship. It is so special to have someone who has shared so much over the years. [A ironic note: In researching for The Trip and contacting camps to see if they needed help I had contacted Camp Peniel. Before I got a response, Suzy told me she knew of a camp - Camp Peniel, 45 minutes from her house. She was instrumental in getting us together as I flew out to visit her in January 2007 and she drove me out there to meet the camp director, Don.] That night we were joining Hank and Suzy to attend a Phillips, Craig, and Dean concert. It was a free concert for a live taping of a TV Show with Max Lucado speaking on John 3:16, his newest book. Also Josh Davis, 3 time Olympic Gold Medalist in swimming spoke briefly. Suzy went down front and got this picture (I had not brought my camera). It was after midnight when we got back to the trailer. There was a note from Tara M. (Josh’s wife) that she could not ride early as we’d planned.

So the next morning I took my time. I was saddling up Jur when Tara got to the barn and saddled up their horse, Taz. Tara led the way up their trail and showed me all around for a couple of hours. The camp has over 300 acres but it is not all used. The trails were put in years ago and some are in a bad state of erosion. We had a great time talking and I told her a bit of what I’ve learned about trails. She told me of her and Josh’s dreams for Camp Peniel. After the ride I put Jur away and went for lunch. Ralph was at the office talking about a logo for t-shirts. So I made sandwiches and took him one on my way back out to the barn. I saddled up Silver Girl to ride her on the trails next. I got some trimming done. I had to get back to get ready to go to Hank and Suzy‘s again. We were going for Mexican food and I was taking clothes to stay over. We left for town just after five. We had a wonderful Mexican dinner at the Havarea Mexican Restaurant. I ate too many chips and salsa and then could not finish my meal. I would eat it for lunch. We went back to Hank and Suzy’s and laughed at Robin Williams in the movie: “RV” before Ralph left for the trailer at Camp.

I had stayed at Suzy’s in order to go with her to the Halina Spa. Hank had given her a half day at the spa with a friend for her birthday in October. I was the beneficiary of that gift too. We had an afternoon appointment and Suzy went to an aerobics class in the morning so I put in a load of laundry and worked some more on trying to solve my web program problem. It turned out that my files were corrupted and I had to download my own web pages back to my computer, not a simple or fast task. Just after noon we left for the spa. The European style building the spa was in overlooked Travis Lake in Austin. We were greeted at the desk and taken to the changing room. We were then taken for our one hour massage. Not surprisingly, you are so limp afterwards they give you time to get up. From the massage we went for our pedicure. I’ve only had any of this done once before and never all in one day so it was a treat. But I like the pedicure the best. It is a massage and nail care all in one. The woman doing my manicure and pedicure took so much care and time that she went over the “allotted” time and I did not start my facial until Suzy was just about done. We did not leave until 5:15 and could have stayed longer if we had gone to the sauna or pool. But we needed to eat and we were both feeling rather relaxed, bordering on tired. What a great treat! Next Suzy took me to the Great Haircut salon and there I met David who cut my locks. We had a great chat (he had lived on the beach in Miami). He thought our Trip was awesome. We went from the haircut to The Great Wall for Chinese food. Suzy’s friend Janie was there with her husband Mark, daughter Angela, and Angela’s husband Howdy and son Jet. They, too, were very interested in The Trip being horsepersons. We talked for an hour and then everyone left but Janie, Suzy and I. We got back to Suzy’s and we shared pictures before ending the long but great day!

The next morning I immediately booted up the laptop and started downloading the web pages. It took a couple of hours! Hank and Suzy’s son, Scott downloaded two songs that I wanted. Where I was taking a lot of time to figure it out he did it in no time flat! Hank left to do some work and Suzy and I went out to Camp Peniel. We ate tuna sandwiches at the camper and then started walking the trails with hand tools and Hank’s borrowed chain saw. We got so far from where we started our work we ended up very close to the RV section so we just took everything to the camper and dropped it off before walking to where Ralph was working to get the truck. We were both pretty beat. I went to feed horses and we had returned to the trailer when we were invited to eat with the campers. Hank had arrived and we joined him and Ralph at the cafeteria. We came back to the trailer and sat outside until 9 talking. What a great two days. From spa to saw!

