OK I Know I Have Been A Bad Blogger...

...but seriously, am I being punished by receiving NO comments????? I have just been incredibly busy, but I try to catch up within a week...

Another One Bites The Dust!

Breeding season, that is... with temperatures climbing, I did some moving around today {after a lovely ride at the White Tanks!} including separating the two zebu bulls, as it has been recommended to me in order to get them more friendly...

Foaling season, however, is NOT complete, as I am STILL waiting on Ellie Mae, whose due date was no later than April 24... {sigh}

Chaparral Day Two

Sunday's ride was just as gorgeous... this time Sabrina and Savannah did the 25-mile ride with us while Jersey rested from her long Saturday. AND I remembered I could do movies so we have a few of those...

Rode with a gal from Vegas and her mustang for a little while, what a gorgeous horse!

Brenda and Patch, bringing up the rear...

Such a beautiful trail
Sabrina and Savannah leading us down the trail

Then we came to THIS
Can't really see the rocks I was looking at but I love how this shot turned out...

This was the most awesome trail... come along with us for a few minutes...
Jacked this shot of us crossing the creek from Brenda

Sometimes we couldn't even see the trail until we were right on top of it...

Indulging my fascination with dead tree branches against the sky...

Do you see what I see?

Yup it's a lil prickly pear, growing right out of the rock!

In the wash, by this time we are almost back and the horses are tired and the last thing they want to walk in is sand!!!

We finished in good time and packed up to head home, unfortunately didn't get to stay for awards as we had a long drive ahead of us...

AND I didn't do this on Friday on the way in, so I made sure to do it on the way out... even though I've already done it once, I find myself wondering if the itty bitty truck is going to fit!!

In fact I would have loved to jump out and take a picture of the truck inside, but I don't think I could have gotten the door open enough to get out! Look in the mirror, not much room!!!

Whew made it!

Got home just before dark so I got everyone fed and HIT THE SHOWER boy did THAT feel good... and had me some puppy time, since we camped on a private ranch and they requested no dogs in camp, this is the first time Sherman and Rocket have not come along, I missed them SO MUCH!!!

Chaparral Endurance Ride in Skull Valley

For years it has been a dream of mine to move to Skull Valley someday, based solely on what I can see from the highway driving through on my way to Prescott countless times... well this weekend, actually spending time in and riding this area has solidified that dream! What an incredible area...

The ranch where we camped:

Our camp:

Saturday, Sabrina did 50 miles on Jersey, and Brenda and I did 30 miles on Patch and Glory.
Shirley got us right before we headed out...







Shirley caught us as we came into...

The vet check - and LUNCH!






Lovely green trees mean a creek!

and, back to base camp!

Shirley caught us coming in...

This is getting quite long so I'll blog today's ride tomorrow :)

Off I Go Again...

This time it is the brand new Chaparral endurance ride in Skull Valley, a two-day ride. Glory has done two days twice now, but at three-day rides with a break day in between when I rode Katie. Since this is only a two-day ride, I am just taking Glory, and we will see how she does with two days in a row and no break... because although this time last year I thought "those people" were CRAZY, I am now contemplating trying a 50-mile ride in the fall myself... I doubt I will make it a regular thing but I'd like to be able to say, I did that!

A "Cupcake" Update

Last Friday after visiting Winchester, I also stopped by to see Harmony, our "orphan" rescue donkey formerly known as Cupcake. She will be 9 months old on the 26th, wow how time flies!

Um, sweetie, it's kinda hard to take a picture when you are THIS close!


There that's better...


The horses are sure she must be getting something from me that they would like...




I think she might like her new friend McKenzie JUST a little... what do you think?

National Guard Earth Day

What an awesome day, although it got a bit warm toward the end - by the time we got home and unloaded, the minis weren't the only ones needing a nap!

At first it was just the volunteers, families and Guard personnel...





Victor was shy and wouldn't approach the fence right off, but he finally got brave and then it was all over, he is a smart boy and figured out that these hairless, 2-legged creatures are very useful as scratching slaves!!!



And I finally caught him on camera, Nicholas is the only baby I have EVER had that nurses from BEHIND!!! I wonder if it is because his mama is taller than the rest... this blows me away that mama is so patient and allows it...

THEN the school buses arrived and it got really busy!



And then it was off for a walk with volunteer Heather, Ozzie and Emily Ann


Although Emily Ann quickly got stolen by some more eager volunteers


Then she saw this dinosaur and asked me if she could have her picture taken with it...she wasn't scared like this little girl!


The handler told her it was actually a "water monitor"

...and he even tried to give Emily Ann a kiss! Or was he after those pesky flies???


On the way back to the pen Ozzie stopped to admire the helicopter

He wanted to hop in but the step was too high


Victor decided he wanted to see why all the kids were climbing up in that big truck


Liberty Wildlife was there again with several birds including my favorite, Frodo the burrowing owl - SO CUTE!!!!!


Then 4 Guard approached, one I recognized from last year, he had walked Ozzie around and really enjoyed it so he wanted to do it again... he had a friend who agreed to take Emily Ann again, and then I said you need another friend to carry the poop bag and fork... the other 2 guys elbowed each other and said let's get out of here, we aren't scooping poop... so the first 2 guys each took part of the equipment and off they went...



Do you think he will be back next year again?


Ozzie is just SURE that this nice lady has a treat for him... pretty please with sugar on top

One of my AzBCR friends asked me to leave a couple donkeys and bring her back a Guard... and I actually had one in the pen... but he got away :(


And this made me laugh, Heather made her son take a picture of her scooping poop! I think she will be back next year as well...