The couch almost won....

...but it didn't!  I told myself that I was going to go riding in the snow if we got the blizzard they said we would get.  Okay, I am the one calling it a blizzard.  They, whoever 'they' are, are just calling it a lot of snow.  Early that morning it was cold and I thought I would wait a while before going out...so I stayed on the couch.  That warm cushy couch almost won...ALMOST!  I made myself get up and go get Tripp.  I know me, and I would have been mad at myself if I would not have just sucked it up and got out there!  I wish I could put the fresh smell and the feeling of the atmosphere in a photo....the pictures really don't do it justice.


What luck!  Here comes Tripp around the corner....







It is a heavy wet snow, and all the horses are carrying their snow blanket with them.  Luckily it shakes off pretty easily.  





Walking Tripp through the yard....me trying to convince him that we are going to have sooooo much fun!  Hee hee!






Look!  The truck has a snow-hawk!





See ya!




This is going down our road, and as I approached the corner the snow was drifting pretty bad from the left.  





Around the corner the snow was drifted even more, and I told myself DO NOT STOP!  KEEP MOVING!






Whew!  After the drifts things looked much better.  A couple vehicles had been down the road already.
Look a the snow hanging off the trees...isn't it beautiful?





There is a shortcut to goes to the road by the wildlife area.  That is the first time I started to question my judgment.  Nobody had gone down it, and I was nervous enough that taking pictures was out of the question!  I just kept saying "Hang on Tripp!"  As you can tell, I made it!  Woo wee!

I was the first one through the parking lot...imagine that!  Ha!






This is the road I turned off to get in the parking lot.  I still can't get over how pretty it was!

















Trust me Tripp!  We are going to have so much fun!


















The snow and sleet kept coming down, and it picked up the pace a bit.  Woo hoo!  The saddle started getting covered pretty quick.....

















I had my bib coveralls on, but still didn't want to sit in snow, so I threw the bareback pad over the saddle while I finished getting ready.


















In a matter of minutes it was covered too.  Look at Tripp sporting his new frosted bangs!  :-)

    

Time for a self portrait!






The rest of these are going to be in random order...not that anyone will know but me.  Ha ha!  My biggest challenge was keeping the camera lens cleaned off.  The footing was great, which I was grateful for. 



The first part of the trail...and judging by the scenery I knew this was going to be a great ride!





There were times the wind was blowing like crazy and the snow was coming down thick...I started to get disoriented.  I have ridden these trails many times, and I still found myself a bit dizzy.  No wonder people get lost in blizzards.
















This picture tickled my funny bone...the little frosty cedar tree reminded me of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree.  I love it!

Look!  Tripp is an Appaloosa!
Some of the limbs were heavy with snow so we ended up with a lot of stuff falling on us as we ducked under them and pushed our way through.

One of the many fallen trees someone started to cut...

This is the big tree that Tripp joked about being able to go under.

I was so happy the creeks were not frozen over.  Tripp never did get comfy with going across ice...even when it was very thin.  I love the tree reflections in the water.

There are a lot of tall trees that are fallen over and being held up by other trees.  All it will take is a strong wind to knock them down, and I hope nobody is out here when that happens.

This is one of those pictures I look at and wonder what I was thinking.  Well, let me tell ya.  When I rode by the stump with the hole in it, I thought it looked real cool.  Then I asked Tripp to get closer, and he was not so sure about it.  He just knew something was going to come out and surprise him. 

 Self portrait time!  I was hoping to find someone joy riding up and down the snowy roads so they could get a pictures of me on Tripp, but I have a feeling their couches won!  Ha!

Instead of riding the switchback trails in the patch of woods to the left, I decided to take the road to the next spot where I pick up the trail.  With all the snow I did not have to worry about the rocks.






Tripp has never seen the shooting range from this direction....we are usually across the road on the trail.  He is thinking this is the most quiet this place has ever been....

Tripp is not hiding the fact he would have preferred the couch win.  But he will have such great stories to tell his buddies when he gets back!

The vine covered in snow looked neat...like a snow snake.

View through the woods....