On Sunday Ralph and I were up and at ‘em at 9:30. Ralph went back to the staff rooms to finish the bathrooms and put in a glue-down carpet. I saddled up Silver Girl and loaded her down with saw sling and tools and headed out to work on trails. Hank’s chain saw made all the difference and I was able to get so much done in 3 hours. I also got very hungry and knew Hank and Suzy would be arriving. Ralph had called Hank to come help him put down the carpet. They arrived after noon and joined Ralph and me in the cafeteria. Then I took Suzy out to the barn and Hank went to help Ralph. Suzy rode Silver Girl and I Jur and we went out to where I left off. We were glad for the horses as the gear gets heavier and heavier as you work. We put in a good second day and worked until four o’clock having to quit when I pulled a muscle in my back. As the night wore on it became very painful (fortunately it was gone on Tuesday). We drove to Marble Falls for pizza. We were all so tired we did not stay long and Hank and Suzy left after dropping us off and hugs goodbye. It was then I checked e-mails and found one from Arthur B. about a Honda generator. He had written “Dead Presidents Talk - Sunday only.” I had, on a whim, searched for generator on Craig’s List in the area of Austin and written to him on Friday. Well it was 7:30 Sunday so I told Ralph to call him and they worked it out for Ralph to get it Monday morning. But we needed cash so Ralph would give Hank a check and Hank would give him the cash.

Ralph was up and gone at 7:30. But with awful traffic and a missed turn, he arrived back at 12:45 with the generator. So thanks to Hank and Arthur we are back “in the running.“ We left Camp Peniel at 1:30. We saw no one on the way out but had been thanked for “what a blessing” we had been and with great timing. If we had come the week before there would have been about 700 people there and we could not have gotten into the building Ralph worked on as it was being used. And the following weekend they are having another large family camp for Thanksgiving. It was this weekend with just one high school camp of about 50 that was perfect for us to be there. We drove around Austin and into Montgomery up Hwy 149 to Fiona and Ollie C.’s, Seahorse Haven Farm bordering the Sam Houston National Forest. Once inside their gate, I called Fiona and let her know we were there. It was dark and she came to show us a lovely field with full hookups and covered pens that are for campers when an endurance ride is held there. Fiona’s name was given to us by Susan B. who we stayed with in Arkansas. We talked briefly and agreed to ride together in the morning and then said good night.

Unfortunately, in the morning Fiona could not ride so we decided to go to Gulf Coast 4Star Trailer Sales in Montgomery. We have had so many inquiries about our 4Star trailer we are interested in becoming representatives on the road. It was a disappointment as the dealership owner was not there and we were brushed off by a salesman. We drove back to Fiona’s and shortly afterwards Fiona came to say she could ride. So she and I saddled up and rode out her gate with Gizmo along. The forest is very thick in 50’ pines. We crossed a couple of streams of water and just as many dry beds. We went through a grove of wild orange trees that smelled wonderful. We got back just before dusk. Ralph was not at the trailer. Fiona called me after awhile to tell me Ralph was at the house and to come up but I was trimming Jur hoofs. Ralph came down to find me and we walked up to the house. At the house I met Ollie, Fiona’s husband, and Angus, Fiona’s brother. Kimber, a friend of theirs was visiting from Alaska where she runs a tour boat. Angus got us talking about our trip and some of the places we would return to. Then he told Fiona she must teach him to ride so he could do a trip like ours!

On November 21we got on the road to Slidell, Louisiana where we are to share Thanksgiving with friends and family. The road was terrible and some of the traffic, especially Baton Rouge, awful. We got to the stables after six and unloaded the horses in the dark again. This was our first stop on The Trip that we were boarding the horses at a barn that we would not be camped at. We had been gifted with one stall by Stacy P. who we have never met. Her mother and I had met almost two years ago when we came to Slidell to assist after Hurricane Katrina. We would be paying for the second stall and returning each evening to feed (and leaving the morning feed to be put in the stall). It was hard to leave the horses despite the nice barn. Then we drove truck and trailer to Tiffany and Ryan P.’s. Tiffany is our niece. She is an Interior Designer and moved to Slidell 2+ years ago with her husband, Ryan, who is from there. We parked in front of their house and the trailer remained there for five days while we stayed in Tiffany and Ryan‘s spare room. The trailer was quite a site in that neighborhood! Tiffany made us welcome, putting up her three boxers so Gizmo could be with us (the boxers were sweet to us but not Gizmo). Then she made us a dinner of chicken and we ate and relaxed with her until Ryan came home from work. After dinner we brought in enough of our things to get a shower and to have a change of clothes. Tomorrow we would enjoy a day of Thanksgiving.

