The usual-no Riding : (

I’ve had more issues with my body then I care to disclose...

Numbness in my extremities, dizziness, overall aches and pains...

Is THIS. What happens when you turn 60?

The dizziness was intermittent-although the worst-accompanied by feeling like I was going to pitch forward,  sweating and extreme nausea.  GOOD GRIEF!  Although I rode Nevel once I did not feel balanced enough for Persee....

Then...on October 15th our house flooded-due to housekeeper error.  Our walls were torn out, our cabinets, appliances and furniture all gone.
The dogs enjoyed racing between our 2x4 walls...
We improvised cooking with a Coleman camp stove and the grill until the weather got a bit rainy and nippy...
Insurance company screwed up...no money for months!

And so the days of fall into December wore on..

Limited hiking, no bike or horseback riding...gaining an horrific amount of weight!  Agha
Extremely ill parents...deaths of two very close relatives...horrid home and work conditions...I just wanted 2016. Er....2019 To be over.

The Dogs My only solace

Griffen the Old Wizard

Quincy the Baby Varmit (50/50 German Shepherd Poodle)

Murphy the middle son who gets blamed for everything

2020 arrived while I was asleep.  We had celebrated early with take out from Ruth Chris and champagne 🥂 at our little card table after I got off of work late.

I had hoped to ride-except I was still dizzy...so we took the dogs for a 2 mile walk...then managed a 15 mile bike ride after which my right ear gurgled and popped and suddenly my dizziness went away.
(I had enflamed ears with fluid behind them that last for months!!!)

Back at work I was notified I would be starting work later!  I was soooo mad!
But then I thought about it...when the weather warms I’ll actually be able to ride early before work.
Though it WILL. Be early it’s better than no riding during the week...so we will see...that or I’m sending the horses to Washington State for my Niece and grand niece to borrow for a few years until I retire.

Ive given up on LD & endurance riding.  My body is in a revolt and now I just got bit by a tick and the symptoms are a bulls eye with spreading rash!  They say it is typical of Lymes disease.  I don’t know-but that is the last thing I need.

The pup had numerous ticks and had 3 very enflamed areas as well.

I decided I’m going to retire at 62..that is 2 years away!  I need to be outside most of the time.
I can’t tolerate being surrounded by people daily.
I need to explore the mountains and the valleys more
From sea to shining sea! !

The Madden Method - Blanketing or Not

https://youtu.be/qnDfJ1egi1w


Sent from my iPad

A Short Jaunt

I have not been riding in several months : (
The last time I wanted to go
Both horses were lame!!!
Nevel with an abscess
Persee with a probable strained tendon
From dashing around in mud.
Then I have had multiple health issues this year
Finally the stars aligned
Weather was perfect
I took Nevel for a jaunt in the woods

He was on perfect behavior and we walked, trotted and cantered in the woods and meadow.
Then I saddled up Persee and took him for a hike.
He was a bit nervous on the lane due some loud scraping and banging of movers and he had 3 huge startles so I opted not to ride him.

He was well behaved once in the woods

 We had a nice 2.5 mile jaunt

Once back in the pasture Persee gives the steer “the eye”

The steer doesn’t care and wanders closer.  He is practically a pet. : (

SNAX

Take an empty supplement bucket
Spray paint it with your favorite color of paint
Make sure the paint is designed for plastic

Oops....remove lid and handle prior to painting the bucket.

I used a total of 3 coats of paint (dry thoroughly between applications) before replacing the handle.

Obtain stick on letters and place as you choose

Utilize handle to frame a pic of a pup on a couch..,,😆

I did not paint the underside of my lid.

Take your time and remove labels and adhesives  prior to painting

Label some more and add those tasty pony snax!!!

Something Scary in the Pasture!

Something scary in the pasture!!!

What should we DO???

RUN!  we should RUN!!!  RUN RIGHT!

RUN LEFT!!!

WHAT IS IT??.

A COW!
A FLIPPIN COW!!!
(Try as I might
I couldn’t make this pic
Upright!)

Other hike and hospitalization..

a 4 day camping trip to Mammoth/McGee Creek area provided awesomeness in the flower department, a bear snarfing my stuff at 1 am, a fall (got dizzy and passed out.  The pup Murphy wasn’t much help and I ended up with my left leg completely swollen and bruised for 3 weeks post injury!), and an attempt to find the Crowley lake Columns.
Later I found out that water levels are so high this year from snow melt that the columns are back under water!
I was supposed to Volunteer for Tevis at Foresthill on the 17th...but then...
More recently...like on Friday at work my body was sabotaged with very odd rapid onset of chilling (no fever) extreme muscle aches, high white cell count (that was normal last week)and high heart rate.  That landed me in the ER for 7 hours, CT scan of the abdomen an overnight stay in the hospital, and a short OR procedure.  No cause found for the symptoms.  I have a 14 day heart monitor on.
I’m resting at home today after realizing I wasn’t supposed to drive yesterday (but did, to go feed the ponies snacks)
Maybe by Labor Day weekend I’ll be back riding.  Anyone want to go with me somewhere?
Sorry-below pics are out of order-what do you want from a girl with a concussion-it will keep YOU from being bored.
Tiger Lillies @ Lundy Canyon Beaver Ponds

Murphy and Me selfie

Natural Sand Art @ Crowley Lake

South Tufa @ Mono Lake

Indian Paint Brush and Aspen @ McGee Creek/Canyon

Purple bee balm type flowers with pink Indian paintbrush- McGee Creek Canyon

395 North headed South

Along the trail at Convict Lake

Sunset at the South Tufa-Mono Lake

Painted Rock at Lundy Lake beaver ponds

The Aliens are coming to Mammoth in the form of Lenticular Clouds

Dragon Flies were numerous at Hot Creek

Is there a bear out there?  Murphy peers out of the truck window at sunrise

More Crowley Lake Sand Art

Sunset at Sherwin Creek Campground-Mammoth

South Tufa-Mono Lake

After my fall and before the swelling set in.  13 people at work asked me if I had fallen off of my horse!  THAT would have been a better story than "no, I just turned around at my picnic table, blacked out and fell down!"

Sky McGee Creek Canyon

Crowley Lake sand walls-I looked in a hole and out flew a bird!  YIKES!!!

Hot Creek

More of the beautiful Indian paintbrush

...annnnd more sand art at Crowley Lake

Sunset on the South Tufa-Mono Lake

Lundy Canyon area

Bored and frustrated

Persee and I have had 3 trail rides since the day he came home.
1 with the trainer-4.6 miles walking.
1 with the barn owner 4 miles walking

O
1 alone 4 miles walk and trot.
Persee has some stumbling issues and he didn’t have them before.
His feet were long so I had the horrid shoes pulled - and now haven’t ridden him on trail since ☹️

Another day...
The scoot boots didn’t seem to fit right
It was hot
So I tossed them aside
Rode Persee in the arena for 20 min
Until we were both snorting dust.

I spent some time hiking.
Didn’t read my map correctly and ended up doing
10 miles...
Donner snow park at Boreal on the PCT over to the train tunnels and back.  Flowers were pretty, miniature catfish were fun and friendly, tunnels were cool.  If you haven’t been...go!


ON THE PCT-southbound

FRIENDLY FUN CATFISH in a pond along the way.

One view of the inside of the Donner Train Tunnels.  The light on the right is coming from a hole in the ceiling.

Lovely Pestemon

Lovely Lilac ee flowers

Looking down at the Donner Train Tunnels