Snow on the front of my coveralls and saddle...and I stayed toasty warm.  It is amazing what you can do if you are prepared. 

Where I once was....our tracks are on the rights side of the photo...

Oh Goody!  A creek crossing!  They are not big, but they are effective.  A place to wet the whistle for Tripp and an obstacle to practice...

What?  Another creek?  Okay, it is a premie creek...guess I will do it.  This is at the end of the short loop and it goes back into the woods.






We just came out of the bottom of the short loop and are on our way up the hill....our tracks are following us.

Blowing snow...and where are we again?  :-)

OH!  This tree is snow free in a previous blog entry!

Making our way to the end of the short loop...right before the creek crossing.

Tripp:  "Did you see that?  They were everywhere!"  (Deer running through the woods...you could see them from one hillside to another...it was awesome!)

The side of this tree looks like it was stripped smooth with a big blade of some kind.  The grain of the wood really stood out in the snow.

Another tree fell on the trail.  Tripp would rather trail blaze, so he gets excited when we have to go around something like this.

Almost white out conditions...

Tripp deserves a break today...he has been awesome and it is not easy walking in all that snow.

Tripp:  "Ummmm, I think it is that way."

Tripp:  "Hmmmm, no, it is THAT way!"

Tripp:  "I know it isn't that way!  Nicker snort!"

Tripp:  "Yep, I picked up the scent...it is THIS way!"

Thank you for sharing our ride with us!  Come back!  Ya hear?

I was out for 3 hours; my fingers and toes did get cold that last hour, but it was worth being out there.  I have ridden in the snow before, but nothing like this. 

Why did I doing this?  Heck, I don't know...so I don't have any regrets?  So I can look back and say "Wow, I did that and I am so glad I did!"?  I can't say it is on my Bucket List, because I don't have a Bucket List.  In my world buckets are used for carrying things in them, and for flipping them over and using them as a mounting block.  Ha ha!  I just know that I am 47 years old and I don't want to live vicariously through others all the time.  So I have been making myself get out there.  Sure, there are some things I can't do yet for one reason or another, but it doesn't mean it won't happen.  And it gives me something to look forward to. 

Thanks for checking out our adventures and reading my babble at the end.....I am so blessed to be able to do things like this.  Thank you God!

Until later....Karen and Tripp who thinks I got a little wordy there at the end... ;-)

Over a month since I logged miles for the Distance Derby!

Dang!  I have not logged any miles for the Distance Derby since February 17th!  The short ride up and down the road was a day the GPS on the phone did not work.  It felt so good to be out!  It was very peaceful, the wildlife was abundant, and there was a light rain most of the ride.

Come check out the trail with us!!!





I can already see some changes....






Tripp:  "Hey Girl, this can't be good.  Whatever pulled those branches off the tree had to be BIG!!!!  I hope it doesn't want to eat a mustang!  Maybe it will like The Girl instead....nicker snort snort!"






Tripp:  "Oh no...another one!  Maybe something is hiding in there!  Yes!  It is a monster blanket!  Just kidding...I am not afraid...hmmm hmmmm....."





Tripp:  "Hold on Girl!  We are going to jump this!  Nicker Snort!  Just kidding!"

Tripp:  "Look Girl, a Super Duper Size Back Scratcher!"

Tripp:  "If I walk by this enough it will knock the mud off my legs."

Tripp:  "Whoa!  No, not me!  Whatever split that thing right down the middle!  A bit harsh, don't ya think?"

Tripp:  "Almost home.  What a ride!  There sure was a lot of damage from the two blizzards we had.  I am glad we were not out here.  We could have been hit in the head by one of those things!"

Sometimes pictures just sneak in the blog....like Thomas wanting to pounce the guineas.




















Not many pictures because I was having camera problems.  There were a lot of trees and branches down from the storms.  I thought it was fun to ride around them so part of me was hoping they would leave them there a while.

This was a short ride, but a good one.  But then again, aren't they all good?  :-)

Until later...Karen and Tripp who had fun riding around the fallen stuff.

Zephyr has been home a week...

