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Yes...it is playing near our desert city and he has again agreed to take me to see it!!! Am I ever lucky that he puts up with all my "horsing around" and is willing to be my date too!!!
Here's to 20 more years!!!
Your Desert Rose!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
20th Wedding Anniversary!
My Loving Husband and I are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary January 19th! We had a wonderful trip in the fall to celebrate this milestone. So for our special day My Loving Husband will be taking me to see
Monday, January 17, 2011
Oh What a Night! ( Finale)
Dear Readers,
In honor of the one year anniversary if our "unscheduled overnight on the PCT" I will be re posting the story one segment each day for the next week. If you read about our adventure last year...please feel free to skip it. If you have NOT heard our story before...you might want to take notes...cause we never thought it could happen to us either ;)
The adventure of a lifetime is over for "The 3 Amigos" ! We have seen each other at our worst and best. It is the best that I want to focus on now.
To Jesse... I could not have said it better than Cowgirljlynn at A Cowgirlsgrace who dedicated Jesse this special award to Jesse!
And finally last but not least...I dedicate this award to Baby Doll and The Bossman! Alas, this PONY COUSIN has stolen the Bossman's heart away from The Desert Rose during our "unscheduled overnight mountain stay" Although I was somewhat involved in getting him his 1st "blow job" on a trail ride...I was not DIRECTLY the one who gave it to him. As Baby Doll stated in her blog...she is pretty sure she is now The Bossman's favorite PONY COUSIN!!!
I also want to thank...Slick the "Drunken Stallion" and "Little Lady" ( Pretty Girl)(soon to be "My Girl"...yes stolen from "PONY GIRL") who amazed me at their dedication and perseverance in getting us all home safely!!!
You Desert Rose!
In honor of the one year anniversary if our "unscheduled overnight on the PCT" I will be re posting the story one segment each day for the next week. If you read about our adventure last year...please feel free to skip it. If you have NOT heard our story before...you might want to take notes...cause we never thought it could happen to us either ;)
The adventure of a lifetime is over for "The 3 Amigos" ! We have seen each other at our worst and best. It is the best that I want to focus on now.
It has been 2 weeks since our "unscheduled overnight mountain stay" and I have finally stopped getting teary when I think about almost, possibly, could have, knock on wood, killed my horse and favorite cousin! ( not in order of importance) The Bossman is too ornery to die on one of out rides!!!
To Baby Doll...I know we scared the "chalupa" out of you more than once on our adventure! What I want you to know... is this: You just experienced one of the most frightening experiences that will EVER happen to you!!! And you did it, YOU cowgirled up when you needed to and did what you had to do! Unless someone rides exactly what you did, they will never know what the terrain we had to ride was. The Bossman and I know...and are proud to award to you...Baby Doll
In no order at all...
I want to honor Bronco Betsy or Baby Doll as she is now known in some circles! ( Better than "She who rides many ponies!) This PONY COUSIN has been joining me in the desert now for the last several years as a temporary "snowbird". She started out riding stable rentals...and was so excited her 2nd season when Spanky upgraded her to ride Banjo! Banjo is Tennessee Walker who is not a beginner horse...Bronco got to ride him again this year after Jesse had his owe toes!
Bronco and Banjo on our last ride together...notice the Pendleton Saddle pad and halter and lead, This is not "stable" issue!!! Has Baby Doll become the Bossman's favorite PONY COUSIN???
Bronco and Banjo on our last ride together...notice the Pendleton Saddle pad and halter and lead, This is not "stable" issue!!! Has Baby Doll become the Bossman's favorite PONY COUSIN???To Baby Doll...I know we scared the "chalupa" out of you more than once on our adventure! What I want you to know... is this: You just experienced one of the most frightening experiences that will EVER happen to you!!! And you did it, YOU cowgirled up when you needed to and did what you had to do! Unless someone rides exactly what you did, they will never know what the terrain we had to ride was. The Bossman and I know...and are proud to award to you...Baby Doll
The Desert Rose, Red Badge of Courage Award! You have earned this award for going above and beyond the call of "cowgirl duty"!
To The Bossman! Always ready to stand up and fight for a PONY COUSIN, especially the Desert Rose in time of need! For ALWAYS being a gentleman and never asking for a "blow job" no matter howfuckingcold you were!!!
To Jesse... I could not have said it better than Cowgirljlynn at A Cowgirlsgrace who dedicated Jesse this special award to Jesse!And finally last but not least...I dedicate this award to Baby Doll and The Bossman! Alas, this PONY COUSIN has stolen the Bossman's heart away from The Desert Rose during our "unscheduled overnight mountain stay" Although I was somewhat involved in getting him his 1st "blow job" on a trail ride...I was not DIRECTLY the one who gave it to him. As Baby Doll stated in her blog...she is pretty sure she is now The Bossman's favorite PONY COUSIN!!!
I also want to thank...Slick the "Drunken Stallion" and "Little Lady" ( Pretty Girl)(soon to be "My Girl"...yes stolen from "PONY GIRL") who amazed me at their dedication and perseverance in getting us all home safely!!!