November 22 - 30  Louisiana Thanksgiving to a stop at home

Thanksgiving Day. Ralph and I watched Tiffany make two pies and a huge salad. We were not permitted to make something ourselves. Ryan went off to Wal-Mart and would not join us until late in the day. We and Gizmo enjoyed the Macy’s Day Parade, especially the Snoopy balloon. After noon we packed up the truck and drove to Ed and Bonnie P.’s at one. A little background: Ed and Bonnie are a couple who endured Hurricane Katrina devastation and that Ralph and I spent 8 days helping at their house afterwards. Their huge hearts were a blessing then and we are forever family. They greeted us so warmly with Bonnie exclaiming that I was skinner than before. I am not but Ralph has dropped some weight. There were over thirty people in the house for the meal and more stopped by later. The food was fabulous and everyone seemed to have contributed. I ate a couple of plates full and nibbled all evening on the sweets. Ralph out did me. It was great to see the house restored as well as Ed and Bonnie recovered from that very horrific time. After dinner, Tiffany and I took a drive to the barn so I could feed and so Tiffany could see the horses. She always had liked Jur and thought he was beautiful now.

Friday and Saturday I worked with Tiffany in her store. Tiffany is an interior designer and has InStyle Interiors on Pontchatrain Drive in Slidell. Her store is a lovely mixture of small accessory pieces and tables, lamps and chairs (though she can acquire anything her customers need). I organized her fabric books and generally straightened up. On Saturday Ralph joined us and built shelves for storage. We bought Christmas tags and put them on various items to suggest gift ideas. We also dismantled an entire Christmas tree that a customer had bought from the floor of the store to be redecorated in her home by Tiffany. I had such a good time being there and being a help where I could in that beautiful interior. In the end I was talking to Tiffany about redecorating my entire living room in the near future. So that got my focus a little more towards home. Oh, did I mention that Gizmo went with us to the store each day. He was the store mascot for those two days. And even entertained  children while their mothers shopped. Saturday evening Ed & Bonnie came by and we and Tiffany (Ryan was at work) went out to dinner.

Sunday - Tiffany & Ryan’s only day off. Ryan wants to work on their rental house so I suggest to Tiffany that she and I go shopping for her dress for a Christmas party. We left after 10 and went first to the stables to check on the horses. They were already fed so we just gave them some petting and Tiffany enjoyed hugging on Jur. Then we drove to the mall. I have not been in a mall for almost a year! Things have not changed much. It was not badly packed so it was rather enjoyable. Then we went to some other stores and I bought coffee, candy, and some picture frames. Tiffany found items for her client’s gift baskets. We also went to Wal-Mart for the groceries I needed for the lasagna dinner that night and a few things I wanted for The Trip. We finished the day of shopping at Bayou Country Store. Though we did not find a patch, I did find alligator jerky and some chili chips! We then went to the rental house so I could see it and we both could see our husbands. The house is a two bedroom, one bath with a huge yard. The repairs are nearly done. It is nicely painted and Ralph and Ryan are putting in the trim today. Tiffany and I took Gizmo and went home. By now the rain that had threatened all day was hard and steady. Not being sure the rain was going to let up I decided to unload the groceries so I could start putting the Lasagna together. I’m glad I did because it took the rest of the afternoon to get the dinner made (including a salad). The guys walked in the door at 6. Ralph went straight to our room and greeted Gizmo. Apparently he left the door cracked ‘cause the next thing we knew Gizmo was being jumped by all three boxers. I reached down from my perch at the breakfast bar and grabbed his collar and lifted him straight up. Tiffany jumped on Sadie and dragged her away calling to Strider and Bitsy. They obeyed and went. Gizmo was fine as they had not bit just intimidated. Ed and Bonnie arrived a few minutes later. The six of us enjoyed the dinner together and when it came time for dessert I suggested I show the pictures of our Trip at the same time. After a great evening, we hugged goodnight and goodbye.

