Happy Fathers Day

I almost lost my daddy today...He still isn't out of the woods yet.
My dad taught me math...biology...geometry...algebra...
Every time I would move up a grade in school it seemed like he got another degree of his own.
He made me work
I hated him LOTS of times
But he taught me to love the fields
To look up at the stars
To love mosses, lichens, birds and trees...
Yep, I almost lost him today...that "Ole Goat"
82-severely dehydrated/pneumonia after working out in his garden in humid heat of N.C on Fathers Day.
I sent him this video that I made for him -thankfully he viewed it while still lucid.  A Cousin hopefully got him to the hospital in time.  It is hard to live 2800 miles from him-cant get there quick enough!

Appropriate Titles?

(Endurance)
I started this blog back in May of 08 in high hopes of doing Limited Distance and maybe even some 50 mile rides.  I felt that major adrenaline rush of being in a race.  It was an awesome experience and on the 2nd ride we placed in the middle of the pack.

(BUSTED)
Falcon and I made it through 2 LD's without major mishap the following fall.  The following spring I fell off of him when we were stung with a spray of gravel (and he spooked) from a stupid truck driver.
I broke three ribs and laid around feeling sorry for myself, found a new job and moved to CA from VA.

A few years later Falcon made it out here...but our story has remained BUSTED.  I don't feel the need to do endurance or LD's anymore, but I DO want to ride.
My last bump off of Falcon a few weeks ago resulted in a very sore and bruised body.  The doc initially said no fractures, but my BUTT has remained very sore on the right with continued muscle lock ups in my right leg while driving or sitting for lengthy periods.  Interestingly enough I can hike and walk about just fine.

Now I have just found out that further review of the X-rays explains my "pain in the butt"  a hairline fracture in my right lower pelvis.

There is nothing to do for pelvis fractures really.  If they are bad enough you get to lay in bed for a number of weeks.  Mine is hairline so I can keep moving, but riding would not be an ideal thing to do.

I have been hiking and working on the elliptical and started working on my core and arm strength again-the ever raging battle against AGING!

Hopefully, if I ever get to sit on my ponies again, I will be able to STAY ON!

I Can't Ride

It has been two weeks and my left side is still torn up and painful.  I am setting a goal to ride next week end at some point-even if it is to just walk around the arena.
In the meantime I can hike.  Yesterday we parked at the lower staging area on Lomida and hiked 6 miles-the trail that I like to ride on and the one that I doubt I will ever ride on again:

Flowers are still blooming and Bees a-buzzing

The metal heap by the side of the trail is overgrown with grass

The yellow version of poppies are now blooming

 A challenging area of the trail which Falcon has actually maneuvered beautifully

The Folsom Lake at the end of the rocky trail

The trail (Pioneer Express Trail) where Falcon spooked and dumped me

Actually he dumped me after we got out of the below chute.

The picture does not demonstrate how narrow this trail is

 This portion of trail is really only wide enough for a horse.

My leg scraped on one of the walls/root and managed to terrify Falcon

 The lake was beautiful in the early evening

 The M.G. did not believe that I knew where I was going and tried to head 

for the Sterling Point staging area.  He was suspicious when I headed in the opposite direction

towards Barking Dog trail (or whatever it is called)

But I knew where I was going!

M RIGHT!  ha ha

Afterwards we drove over and fed the "Ponies some snacks"

"Hey Freeman-get away from my snack girl!"

"You gotta apple for me?"

"Nevel-you don't deserve one!"

Escaping the Heat and Depression

It was quite miserably hot this past weekend.  My partially de-gloved finger was stinging like hell fire
Maybe I will remember to wear gloves if I ever ride again!
(this might be a gross pic for some of you! But I have pretty flowers at the end of the post!)

I felt ill Friday and Saturday-and perched on an icepack all of Saturday.  I could barely move and the pain in my left back was tempered only with ibuprofen.
X-rays said I wasn't broken-but a week out and feeling worse?

In the evening the SO and I went over and fed the ponies some carrots and apples.  The flies were attacking them and we walked Falcon up to the barn for a good dosing of fly spray.  Amazingly I felt fine while walking.  Sitting was my downfall.  I brought the spray back to the pasture with us and gave Nevel a good dose as well.

On Sunday I really needed a break and something to take my mind away from my continued horsey depression drama.

Point Reyes National Seashore was the answer-a 35 degree temperature difference too-on the cool and windy side-WOW what a difference from home!  It was mostly foggy-but the air was fresh!

Douglas Iris claimed the hillsides

 Seals and their pups claimed the Sand

 and

A few gulls claimed the Surf.