You Desert Rose!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Oh What a Night! (part 5)
Dear Readers,
In honor of the one year anniversary if our "unscheduled overnight on the PCT" I will be re posting the story one segment each day for the next week. If you read about our adventure last year...please feel free to skip it. If you have NOT heard our story before...you might want to take notes...cause we never thought it could happen to us either ;)
I left the story off when we saw the 1st Carin. We were soon scouting the valley for them. Some were easy to spot, others we had to struggle to find. Slowly but surely the Caren's kept showing up leading us up another rock hill until in the distance I could see another barbed wire fence. As we got closer..I began to get excited because I could see a green gate in the middle of it!!! Bronco was not sure I was right...that this time we had REALLY found the right trail...but I knew this was it. Neither of took any photo's after the 1st cairn as we were to tired and just wanted out of there. The trail down to desert floor was pretty well marked and in fairly good shape. But considering what we had been riding, it was a piece of cake. Within 1/2 hour we had made down to our intended trail from yesterday. Unfortunately...it was going to be another 2 1/2 to 3 hours to get to the staging area depending on Jesse's feet. You see by now he had lost his easy boot and shoe somewhere in all the climbing. The Bossman had given all 3 of the horses some bute that morning so Jesse was not in pain...but he was being very careful over rocks. We came to a trail head and could have gone either way to get to the staging area but choose to ride the one that would be best for Jesse's feet. Unfortunately all the water hole we passed were dry...which meant it would be 2 more hours before we hit water. The horses just pushed on doing what we asked them to do. That ride to the water seemed to take forever...we didn't talk too much all of us just focusing on getting back. Once we had cell service calls were made to let everyone know when to expect us back to the stables.Finally...we reach the water...Bronco is back on Jesse as sometimes Little Lady gets antsy in the canyon because there are so many hikers. We got to the water and let the horses only have a short sip. Jesse wanted more but we could not let him have his fill without risking the chance of him tying up! 10 minutes later we reached a second water hole and again only let the horses have a short sip. We made it to the trailer...it sure was a sight for sore eyes. We disconnected our saddle bags, took off bridles and started loading up. Jesse first, Lady, then Slick. All of a sudden Jesse began to pull back and do but bucks. I jumped up to look inside the trailer and realized he was in trauma. I yelled for the Bossman to get the other horses unloaded. As we took Jesse out of the trailer I knew he was going to go down and asked the Bossman to help me get his saddle off. We barely had time to get the saddle off when Jesse went down to a full roll twice. I urged him back up but he immediately went back down for 2 more rolls. The Bossman yelled for me to just walk him slowly and to try and keep him up. I called "The Doc" on his cell phone but remembered he was out of town. So I called Spanky and asked him to call the vet office for me. Spanky told us to give Jesse some ace. The Bossman got the ace ready and we gave it to Jesse. In a few minutes Jesse was not in as much trauma however he went down a total of 6 times before the ace kicked in. We gave Jesse a few more minutes and then load back up for the 10minute drive to the stables. When we got there Spanky had me give Jesse 7 sips of water and then we took him to the tie rail. 15 minutes later Spanky had me give Jesse 2 gallons of water with electrolytes. Another, 15 minutes after that. Jesse had not gone down since we arrived at the stables and seemed to be doing much better. As we took him to his stall though, he went down again. Spanky called the vet office...we were in luck they would be there in 1/2 hour. Before the vet got there Jesse went down a total of 12 times!!! Now also during this time the Bossman found the "Shoesales man" to come and look at Jesse feet. The "Shoesales man pulled Jesse's other front shoe so that it could be worn down a bit to macth his other foot. Both the Bossman and the Shoesales man were quite concerned about his feet because Jesse has such tender feet anyway.
The vet arrives and she begins her exam of him. Gut sounds are good so we hope that colic will not follow Jesse's tying- up.What is tying up?
Tying up (muscle tension/spasm) involves chronic tension in the horse's muscles due to overwork. When the muscles are active, they produce lactate as part of their normal metabolism. Too much lactate causes lactic acidosis, a lowering of the pH in the muscles and the body in general. This impacts the efficiency of metabolism, giving rise to fatigue. The excess lactate prevents the muscles from relaxing properly following contraction. As a result, large muscle groups tend to seize up, remaining in a state of contraction. In mild tying up, the horse’s muscles are extremely sore and stiff. In full blown tying up, the horse is unable to move.
The areas typically affected by tying up include the neck, back, shoulders, zones of previous trauma and areas where other muscles have attempted to compensate for those already affected.
Prolonged muscle fatigue can, in time, affect the skeletal, circulatory and respiratory systems.
top
Is my horse likely to tie up?
Tying up is more common in young Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds that are either high strung or not fit. Fit, well-trained and well-bred horses are better able to deal with higher levels of lactate in their systems. However, if a horse develops a level of lactate significantly higher than his body has learned to cope with, he will be more likely to tie up.
top
What are the symptoms of tying up?
The following symptoms may indicate that your horse is tying up:
Obvious discomfort and irritability
Abnormally short strides
Profuse sweating
Muscle stiffness, contraction
Difficulty moving
Elevated pulse and laboured breathing
Brown coloured urine resulting from the kidneys filtering myoglobin (a muscle protein) from the blood. Myoglobin is an indication of severe muscle damage.
Inability to sleep
top
What should I do if my horse ties up?
If your horse appears to be suffering from tying up, you should call your veterinarian immediately. Since tying up can be very painful, and your horse may be panicky, ask what you can do to provide comfort until the veterinarian arrives.
Never move a horse that has tied up. Moving your horse even a few steps may cause the condition to worsen. Keep the horse on his feet and protect him from becoming chilled by using a blanket.
Encourage your horse to drink, as fluids will help flush the kidneys of waste.
top
Tying-up treatment & prevention for horses
Much of the treatment for tying up focuses on prevention. Warm up and cool down your horse properly with at least 15 minutes of walking. Don't exercise the horse to a point where he becomes stressed. Provide turnout as frequently as possible.
Some horse owners/trainers have found that a diet that is reduced in carbohydrates (or total elimination of carbohydrates) helps to reduce tying up.
Yet another method that many horsemen have found useful is making sure that the horse's electrolytes (potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium) are kept at optimal levels through good nutrition.
The vets diagnosis was dehydration that lead to the tying up. Jesse would need to be given fluids through an IV four the next 4 hours and then the vet would come back out and check his levels and if need Jesse would gt more fluids. At 1100pm I meet the vet back at the stables ( I had to go home and feed and medicate both cats since they had been alone for the whole time too!) They always have kibble and water...but both need am and pm meds!!! Jesse's levels are all great and she takes him off the I-V. He also can eat his dinner now and he is sooooo happy to do that! Kidney levels show Jesse a bit high from the tie-up but she will retake his blood in 12 hours!
The next day at 4pm I met the vet again for her to check Jesse. All signs of dehydration were gone...kidney levels were good, although the ty-up enzymes were still evident...they would just clear up on their own. Jesse was released for very light movement for w few days then he could be moved up as movement allowed.
However this was not taking his lost shoe into account and THAT over 2 weeks later is still an issue!!! Jesse is now being hand walked by the Bossman everyday 2x around the stable grounds. Next up...ponying 1/2 hour until he seems to no longer be gimpy. This could take Jesse...1 month to recover from his lost shoe!!!
I have purposely not posted any pictures for this post until now!