March 23, 2013.  It is a Friday and another big snow is in the forecast for Saturday.  The plan was to go to the Midwest Mustang & Burro Saddle Club meeting in Topeka, then pick up Zephyr on the way back.  The meeting was cancelled and Brian didn't want to get snowed out of picking up his new girlfriend, so he made plans to pick her up Friday the 23rd after work.  I had a chance to work overtime so had to take it...I missed out on the fun!  Argh!

Chris and Phil are the ones who had Zeph at their place, and their son Kenny took a few pictures.  THANK YOU KENNY!!!!  AND THANK YOU CHRIS AND PHIL FOR SENDING THEM!!!!  :-)

Zeph is saying "Bye bye" to Chris and Phil.  She says it is nothing personal....she is just in love with this new human and she has to follow her heart.

Zeph gives Brian a hug to put his mind at ease.  She is sure he has to be nervous over such a big commitment.  ;-)

"Homeward bound!"

When Brian got home he got in touch with his "Karen Side" and took a few self portraits.  When I saw these pictures I had to laugh out loud!  He looks like he is having fun, and she is happy he is having fun!  Ha ha!

Look at the front of his dark hoodie!  Zephyr is shedding like crazy!  Our gray horses have always shedded earlier than the  others, but this girl is out of control.  We don't brush her too much just in case she needs the extra hair later....

Zeph is tired of the bright flash....Brian can't stop smiling!

I got to work Saturday morning too, so Brian went out to visit with his other girlfriend and to let the birds out of the pen.  Zeph was not at all impressed with Pimp Daddy the tom turkey.  Brian said she made faces and charged the pen.  Yeah, Pimp Daddy really cares.

Then they all came out....and she made faces at him up close and personal.

And he showed her that a Zephyr Rose can't shake the Pimp Daddy!
She lost interest...

Zeph:  "Oh my gosh, really?  Nobody told me I was going to have to live in mud a while, and nobody said I had to share my meals."





Zeph:  "Okay, it is mumble and grumble about it and let the chickens eat everything themselves, or I can put on my "Oh yay, I get to share my meal with chickens" face and eat."  

Zeph:  "Mmmmm, Nummmm, Gooodddd.....stupid chickens!"

Red:  "Hubba hubba!  Check out the new girl!  I like the wild ones!"

Red:  "Yep, love those fat bottom girls!"

Zeph:  "Oh geez....give it a break, okay?  I am not a fat bottom girl.  I am big boned!"

Zeph:  "But really...look at me...I totally see what he sees in me."  :-)

And this is what we ended up with Saturday night!  The storm came through a bit later then we thought it would, but it sure did deliver!  March 24th....another blizzard!
Other than putting out round bales, Brian did not come out very often in the snow.  I was all full of joy and yelling out how pretty it was, and he was like "yeah, whatever."  Ha ha!  Look at him now!  This is even the morning!

Brian spends some time with her, and walks away....

Zeph:  "Ummmm, hellooooooo.....boyfriend!  Where are you going?"

Zeph:  "Maybe if I move a bit closer...he will notice me."

Zeph:  "Sometimes they are not too bright...this two legged species....I will just go remind him who is the #1 girl horse in his world!"

Zeph:  "I said #1 girl HORSE....not #1 GIRL!  Geez....that other two legged one that the black wild one calls 'The Girl' sure is touchy.  Hmpf snort!"

Zeph:  "Hey, Boy, come back here.  I still have some itchy spots that need to be attended to."

At the end of the day everyone was covered in snow....and it was meal time. 

Zeph has settled in quite nicely.  At feeding time she is pushy, but is learning not to snake around to try and sneak her way to the feed pan.  She can wait politely.  Sometimes she forgets but she is doing so much better.  Once we get some solid ground to move around on, she will start going to work.  In the meantime we go out and struggle to move around in the mud, and we use her as a railing to hold on to.  A couple times she was not so keen on that idea, but all in all she handles it well.  All the flailing around we can do around her will do nothing but help her not worry about silly things later.

Until later...Karen and Tripp who says she makes faces because she is playing hard to get!  ;-)