 Handsome Elk grazed on the cliffs above Drakes Bay

 The old boat still clings on in fragile repose in Inverness

 The heady perfumed scent of thousands of yellow bush lupine superseded the salty ocean air

 and gazillions of other spring flowers could be found everywhere!

Ice Plant

Silly Snotty Seals

Mr Handsome

Pretty in Pink

Walking on the Edge

I Love Point Reyes!

The Heavens Proclaim His Glory

Limping Along

Blah, don't think I will ride this weekend.
I haven't even been out to visit the "brats" all week.
The bruises on my left side have turned a darker purple-but are threatening to lighten up.
I am limping along-but fortunately no broken bones
Getting in and out of the car is difficult, so I can't see myself clambering up on a "pony"

Does anyone have a big roll of bubble wrap to wrap me in before my next ride?  : )

Greased Watermelon

Did you ever play that game in the pool when you were a kid...

Where they greased a watermelon

and your team had to try  to be the first one to get it out of the pool in one piece?

Ok, so moving on  I had all types of titles thought up for this blog

Like

"Beaten and Bruised"

"Purple and Green"

That sort of thing

So here is the Purple and Green because 

I can't or won't show you my back and hip and butt and left thigh.

The flowers near the arena sure are beautiful aren't they? 

 Flight of ideas you say?

Well, it was a GORGEOUS day for a ride!

Falcon and I met our friends Martha/Reuben and Kim/Cruise

And we headed for Lake Folsom.

We had some minor issues.

Falcon handled a flock of Turkeys beautifully.

Then proceeded through all of the narrow "gates" to "barking dog" trail except the next to the last one where all of the horses refused and backed

refused and backed

Falcon got brave and rushed through

Then

Martha's young horse's butt bumped in to Falcon's butt while I was tightening the cinch

Falcon spooked...dummy...I circled him and proceeded.

But BUTT BUT it WAS a beautiful day at the lake!

We were having a lovely ride-yes we were.

Then Falcon Spooked when Cruise step on a fat branch that snap/crackled and popped.

I went off like a greased watermelon-shooting in to grass and weeds.

Falcon trotted on up the trail then stopped when no one followed.

I was able to catch him and re-mount

We rode further-uneventfully.

The lower trail was covered in water, so we took the higher trail and had to pass through a very very narrow area with walls of dirt up to the horses bellies on either side.

We were almost out of that chute when my phone case on my leg scraped the dirt wall and Falcon bolted -ramming right in to Cruise then he attempted to scramble up a steep embankment.

I tried to bring him around-it was a nightmare-I could see a pretty steep drop off to the lake on the other side of me.  Maybe trees would have caught me, I don't remember.  I only remember seeing Cruise's red legs.

I was physically stunned.  That fall had hurt badly!

The other Kim was yelling out to Martha that she couldn't hold Cruise.  I drug myself up into an upright position and told her to go on with Martha-I was all right.

Falcon somehow got past both Cruise and Reuben and once again took off up the trail.

Trotting just fast enough not to be caught.

I started walking...and walking and walking...but lost sight of them quickly.

By now Falcon would be on trails that he recognized and would be heading for home.  BLAH!

I called T and asked if someone could drive to the parking area in case he showed up there and to block him from crossing Lomida.

Then I saw 6 horses in the meadow far away and called T back to release her from the parking area.

They had Falcon and brought him to me.

I attempted to remount, but Falcon kept moving, so I kept him circling until he stood still.

I was so sore I could barely climb aboard.

We looped around the Meadow and then headed up Sewer road just as relaxed as could be

 when suddenly 

He DANCED-PRANCED, bucked and bucked.

I was so off balance and my friends said my arms were up and out

no doubt that caused him to then rear.

Off he went again-this time to the trail on the left.

I sent Martha and Kim up sewer road to hopefully cut him off as he headed to the home trail.

I walked

and I walked

and I walked.

I found him in the parking area munching on grass.

He nickered and walked over to me..."mom, where are my snacks?"

I was so sore-I had walked probably 4 of the 5.7 mile "ride"

After I hosed him off I notice two "welts" on his leg and belly-

I am hoping that explains my last "greased" flight-maybe he was stung by some bees????

Also, my new irrideons felt like they were greased-I had no "sticking power" with them on!

I had cursed at him and decided I was DONE with him.  

At home, I sat in the shower and cried

He and I were doing so well.  What happened this weekend?

Saturday it was the TURKEY-but I also had a stomach bug and was hot and dizzy

Not a good recipe for riding alone!

Sunday I was already sore from my Saturday fall and with each fall I got more and more battered and bruised.

I am too damn stubborn for my own good!  I should have just walked him home after the 2nd fall.

Instead now I sit

Please don't ask me to get up!

But I will quit this epistle and maybe someone (not Falcon) will knock some sense into my head!