Jesse is burping...sorta, because as a precaution the vet tubed him with oil/water to prevent colic!
Oops...another burp!!!
See the bungee cord coming from his neck to the 2 big I-V bags hanging above???
The I-V cord is braided into Jesse's mane.
The actual shunt was "stitched" into Jesse's neck...see the black wire thread???
Jesse's hooves right after the Shoesales man pulled the left one. See how short the right one is???
Jesse really likes the Vet's assistant! See the Bossman in the background??? He has been at every shoeing...every vet appt. since he started caring for Jesse over 5 years ago!!!
He really loves his beautiful "substitute" vet, Jesse thinks she's pretty in pink! ( Last night at 11:00 pm he nickered at her when she first walked up to his stall for his recheck!)
The Bossman has been so concerned about Jesse since our "unscheduled overnight mountain stay" that he would not even let me in there!!! Also...he does not know this, but several of his "Boyfriends" have told me how upset he has been about Jesse and has been so devoted to Jesse's care during his recovery!
All blood test back to normal...all gut sounds normal! Jesse is released from vet care...just need to ease in back into workouts!!! However his owey toes... tell a different tale!
Your Desert Rose!!
In honor of the one year anniversary if our "unscheduled overnight on the PCT" I will be re posting the story one segment each day for the next week. If you read about our adventure last year...please feel free to skip it. If you have NOT heard our story before...you might want to take notes...cause we never thought it could happen to us either ;)
I left the story off when we saw the 1st Carin. We were soon scouting the valley for them. Some were easy to spot, others we had to struggle to find. Slowly but surely the Caren's kept showing up leading us up another rock hill until in the distance I could see another barbed wire fence. As we got closer..I began to get excited because I could see a green gate in the middle of it!!! Bronco was not sure I was right...that this time we had REALLY found the right trail...but I knew this was it. Neither of took any photo's after the 1st cairn as we were to tired and just wanted out of there. The trail down to desert floor was pretty well marked and in fairly good shape. But considering what we had been riding, it was a piece of cake. Within 1/2 hour we had made down to our intended trail from yesterday. Unfortunately...it was going to be another 2 1/2 to 3 hours to get to the staging area depending on Jesse's feet. You see by now he had lost his easy boot and shoe somewhere in all the climbing. The Bossman had given all 3 of the horses some bute that morning so Jesse was not in pain...but he was being very careful over rocks. We came to a trail head and could have gone either way to get to the staging area but choose to ride the one that would be best for Jesse's feet. Unfortunately all the water hole we passed were dry...which meant it would be 2 more hours before we hit water. The horses just pushed on doing what we asked them to do. That ride to the water seemed to take forever...we didn't talk too much all of us just focusing on getting back. Once we had cell service calls were made to let everyone know when to expect us back to the stables.Finally...we reach the water...Bronco is back on Jesse as sometimes Little Lady gets antsy in the canyon because there are so many hikers. We got to the water and let the horses only have a short sip. Jesse wanted more but we could not let him have his fill without risking the chance of him tying up! 10 minutes later we reached a second water hole and again only let the horses have a short sip. We made it to the trailer...it sure was a sight for sore eyes. We disconnected our saddle bags, took off bridles and started loading up. Jesse first, Lady, then Slick. All of a sudden Jesse began to pull back and do but bucks. I jumped up to look inside the trailer and realized he was in trauma. I yelled for the Bossman to get the other horses unloaded. As we took Jesse out of the trailer I knew he was going to go down and asked the Bossman to help me get his saddle off. We barely had time to get the saddle off when Jesse went down to a full roll twice. I urged him back up but he immediately went back down for 2 more rolls. The Bossman yelled for me to just walk him slowly and to try and keep him up. I called "The Doc" on his cell phone but remembered he was out of town. So I called Spanky and asked him to call the vet office for me. Spanky told us to give Jesse some ace. The Bossman got the ace ready and we gave it to Jesse. In a few minutes Jesse was not in as much trauma however he went down a total of 6 times before the ace kicked in. We gave Jesse a few more minutes and then load back up for the 10minute drive to the stables. When we got there Spanky had me give Jesse 7 sips of water and then we took him to the tie rail. 15 minutes later Spanky had me give Jesse 2 gallons of water with electrolytes. Another, 15 minutes after that. Jesse had not gone down since we arrived at the stables and seemed to be doing much better. As we took him to his stall though, he went down again. Spanky called the vet office...we were in luck they would be there in 1/2 hour. Before the vet got there Jesse went down a total of 12 times!!! Now also during this time the Bossman found the "Shoesales man" to come and look at Jesse feet. The "Shoesales man pulled Jesse's other front shoe so that it could be worn down a bit to macth his other foot. Both the Bossman and the Shoesales man were quite concerned about his feet because Jesse has such tender feet anyway.
The vet arrives and she begins her exam of him. Gut sounds are good so we hope that colic will not follow Jesse's tying- up.What is tying up?
Tying up (muscle tension/spasm) involves chronic tension in the horse's muscles due to overwork. When the muscles are active, they produce lactate as part of their normal metabolism. Too much lactate causes lactic acidosis, a lowering of the pH in the muscles and the body in general. This impacts the efficiency of metabolism, giving rise to fatigue. The excess lactate prevents the muscles from relaxing properly following contraction. As a result, large muscle groups tend to seize up, remaining in a state of contraction. In mild tying up, the horse’s muscles are extremely sore and stiff. In full blown tying up, the horse is unable to move.
The areas typically affected by tying up include the neck, back, shoulders, zones of previous trauma and areas where other muscles have attempted to compensate for those already affected.
Prolonged muscle fatigue can, in time, affect the skeletal, circulatory and respiratory systems.
top
Is my horse likely to tie up?
Tying up is more common in young Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds that are either high strung or not fit. Fit, well-trained and well-bred horses are better able to deal with higher levels of lactate in their systems. However, if a horse develops a level of lactate significantly higher than his body has learned to cope with, he will be more likely to tie up.
top
What are the symptoms of tying up?
The following symptoms may indicate that your horse is tying up:
Obvious discomfort and irritability
Abnormally short strides
Profuse sweating
Muscle stiffness, contraction
Difficulty moving
Elevated pulse and laboured breathing
Brown coloured urine resulting from the kidneys filtering myoglobin (a muscle protein) from the blood. Myoglobin is an indication of severe muscle damage.
