Bye Bye San Diego :(

We hung around until checkout time at the campground, took our time breaking camp and chatting with the few people who did NOT leave at the crack of dawn... another LONG LONG drive, this time it seemed to take a lot longer. We didn't get home till pretty late and I am thankful that I took tomorrow off work too!

San Diego Day 4

Today's ride was out from the campground in the opposite direction from where we went Thursday morning. We went pretty much "through town" although we were skirting their huge park.
Someone worked HARD on this part of the trail, check out those rocks!


Stopping for lunch at the Jack-In-The-Box drive through

Checking the menu...

Katie thinks she would like a Pomegranate Berry Smoothie!

This trail had everything! Bridges, water, people walking, biking, running, puyshing strollers and walking dogs - and we even came upon several other horse people!
Going THROUGH a tree...

Water crossings...

Just some shots along the trail...





I am loving this!

Pretty Katie...

Along the golf course


I've got a couple of videos to add to this post too so be sure to check back.
'Twas a long ride so afterwards I relaxed with my boys - they were so happy to see us! We left them in camp since today's ride was through the city...

San Diego Day 3

Today is a trip to the beach with the rest of the group. Of course since we had been the day before, we had a leg up on the rest of them - our horses pretty much went right in! But we had a blast watching the others figure things out.

Judy even surfed with her mare!

Pretty paint!

I took some videos too:

Me and Luna, Andria and Katie


Luna and the pelicans - hang on to your chair for this one!


Later we went into San Diego for dinner at Anthony's... YUM!

San Diego Day 2

Here we go, PICTURES!

First a few from our morning ride out from the campground...
Thanks to my friend Vicki for grabbing this nice shot of all 4 of us with the lake in the background... That's me with my dorky helmet on Luna, Andria on Katie, Lindsey on Thorn and Hilary on Destiny

It was so fun to have BOTH my boys along for the ride... even if I don't quite trust Luna to carry them yet. Andria took Rocket because Katie's had the most practice, and Lindsey took Sherman because Thorn's done it before once with no problem. The problem this time was that it wasn't ME riding Thorn so Sherman kept looking for his mama!

And this was Rocket's FIRST ride - look how relaxed he is!

As Toni (our trainer) suggested, I occasionally take Luna off to the side of a trail ride group, working on teaching her to go where I ask no matter where the rest of the horses are. I LOVE the zoom on Andria's camera... I was pretty far off!

Sherman and Rocket were both exhausted after their ride

Back at camp we had lunch and then headed off for the beach!
Look what we found on the way to the beach! I got my donkey fix ;)

Hey, what's that ahead?

Getting closer... and all ears focused on that movement and noise!

From Andria's camera on board Katie - she is really studying that surf. Can you read those ears? In case you can't, I will translate: "WHAT THE HECK?????"

And Thorn agrees!

Scaring the sh*t out Katie lol

Thorn checking out that surf... after this picture I put the camera away in preparation for trying to get Luna in the water. And of course right then, a big wave came, Katie backed up so fast she SAT DOWN in the sand and couldn't get up with both girls aboard, we were all laughing so hard and they had to get off so she could get up. Actually that worked out well because with the girls on foot, the horses were more inclined to follow them into the water... but oh how I wish I had more than a mental picture of Katie's "sit"!

Still thinking about this...

But Thorn is willing to trust Lindsey - pity the poor fool, he ended up in the farthest - even had one wave break over his back and reach up to Lindsey's neck!

Luna still watching... Thorn and Katie were fairly easy once they got their feet wet.

Destiny, however, says "NO WAY!"

A smack on the butt isn't working...

Kicking isn't working either... see that tail swishing?

So Hilary got off but Destiny still says "NO WAY!"

The secret - trade the bridle for Thorn's halter and get her close when the wave was out, and HANG ON when the wave comes in!

Hilary refused to give up and give in and her perseverance pays off!

Luna heading in, I'm so proud of my little girl!

Once they got their feet wet, we were pretty much good to go!

Moving out!

My Luna earcam of the surf... a dream come true!
What an awesome day! Can't wait to come back tomorrow with the rest of the group!

San Diego Day 1

Up in the dark to feed those staying behind, load the coolers and the horses and meet up with the caravan... the youn'uns in the back seat were lucky.



LONG LONG drive but driving along with friends was fun! However that last LOOOOOONG hill did us in, my truck just doesn't go fast up hill with my big trailer - and in our defense, we had twice as much horse weight as anybody else! (Who am I kidding, the truck won't pull up hill with ONE horse...)

Anyway we were no longer following anyone once we got to San Diego, and when I called someone about which exit to take, of course we had just PASSED it... but we eventually found the place and what a nice campground! Got a little settled and went for a short ride, lots of new and different things including a bridge under a bridge (can you imagine the echo!) and Luna did great!

Can't wait to hit the beach tomorrow...

And We're Off!

Bright and early tomorrow morning anyway... San Diego here we come!!!

As for today, I took off work at noon, met the girls for lunch and then we went and got a portrait taken, first one we've done about 9 years, that was fun! And of course we couldn't handle the "basic" package and ended up spending way too much... but we don't get to do this very often! Then the younger girls had to go off to dad's for dinner so Andria and I went grocery shopping for the trip, home to feed and then it was off to Macayo's YUM...

Andria is here!!!

Although I haven't seen her yet darn it. Lindsey got the privilege of picking up her sister at the airport and she took Andria back out to Queen Creek to see "her" place. I have to wait until tomorrow to see my girl...

BUT SHE'S HERE!!!!!

And, today I sold both the puppy and the last donkey foal :) and I really like both people!