We had most the morning with Tiffany as she was back from the gym when I got up at 7:30 but Ryan was already gone to work. We started packing up. It had been lovely to have a full bathroom (one of the only things we miss about our house) and a bed in a house. I put her sheets and towels in the wash. After Ralph got the truck and trailer ready he played with the boxers in the backyard. We said our goodbyes and had lots of hugs before we waved goodbye and got on the road. It was 9:15. We drove over to the stables to get the horses. Ralph went to collect the buckets while I went to pay the bill. I was glad to get my horses and go as the manager tried to charge me another $5/day. We got on I-10 for a short time and picked up I-59N. We had some drizzle on the drive and the temperature hovered around 58 degrees outside. We crossed into Alabama and stopped to fill up with diesel and Ralph made turkey sandwiches. We are starting to see a lot of Georgia license plates again. Wow, we are almost home. We could keep driving and be home. We pass the Talladega Speedway, the largest oval track in the Nextel Cup Series which is empty this day. The leaves on the trees are changing here and some are still very pretty in their colors. But it was getting dark as we entered Heflin, AL. We both saw Marie’s BBQ House and agreed to eat there. Not that we did not have enough food in the frig. After we ate we drove out Hwy 78E to find our camp in the Talladega National Forest. We drove 16+ miles and found it without too much problem. The temperature was dropping and expected to be in the low forties overnight. We set up the high line and unloaded the horses and then gave them hay, water, and their feed. I got out their blankets to cover them. I was inside the camper when Ralph asked me to step outside for a moment. He had a scared and skinny white hound dog with him. He said it timidly approached him. The hound was obviously lost and hungry so we gave her Gizmo’s food. She wolved it down and when Ralph went to get more I slowed him down. She would need a little at a time so as not to get sick and vomit it all up. So we set her up in the back of the trailer with a rug on the shavings, a bucket of water, and plans to feed her every hour for a couple of more feedings. I sewed a couple of patches on my jean jacket and we were both in bed at 9:30.

Even with that early night I did not wake up fully until 9 o’clock! And I still felt like I could have slept some more. But it was cold (about 60) in the camper and a cold morning so I was not in a hurry to get up. The humidity of the South was seeping into the bones. But I wanted to ride. We put on layers of clothes and saddled up the horses. I took the hound for a walk and Gizmo and met her for the first time nose to nose. Gizmo was fine with her, as he is with most dogs he meets. He is just the nicest guy. She was less sure about him and really pulled on the lead. She dragged me around for awhile and then started easing up. We put her back in the box of the trailer while we went riding and she seemed to prefer to stay there now. We had an enjoyable ride through the woods still in Fall colors. We even stopped and set up the camera at one point after we realized this was the 31^st anniversary of our wedding. After putting the saddles away, Ralph got the Honda generator going and I went in and made soup for our lunch. It had warmed up enough for us to sit in our lounge chairs and Ralph napped and I wrote in my journal. When it got too cold around three, we went into the trailer. Before dark we walked the hound which we have named Talle. She is less timid and doing better all around. Ralph fed the horses and I put their blankets on for the night.

In the morning Ralph turned on the generator to make coffee and turn on the heat. It was almost too hot but it sure was nice to get dressed in comfort. He walked Talle and Gizmo joined them. Talle is doing better but still wolfing down her food. She would travel in the back seat area of the truck. We were ready to leave at about 9 and started the drive out. We posted “Found Dog” flyers on the way out. The drive back was easy, no traffic. We hit Atlanta at a great time and drove right through downtown passing the historic capitol building with its gold dome gleaming. When we got to Dawsonville we made a jog to Dana “Vet” Allen at Dawson Forest Animal Hospital. A friend and a veterinarian, it was great to see her again and we had a pleasant visit sharing a bit about The Trip. She scanned Talle for a microchip (none) and checked the horses so I can get another health certificate to continue The Trip. We got home after 3 and found everything great. The pasture is in thick grass despite the drought due to Phil H.‘s great care. The horses got out of the trailer and raced around the field kicking up their heels for a good fifteen minutes. Do you think they were happy? Another neighbor, Carol M. cared for my many potted plants and our wild cat. I can hardly believe she kept so many of the plants alive and in great shape. They really liked her green thumb. We started unloading what we will not need to continue. Ralph immediately started raking the leaves to get the black walnuts out from underfoot. Gizmo helped. It felt like we’d been gone a few days! Except for the mail! That was piled up and took two days to go through. And two days later we were gone again!