Inability to sleep
top
What should I do if my horse ties up?
If your horse appears to be suffering from tying up, you should call your veterinarian immediately. Since tying up can be very painful, and your horse may be panicky, ask what you can do to provide comfort until the veterinarian arrives.
Never move a horse that has tied up. Moving your horse even a few steps may cause the condition to worsen. Keep the horse on his feet and protect him from becoming chilled by using a blanket.
Encourage your horse to drink, as fluids will help flush the kidneys of waste.
top
Tying-up treatment & prevention for horses
Much of the treatment for tying up focuses on prevention. Warm up and cool down your horse properly with at least 15 minutes of walking. Don't exercise the horse to a point where he becomes stressed. Provide turnout as frequently as possible.
Some horse owners/trainers have found that a diet that is reduced in carbohydrates (or total elimination of carbohydrates) helps to reduce tying up.
Yet another method that many horsemen have found useful is making sure that the horse's electrolytes (potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium) are kept at optimal levels through good nutrition.
The vets diagnosis was dehydration that lead to the tying up. Jesse would need to be given fluids through an IV four the next 4 hours and then the vet would come back out and check his levels and if need Jesse would gt more fluids. At 1100pm I meet the vet back at the stables ( I had to go home and feed and medicate both cats since they had been alone for the whole time too!) They always have kibble and water...but both need am and pm meds!!! Jesse's levels are all great and she takes him off the I-V. He also can eat his dinner now and he is sooooo happy to do that! Kidney levels show Jesse a bit high from the tie-up but she will retake his blood in 12 hours!
The next day at 4pm I met the vet again for her to check Jesse. All signs of dehydration were gone...kidney levels were good, although the ty-up enzymes were still evident...they would just clear up on their own. Jesse was released for very light movement for w few days then he could be moved up as movement allowed.
However this was not taking his lost shoe into account and THAT over 2 weeks later is still an issue!!! Jesse is now being hand walked by the Bossman everyday 2x around the stable grounds. Next up...ponying 1/2 hour until he seems to no longer be gimpy. This could take Jesse...1 month to recover from his lost shoe!!!
I have purposely not posted any pictures for this post until now!
Jesse is burping...sorta, because as a precaution the vet tubed him with oil/water to prevent colic! Oops...another burp!!! See the bungee cord coming from his neck to the 2 big I-V bags hanging above??? The I-V cord is braided into Jesse's mane. The actual shunt was "stitched" into Jesse's neck...see the black wire thread???
Jesse's hooves right after the Shoesales man pulled the left one. See how short the right one is???Jesse really likes the Vet's assistant! See the Bossman in the background??? He has been at every shoeing...every vet appt. since he started caring for Jesse over 5 years ago!!!He really loves his beautiful "substitute" vet, Jesse thinks she's pretty in pink! ( Last night at 11:00 pm he nickered at her when she first walked up to his stall for his recheck!)The Bossman has been so concerned about Jesse since our "unscheduled overnight mountain stay" that he would not even let me in there!!! Also...he does not know this, but several of his "Boyfriends" have told me how upset he has been about Jesse and has been so devoted to Jesse's care during his recovery!All blood test back to normal...all gut sounds normal! Jesse is released from vet care...just need to ease in back into workouts!!! However his owey toes... tell a different tale! Your Desert Rose!!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Oh What a Night! (part 4)
Dear Readers,
In honor of the one year anniversary if our "unscheduled overnight on the PCT" I will be re posting the story one segment each day for the next week. If you read about our adventure last year...please feel free to skip it. If you have NOT heard our story before...you might want to take notes...cause we never thought it could happen to us either ;)
It was amazing... that all night, all I could think about was the sun rising and figuring out how to get off that damn mountain! Not because I was cold...I was colder than a witches tit. Not because I was hungry or thirsty for that matter...but I knew our horses were and I just didn't know how I could face them if we did not find water soon for them. They had worked so hard for us! I also lay there thinking about how I could have killed off one of my PONY COUSIN'S and Baby Doll is my favorite one too! ( family joke that no one ever laughs at!) I knew Baby Doll would have another hard day and I was running out of pills to drug her with. I knew the Bossman would do everything he could to get us outta there...but even though he sometimes thought he was a god...he could not preform a miracle! Yes...I was feeling VERY anxious about our predicament...rather the horses predicament. You see Baby Doll's son was a helicopter pilot and not just any helicopter pilot, he was one of those guys that could fly in and rescue her from the top of this shitty mountain. I knew that if I did not get her off this mountain soon...he would!!! And even though he could bring a sling for the horses...I was not ready to go there...yet!!!
Baby Doll and I find empty stalls and begin to begin... our morning duty when all of a sudden Bay Doll is screaming at the top of her voice. You see I was not in a good position to run over and save her from this thing that must have been attacking her so I yell out...what!!!! Did you see the Bossman's chalupa??? She's screaming you are NOT going to believe this...over and over. I finally get over to her and she holds something out to me in her hand! Yup...a cigarette lighter! Or shall I say a" fuckingcigarettelighter"!!! She is just beside herself...you see she just now put her hand in the pocket of the fleece jacket I had brought for her and when she did...well what can I say! If she had not been so busy with her hands on face book last night she might just have put her hands into the pocket to keep warm...but not Baby Doll who quite frankly was enjoying being the center of "her" FACEBOOK WORLD! Baby Doll made me "pinky swear" not to tell the Bossman...not sure why she was sacred of what he would do to her... but I convinced her we should do this!
After all the fire ring was still in place and our toes were on the verge of frost bite. I told Baby Doll that we would tell the Bossman we had used my handy little mirror and magnifying glass in my trails kit to light this fire!!! The Bossman did not fall for this as easily as I thought he would however he was not too hard on Baby Doll!
We still have not made up our bed yet...time to get started packing up!
Ya...we have a big mess to clean up here...don't leave a trace!
I decide that I will ride Jesse today as now he is cranky about his hoof... AND, no breakfast! We saddle up and start loading the bags for our ride outta here.
The Desert Rose looks like she was ridden hard and put away wet!
Baby Doll gives Jesse a scratch on his neck!
