Howdy Y’all! Sorry, I wasn’t able to keep a very good
update going here on my blog. Our journey was cut short at the beginning when
Jake, our pack mule, got a bad cinch burn behind his front leg.
We made it roughly only 40 miles away from home. We camped
by the Amite river for 4 nights and 3 days. Then decided it would be in the
best interest of our equine to trailer them back home and allow them to rest
and for Jake some healing time in their pasture. So Bobby, my husband, caught a
ride back to the house and my grandson and I stayed with the horses at the
river. Bobby returned shortly with the truck and horse trailer. We loaded the
horses and mule into the trailer and returned back home.
We doctored Jake’s boo-boo’s and turned out our horses
back into their pasture. Since we had already unloaded everything from the
horses and into our truck we decided to drive on and do some primitive camping
for a while. We wound up visiting
relatives in Texas and then on to Murfreesboro, Arkansas and to the Crater of
Diamond State Park. We had a truly wonderful, memorable summer, despite the
extreme heat and humidity.
We are regrouping and planning on heading out on another
journey. Our grandson, Mikey, won’t be coming along this time with us. I am
sure going to miss him not being with us and a part of our upcoming journey, as
I already miss him any ways. He really knew how to cowboy up! Mikey has left me
with many cherished and blessed memories from our short journey and summer
camping. I hope to have implanted the same into him. His new goal is to learn
to train horses and to one day own a horse farm.
We’re hoping to be able to leave out the first part of
Oct., 2012. The temps should start dropping around then, and become more bearable
and comfortable for the horses and on us too. Bobby has a covered wagon now and
he plans on driving it on this journey. He wants to do a little modifying to
the wagon and it needs the canvas cover over the top. I will still be riding the
journey on my horse, Flicka, and plan on staying the nights in the wagon.
Taking a covered wagon we will now be able to bring along feed and water for
the horses and have less to worry about where to fulfill those needs along the
way. Also, we will be able to carry some cool drinks along for us. Keeping a
drink cool was just impossible, as we discovered from our last experience.
I will be trying my best to keep updates to my blog this
time. It was extremely difficult to find any wifi service at all in many of the
rural towns as we passed thru. Another difficulty we experienced was keeping
everything charged up. The solar unit we bought and brought for our journey
didn’t work, so we returned it for a refund when we brought our horses back to
their pasture.
I have this to say, this short riding journey was one of
the best times I have had in my entire life! Even for just this short bit, it
was everything I had hoped for and then some. It has only left me craving for
more. I believe I have discovered a new lifestyle truly fitting for me. I’m
still considered to be crazy by some folks around here, but until you’ve
experienced it you will never know what you are missing. Since returning back
into our home, in August, I haven’t been the same. The walls and ceiling give
me a feeling of smothering and entrapment.
There is so much of life missing when one is enclosed and stationary,
behind the walls. A wonderful, peaceful bliss seemed to soak into my soul as I
traveled along at 3 mph, 5 ft off the ground, and on the back of the most wonderful
horse I have ever known, hearing and viewing our earth’s with all its
enchantments.
So for now we are busy modifying our wagon, preparing and
for looking forward to another attempt at a journey…..going somewhere USAJ
Take Care my Friends and get out there and live those
dreams!
Giddy-Up
This is Jessie, she plows, she pulls and she rides! Hopefully, she will be ours very soon :)
This is Bobby's covered wagon. Our soon to be home away from home wagon:)
I have been checking your blog every so often wanting to know how it was going!! Glad that even the short trip was wonderful. LOVE the wagon and will be excited to follow your trip in Oct.!!
ReplyDeleteKaren
ps...on my bucket list....ride a mule!