Monday, December 29, 2008

The Desert Rose is a Zsa Zsa AGAIN!


Here is the 1st picture of " Lexi" and her Zsa Zsa! Zsa Zsa is the name Toby gave to me when he 1st tried to say Janeau....which was the name I had chosen to be called instead of gramma. I think Zsa Zsa is more fitting!

Will be back to post in a few days!

The Desert Rose!

Friday, December 26, 2008

Please Pardon the Interuption!


Please pardon the posting duites as my Zsa Zsa duites are the piority as of December 25th!
Alexa Jewel
7 lbs 10 0z ~ 20 1/2 inches
Yes...I am a happy Cowgirl!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Desert Snow Day Ride

Today's ride actually has a goal other than just riding. Today we want to go the the SNOW. Never seeing SNOW before, Jesse was not sure that this would be something he would like to do so he searches the hills and then he sees it! Ears forward, head high, this is his "can I go see it " mode.


But I am getting ahead of myself. I am joined today by 2 great riding buddy's, Bossman, and The Doc. (Please see The Desert Rose Buckaroo List for their role in this cowgirls life). We meet at the staging area and unload the horses. While The Doc and I ready our saddlebags and tack, the Bossman is busy tending bar. He soon hands us each a glass goblet with chilled fresh OJ mimosa! Cheers! This has become our ritual. The more riders the less mimosa for us so we tend to keep the group small. Bossman is the group beverage expert, The Desert Rose is the caterer and the Doc............ well we hope we do not need to call upon his expertise! Too soon our glasses are empty ( Bossman will not let us mount till the champagne bottle is empty) and we all use the porta potty for the last time. Mounting up was not as smooth as I had hoped for.....those mimosa's catch up with you. The Boss man laughs and Jesse thinks it's funny when this happens but at least does not laugh out loud. We head to out to the trail head and start our steep switchback accent towards the SNOW! An hour later we have crested the first big hill and now we have an easy gentle climb on towards the SNOW. Soon we have SNOW on our trail and it is not so smooth going. The horses start picking up "snow balls" in their hooves that need to be picked out every so often. Doc rides a mule....know as a "mulette". Her hooves are different shaped and she has the worst time of it. Bossman's mare dropped her snowballs on her own and Jesse does not seem to get them too bad. Luckily the Desert Rose has a hoof pick on her back cinch and the mulette is happy...again... and again.

But look....see the hove prints in the snow....what else
do you see?????? Yes the Bossman pointed these prints to the Doc and he confirmed.... CAT! Not a pussy cat....A BIG CAT! Probably a MT. Lion!




We get to another Crest of the trail and the Bossman says he thinks this is as far as we go. This is the "photo opp" that Jesse and The Desert Rose have been riding for! SNOW SHOT!



Now it's time to start the decent...with a stop for lunch. BLTs with crisp bacon...potato salad...dill pickle...chips...and a chocolate treat all washed down with a chilled white wine served in....of course glass goblets and white linen napkins. Here is our favorite picnic table on this trail!

After lunch we continue to decent to the desert floor at the staging area where The Doc....runs off to an emergency. What I did not include in the ride description was that poor Doc had at least 5 phone calls that were possible emergency's....one proving to be so. Cell reception is difficult in this MT./valley kind of ride....but the Doc's luck was not with him because he kept getting those calls! Even with these interruptions this ride has to move to one of the TOP 3 in Jesse and my rides list!
Missing from today's ride recovering from surgery is The Boy! We hope to have him back on the trail with us soon!
Happy New Year Trails to all!
The Desert Rose and Jesse

Sunday, December 21, 2008

The Desert Rose Rules!

The Desert Rose has her rules! If you choose to READ this bolg you need to be aware that this blog will not be pollitically correct, will be sexually offensive at times tell off colored jokes! I am a Cowgirl and we keep our life savings in the "cuss jar". Some posts will be about yesterday's ride......the next, from 30 years ago. You may see the website for new "Cowgirl Bling" and a description of the item that just came UPS! You will hear about Jesse and his friends (all real names for equines) and my friends (code names for humans) and our family! Most dear to our hearts are the "Pony Cousin's". You will constently hear about their misadventures. You all know the saying about family............you can pick your friends....well if I could pick my family (cousin's) I may have bolted if I had only known what I know now! I do fully take the blame for the horse bug they seem to have caught while visiting Jesse and me in the desert a few years ago!

And......what can I say about the grand babies! This is Toby's first

"pony ride" at 6 months! By the end of 2009 I will have 10 grandchildren ( the oldest is 17) with 2 filly's on the way for sure! Some of them may grow up to be "Cowpokes" but all of them will learn the value of the horse and how special it is to be a part of their lives.




Toby at 2 1/2 yrs!







The Desert Rose feles so lucky to be living the "Cowgirl" life and so very blessed with her life with her husband, cats (Oliver and Suzy Q) and of course Jesse! 5 wonderful children and soon to be a total of 10 grandchildren!




Friday, December 19, 2008

The Desert Rose is a Cowgirl!

The Desert Rose is a Cowgirl. What can I say to anyone that is not
a Cowgirl. They can simply not understand how it feels to smell
your horse, to touch him, or to kiss his sweet muzzle. This is a bond
between horse and his girl/boy (in the future I will only say girl...
not to belittle any boys out there) and no one or thing can exsist
within this circle of love and trust other than the Sacred 2. The code of a Cowgirl is to ride with the wind in her hair, her horses tail flying in the dust behind them while safely, traveling the many happy trails they are fortunate
enough to ride. I must repeat.....safely. To ride safely means you must trust your horse and he must trust you. This trust does not come with your fist ride together, or your 2nd or your 3rd. This trust can take as long as it takes. I am not a trainer nor do I profess to have proficient skills in riding horses. What I do have is a keen sense of the horse. Whether it is my own horse or a borrowed horse of a dear friend, I am able to "join up" with this "new" horse and get a feel for what they need from me to have the trust needed for a safe ride. I have made many mistakes, acted foolish and yet Cowgirled up when I least expected to have to do so.
I will share with you all of these times and hope for your insight and comments, your laughter as you read of our fun, your tears when you cannot keep them form rolling down your cheeks ,your envy of our adventures, and the love between Jesse and his Desert Rose!