All mounted up...we face our next challenge getting over this hill full of more "rock jumps and slides"! See the small peak in the background??? That is the tallest peak in our range of mountains...we are pretty damn high up!!! 
Here we go...bushwhacking our way up the hill!
After an hour or so of up and down 2 hills we come to this! At first I think it is a mirage...could it possible be...yes it is our trail marker, called a Cairn! Could possibly be one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen!!!
I do believe that it will only take one more post for you to reach the end of the trail with us...stay tuned!
Your Desert Rose!
In honor of the one year anniversary if our "unscheduled overnight on the PCT" I will be re posting the story one segment each day for the next week. If you read about our adventure last year...please feel free to skip it. If you have NOT heard our story before...you might want to take notes...cause we never thought it could happen to us either ;)
It was amazing... that all night, all I could think about was the sun rising and figuring out how to get off that damn mountain! Not because I was cold...I was colder than a witches tit. Not because I was hungry or thirsty for that matter...but I knew our horses were and I just didn't know how I could face them if we did not find water soon for them. They had worked so hard for us! I also lay there thinking about how I could have killed off one of my PONY COUSIN'S and Baby Doll is my favorite one too! ( family joke that no one ever laughs at!) I knew Baby Doll would have another hard day and I was running out of pills to drug her with. I knew the Bossman would do everything he could to get us outta there...but even though he sometimes thought he was a god...he could not preform a miracle! Yes...I was feeling VERY anxious about our predicament...rather the horses predicament. You see Baby Doll's son was a helicopter pilot and not just any helicopter pilot, he was one of those guys that could fly in and rescue her from the top of this shitty mountain. I knew that if I did not get her off this mountain soon...he would!!! And even though he could bring a sling for the horses...I was not ready to go there...yet!!!
At the crack of dawn everyone stirred and the Bossman growled that it was time to get up!!! Now Baby Doll and I were quite snug and comfy at the moment and really did not want to move outta that "threesome" bed of ours. The Bossman said he was going to scout the top of the mountain and see where he thought we should go. However Baby Doll and I just knew he needed to drop a chalupa somewhere and wanted privacy! Speaking of chalupas...on the way to the stables yesterday morning I divulged the info to Baby Doll that I had NOT had my coffee poo poo yet and hoped I would before the ride. Baby Doll confessed that she was up the same shit creek without a paddle as me and we both wished each other well in getting that mission accomplished! Chalupa's bring up another important part of our survival story. Baby Doll's biggest concern during the inventory of supplies...was the toilet paper supply!!! She was really on the verge of panic, when I produced for her 2 mini rolls and one package of cowgirl Kleenex, unopened! That seemed to settle her down a bit but I saw the Bossman secretly load a syringe of ace to keep handy!!!
When we finally decide we had to get up this was our sight!
Jesse was enjoying the beautiful sunrise too! We immediately went to find the little girls room...you see our chalupas from yesterday had eluded us both... and that was somewhat scary to mount up with that issue unresolved.
Up this little hill to the right is our destination! Can you pick out what looks to be a fence post in this picture??? Well it is a fence post. You see the is also a barbed wire fence running across these mountains that has also been a problem for us to get places. I can confirm though... that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. The fence is to keep the cows that live up here in the right spot. We were lucky in a few places the fence was down and we could get through. In other places the when the fence blocked our way the Bossman in listed his "GOD COMPLEX" and sure enough...just like the Red Sea...the fence parted for us to safely get through! Good thing one of us was a JEW!!!
Jesse was enjoying the beautiful sunrise too! We immediately went to find the little girls room...you see our chalupas from yesterday had eluded us both... and that was somewhat scary to mount up with that issue unresolved.Up this little hill to the right is our destination! Can you pick out what looks to be a fence post in this picture??? Well it is a fence post. You see the is also a barbed wire fence running across these mountains that has also been a problem for us to get places. I can confirm though... that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. The fence is to keep the cows that live up here in the right spot. We were lucky in a few places the fence was down and we could get through. In other places the when the fence blocked our way the Bossman in listed his "GOD COMPLEX" and sure enough...just like the Red Sea...the fence parted for us to safely get through! Good thing one of us was a JEW!!!Baby Doll and I find empty stalls and begin to begin... our morning duty when all of a sudden Bay Doll is screaming at the top of her voice. You see I was not in a good position to run over and save her from this thing that must have been attacking her so I yell out...what!!!! Did you see the Bossman's chalupa??? She's screaming you are NOT going to believe this...over and over. I finally get over to her and she holds something out to me in her hand! Yup...a cigarette lighter! Or shall I say a" fuckingcigarettelighter"!!! She is just beside herself...you see she just now put her hand in the pocket of the fleece jacket I had brought for her and when she did...well what can I say! If she had not been so busy with her hands on face book last night she might just have put her hands into the pocket to keep warm...but not Baby Doll who quite frankly was enjoying being the center of "her" FACEBOOK WORLD! Baby Doll made me "pinky swear" not to tell the Bossman...not sure why she was sacred of what he would do to her... but I convinced her we should do this!
Ya...we have a big mess to clean up here...don't leave a trace! I decide that I will ride Jesse today as now he is cranky about his hoof... AND, no breakfast! We saddle up and start loading the bags for our ride outta here.
The Desert Rose looks like she was ridden hard and put away wet!
Baby Doll gives Jesse a scratch on his neck! After an hour or so of up and down 2 hills we come to this! At first I think it is a mirage...could it possible be...yes it is our trail marker, called a Cairn! Could possibly be one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen!!! I do believe that it will only take one more post for you to reach the end of the trail with us...stay tuned!
Your Desert Rose!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Oh What a Night! (part 3)
In honor of the one year anniversary if our "unscheduled overnight on the PCT" I will be re posting the story one segment each day for the next week. If you read about our adventure last year...please feel free to skip it. If you have NOT heard our story before...you might want to take notes...cause we never thought it could happen to us either ;)
Time: 6:00pm.
Altitude: 5500 ft.
Expected Low Temperatures: 27 to 32 Degrees.
Inventoried Human Emergency Gear: See Picture
Inventoried Emergency Items Not Needed: See Picture
Emergency Equipment Needed : See Picture!!!
As we met up with the Bossman...he had scouted out an area that both the horses and we could spend the night safely. He quickly tied the horses as Bronco and I untied the saddle bags from them. The Bossman then called Big Foot to tell him to turn around and go back home...we would not be needing a ride tonight. Bronco was the only one with cell service s she called her Dear Hubby and asked him to call my Loving Husband and "try" to explain what happened! As I unloaded the saddle bags to inventory what we had...Bronco and the Bossman began gathering firewood while we could still see a bit. They also gathered rocks to build a fire ring. But...unfortunately...no matches and...no lighter! I had almost brought my cigarettes but decided it was not fair to Bronco who had just quit smoking a few months back!!!
After we got over the disappointment of this discovery, Bronco said she had seen a survival movie where they said you could do this to start a fire.
Yes...Bronco is rubbing 2 stix together!!! We also tried striking 2 rocks against each other which did produce sparks...but we could not get them to light the moss we had gathered. The Bossman even tried gun powder next to the sparks, but alas, NOFUCKINGFIRE!!! I think that at this point most of you will say that I deserve a freebe or 2 from the cuss jar! At least someone found use for the wood we had gathered!
Jesse played with that wood on and off ALLFUCKINGNIGHT!!! Also notice the duct tape on Jesse's hoof over the easy boot???
As I got the trail bags unloaded I was throwing the items needed for "our bed" to the spot we had picked as the best for survival. It was surrounded by high rock that wrapped around to wind protection...it did have a few unmovable rocks in the way but someone would just have to deal with them! I think this is a good time to mention that once it was decided that we would be spending the night out there...Baby Doll called out that SHE got the middle spot! Now what you don't know is that this has been a running joke with the Bossman who never dresses warm enough that if we got caught out all night...he would get the middle! Well poor Bossman felt so bad that we had gotten Bronco into this mess that he let her have the middle...jacket or no jacket! So it is only fitting that the one in the middle gets the big rock in the middle to deal with. Kinda reminds you of the story about the "Princess and the Pea" doesn't it. Guess that big rock will knock that imaginary Tiera off of Baby Dolls head...she was sure beginning to think she was a princess with all that attention she was getting from the Bossman and Big Foot!
By now The Desert Rose had completed all the invetories of what we had on hand for our unfortunate overnight stay in the mountains. it was decided by all that we would each take one bottle of water to get us through the rest of our adventure and that the horses would get the rest. We also voted that the horses got their leftover lunch treats and all the carrots. They would get 2 bottles each from the little red bowl and the treats tonight...then one bottle water in the morning. Notice in this picture Jesse sees the water in the Desert Rose's hand and is very ready for his drink. Thank goodness they all had all they could drink at lunch!!!
The Bossman is getting gunpowder from a bullet! We are a bit chilly but decide to wait to put on our fleece jackets until later!
Notice that our resident Stallion has been tied safely away from the other 2 horses??? Well...he was a bit of a SISSY and did not like it, so the Bossman moved him to be with the herd. However...Slick could not be near Little Lady, so Jesse had to put up with Slick biting his butt all night. At one point Jesse began to butt buck him though and Slick figured he better stop it or he would get moved back to his former spot. Jesse did have some marks on him the next day...but more like love bites than fight bites!
It is discovered around this time also that we have a flashlight...with dead batteries! Maybe we should use "Miss Flashlight Eyes!" In the end we use my cell phone as a flashlight as there is no service up here!
Considering the circumstances we all seem to be in pretty good spirits and soon Bronco begins getting responses to her post.
"Bronco" is stranded on a mountain with cousin, cowboy and horses. couldn't make it out before dark so will have to spend the night under a rock, am seriously wondering about my decision to quit smoking now. we have no matches and can't start a fire. This little tidbit really heated up the airways and soon we were laughing as Bronco read us all the posts our dear family and friends left for us. Of the 44 related comments that night...here are some samplings.
1. Is the Cowboy good looking? Makes a difference on how sorry I feel for you!
2. Gives an all new meaning to "which rock did she crawl out from!"
3. This isn't going to turn into one of those "Brokeback" moments...is it?
4. How cold can it get in Palm Springs???
5. If you get a snake bite pee on it...or is that a jelly fish?
6. You got "LEMONADE" don't you???
7. Does your Blackberry have fire starter application???
We really did laugh a lot at these... it made comments like"how bad can it be if you're updating your facebook" seem funny!!!
However...there was one comment that really did help us that night from the "Rosebud" who bought me my 1st Pendleton Saddle Blanket. She reminded me to use them!!! We got out of the warmish bed and went over on stole those puppy's right off the 2 horses backs...of course leaving the saddle pads. NEW RULE: Every rider will put decorative Pendleton Blanket over Saddle Pad for use in SURVIVAL MODE!!!
It was now time to pull out the big gun blanket!!! Time to stop communication with the rest of the world...time for the horses to stop pawing...time for Slick to quit biting Jesse's butt...time to roll over and try to get some sleep so we won't really know how cold it is getting! Time for one last picture!
Bronco alias Baby Doll!
The Bossman! 
The Desert Rose!
All huddled beneath this shinny new blanket just starting to drift off...
JESSE...quit Pawing!!!
Eyes heavy...
Slick...quit biting Jesse's butt!
Almost...
Lady...QUIT!!!
Finally...then,
Bossman...give me your gun!!!
Baby Doll says...Desert Rose...is that your spur or are you just happy to see me???
Baby Doll Shivers...Desert Rose wraps her arms and legs around Baby Doll who whispers "that feels good".
Desert Rose blows on Baby Dolls back to get warmth into her. Baby Doll whispers "don't stop...ya right there!"
The Bosmman says out loud...what is going on over there???
Baby Doll explains that she was just given a blow job by the Desert Rose and it really helped...Bossman said he was sure that it wold help...hint hint!
Baby Doll Giggles, but agrees to give Bossman a blow job too, as we are in survival mode!!!
The middle of the night the is a nudge at the Desert Rose's feet. Jesse is untied and came over to snuggle! UP & OUT of the cozy bed to retie Jesse.
It was amazing but you could see through the astro blanket. The stars were so bright and I could see the horses silhouettes too. Cold air kept creeping in all over...even Baby Doll in the middle had issues. She would not let the Bossman turn his happy side towards her...and when I turned my back to her also...she was all by herself in the middle...and FUCKINGCOLD! Fortunately...I carry a war chest of meds and knew I would be awake most of the night but vowed that I would not be in pain too! Bronco decided to play on my team. The astro blanket was very noisy so if someone moved a finger it would snap, crackle and pop! Plus we were so tight together in our bed that arms and legs were quickly all tangled up. Every so often we would have to rearrange the Penfleton Blankets at our feet then the astro blanket at the top. But the temperatures beneath the atsro blanket were 10 to 15 degrees warmer!!!
So again I do hate to leave you here...but no need to keeep you awake "allfuckingnight" too!
Your Desert Rose!
Time: 6:00pm.
Altitude: 5500 ft.
Expected Low Temperatures: 27 to 32 Degrees.
Inventoried Beverage Supplies: 13 Bottles of Water, 2 Jack's Hard Lemonade, 3 Mini Bottles Champagne, 1/2 pint Fresh OJ
Inventoried Food: 5 Snack Packs Cashews, 5 Mini Cheese Squares, 3 Bags Lunch Box Chips, 3 Snack Pack Cookies, 1/2 Gallon Bag of Grapes, 5 Snack Bags Carrots, 1/2 Gallon Bag Horse Cookies
Inventoried Emergency Horse Gear: See Picture ( Jesse is wearing easy boot)
After we got over the disappointment of this discovery, Bronco said she had seen a survival movie where they said you could do this to start a fire.
Yes...Bronco is rubbing 2 stix together!!! We also tried striking 2 rocks against each other which did produce sparks...but we could not get them to light the moss we had gathered. The Bossman even tried gun powder next to the sparks, but alas, NOFUCKINGFIRE!!! I think that at this point most of you will say that I deserve a freebe or 2 from the cuss jar! At least someone found use for the wood we had gathered!As I got the trail bags unloaded I was throwing the items needed for "our bed" to the spot we had picked as the best for survival. It was surrounded by high rock that wrapped around to wind protection...it did have a few unmovable rocks in the way but someone would just have to deal with them! I think this is a good time to mention that once it was decided that we would be spending the night out there...Baby Doll called out that SHE got the middle spot! Now what you don't know is that this has been a running joke with the Bossman who never dresses warm enough that if we got caught out all night...he would get the middle! Well poor Bossman felt so bad that we had gotten Bronco into this mess that he let her have the middle...jacket or no jacket! So it is only fitting that the one in the middle gets the big rock in the middle to deal with. Kinda reminds you of the story about the "Princess and the Pea" doesn't it. Guess that big rock will knock that imaginary Tiera off of Baby Dolls head...she was sure beginning to think she was a princess with all that attention she was getting from the Bossman and Big Foot!By now The Desert Rose had completed all the invetories of what we had on hand for our unfortunate overnight stay in the mountains. it was decided by all that we would each take one bottle of water to get us through the rest of our adventure and that the horses would get the rest. We also voted that the horses got their leftover lunch treats and all the carrots. They would get 2 bottles each from the little red bowl and the treats tonight...then one bottle water in the morning. Notice in this picture Jesse sees the water in the Desert Rose's hand and is very ready for his drink. Thank goodness they all had all they could drink at lunch!!!
It is discovered around this time also that we have a flashlight...with dead batteries! Maybe we should use "Miss Flashlight Eyes!" In the end we use my cell phone as a flashlight as there is no service up here!It is now heading on 8 pm. The horses have been watered and fed (poor babies) all the gear is settled for the night and we are finally ready to settle down ourselves as the temps have really started to drop now. We all have all our personal extra clothes on and it is time to get hunkered down for "The Big Chill"! We will each use our saddle bags for a head and butt cushion as we decided to keep the horse's saddled to keep their body heat in also. So no saddle pads to cushion our bed! We fill in the other areas with our pommel bags as best as we can. Fortunately the emergency gear included an "astronaut blanket" which we had to share. There was an "old ladies" rain hat for me that kept my head heat in...Bronco wore her helmet and the Bossman tied a napkin around his ears under his hat. Each of us picked a cowgirl courage beverage and took our assigned place in the bed! We all had gloves...although Bronco decided to post on facebook about our delema!
Considering the circumstances we all seem to be in pretty good spirits and soon Bronco begins getting responses to her post.
"Bronco" is stranded on a mountain with cousin, cowboy and horses. couldn't make it out before dark so will have to spend the night under a rock, am seriously wondering about my decision to quit smoking now. we have no matches and can't start a fire. This little tidbit really heated up the airways and soon we were laughing as Bronco read us all the posts our dear family and friends left for us. Of the 44 related comments that night...here are some samplings.
1. Is the Cowboy good looking? Makes a difference on how sorry I feel for you!
2. Gives an all new meaning to "which rock did she crawl out from!"
3. This isn't going to turn into one of those "Brokeback" moments...is it?
4. How cold can it get in Palm Springs???
5. If you get a snake bite pee on it...or is that a jelly fish?
6. You got "LEMONADE" don't you???
7. Does your Blackberry have fire starter application???
We really did laugh a lot at these... it made comments like"how bad can it be if you're updating your facebook" seem funny!!!
However...there was one comment that really did help us that night from the "Rosebud" who bought me my 1st Pendleton Saddle Blanket. She reminded me to use them!!! We got out of the warmish bed and went over on stole those puppy's right off the 2 horses backs...of course leaving the saddle pads. NEW RULE: Every rider will put decorative Pendleton Blanket over Saddle Pad for use in SURVIVAL MODE!!!
It was now time to pull out the big gun blanket!!! Time to stop communication with the rest of the world...time for the horses to stop pawing...time for Slick to quit biting Jesse's butt...time to roll over and try to get some sleep so we won't really know how cold it is getting! Time for one last picture!Bronco alias Baby Doll!The Bossman! The Desert Rose!
All huddled beneath this shinny new blanket just starting to drift off...JESSE...quit Pawing!!!
Eyes heavy...
Slick...quit biting Jesse's butt!
Almost...
Lady...QUIT!!!
Finally...then,
Bossman...give me your gun!!!
Baby Doll says...Desert Rose...is that your spur or are you just happy to see me???
Baby Doll Shivers...Desert Rose wraps her arms and legs around Baby Doll who whispers "that feels good".
Desert Rose blows on Baby Dolls back to get warmth into her. Baby Doll whispers "don't stop...ya right there!"
The Bosmman says out loud...what is going on over there???
Baby Doll explains that she was just given a blow job by the Desert Rose and it really helped...Bossman said he was sure that it wold help...hint hint!
Baby Doll Giggles, but agrees to give Bossman a blow job too, as we are in survival mode!!!
The middle of the night the is a nudge at the Desert Rose's feet. Jesse is untied and came over to snuggle! UP & OUT of the cozy bed to retie Jesse.
It was amazing but you could see through the astro blanket. The stars were so bright and I could see the horses silhouettes too. Cold air kept creeping in all over...even Baby Doll in the middle had issues. She would not let the Bossman turn his happy side towards her...and when I turned my back to her also...she was all by herself in the middle...and FUCKINGCOLD! Fortunately...I carry a war chest of meds and knew I would be awake most of the night but vowed that I would not be in pain too! Bronco decided to play on my team. The astro blanket was very noisy so if someone moved a finger it would snap, crackle and pop! Plus we were so tight together in our bed that arms and legs were quickly all tangled up. Every so often we would have to rearrange the Penfleton Blankets at our feet then the astro blanket at the top. But the temperatures beneath the atsro blanket were 10 to 15 degrees warmer!!!
So again I do hate to leave you here...but no need to keeep you awake "allfuckingnight" too!
Your Desert Rose!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Oh What a Night! (part 2)
Dear Readers,
In honor of the one year anniversary if our "unscheduled overnight on the PCT" I will be re posting the story one segment each day for the next week. If you read about our adventure last year...please feel free to skip it. If you have NOT heard our story before...you might want to take notes...cause we never thought it could happen to us either ;)
I left you at the last post as we had just cut our way through the downed tree, which by the way cost us at least 15 minutes time. The Bossman and I tend you cut our rides pretty close so we will need to make this time up somewhere along the line. I decided to save this info as a surprise for Bronco Betsy later on in the ride.
We mounted up and soon came into this really great little valley surrounded by these rocky hills.Soon after this...we come to this!
Ya...that is one steep drop off, right down to the desert floor! So we turn around to go back and see what we had done wrong...you see we had followed the Bossman and he had followed a trail. Only now we discover that there are many many little trails going here and there and they all seem to lead us to the same kind of situation or this!
Not sure why...but we could not even find the trail we came out on...it was so well hidden!
Then The Desert Rose has a bright idea...let's follow these...surely we will find the trail again cause these guys know where they are going up here...they are the ones that made all the little shoot off trails to begin with to eat the grass. If we follow the freshest of these...we should get back to the main trail cause they drink water at our lunch stop! BRILLIANT! So we follow the freshest one we can find and this is where it leads us!
Then down this!
With this all around us!!!
Notice the sky...the sun sets early here in the desert when it goes down behind the mountains...which by the way are the direction we needed to go originally! It is now approximately 3:45 pm and the Bossman I have the same thoughts all though we have not spoken them out loud...yet! But at 4pm... we decided it was time to regroup the and alter the game plan. The Bossman got a hold of Big foot and arranged for him to go get our trailer and head back up to where he dropped us off. There was going to be no way off this mountain tonight, our only hope was to go back up...and we had been trying to do this now anyway. We were just hoping to find the right trail. This means we would be riding in the dark...but we do know the trail and think this is our best option. Below is the Bossman on the phone with Big Foot!
Now...somehow I had forgotten to mention this itty bitty little incident... it was our first meltdown. I say "our" because since we got Bronco into this mess we need to share all her...emotions!!! We are starting to get touchy feely here...so watch out!
This is the "hill" that started it all. You see...we were at the top of this hill coming down when we got to this boulder at the bottom. There really was no way around it although it looks like there is from this picture. Well Bronco watched the Bossman and Slick slide down this boulder on Slick's butt and turned to me with little crocodile tears welled up in her eyes and said, " I just can't do this!" I turned to her...knowing I risked the possibility of the dam breaking and a major flood flowing and said, "Baby Doll...you have to"! I then told her what to do to get down safely and she then sucked it all up and went down on Jesse's big Quarter Horse butt!!!
Bronco and Jesse look back up towards the hill! Notice the little red can in Bronco's hand? The Bossman decided that Bronco needed a shot of "Cowgirl Courage" and snapped open a can a champagne for her! Moments later she was laughing as the Bossman was on the phone...guess it worked!
Soon we hit upon another snag...we run out of daylight! And even though we know exactly where we are...we can not get to where we need to go!!!
And even more distressing we have been separated from the Bossman. He went down a hill while we waited...he yelled up for us to find another way around and meet him up at the top. We have been trying to find a place to hunker down for the night now as we see no way to get out of these rocks safely. Fortunately...we find another way up...but not before Bronco has somehow lost her "cowgirl courage" (not the liquid kind) and needs to dismount. She has come to the end of her rope...no pun intended here and decides she will lead her mount ( she is now riding Little Lady as Jesse has a shoe that slipped sideways. He is wearing an easy boot and not to happy about it so I traded Bronco mounts) By the way...we lost 10 more minutes getting the easy boot on Jesse and all taped up! Bronco thinks she will lead Little Lady up to where we can see the Bossman...only realizes that Lady has to jump up these boulders and is afraid Lady may knock her down unintentionally. So...I have Bronco give me Lady's lead rope and pony her up the hill jumping boulders, dodging trees, making Jesse move because by now he is just plain worn out and DONE! My arm is just about torn out of the socket as I pull Lady up behind us and because I am in Bronco's saddle with too short of stirrups and not as deep seated as mine I come very close to being pulled out of the saddle by Lady's lead. I would have drooped her lead before that happened...but I did have several near misses!!!
Now between Bronco and The Desert Rose... we have not taken very many pictures the last hour...we were in the beginnings of survival mode, but I did manage to get this picture of Bronco trudging up the hill behind us!
Look ever so closely right in the center of this picture and you can see poor little Bronco! So again... dear family and friends I hate to leave you here in the dark with Bronco...but the story is just too big to squeeze up here!
Your Desert Rose!
This picture show several interesting things. 1st...look ahead to the mountains in the background. We know that our trail we are headed to is down in the wash between this ridge and that one. We are right on target! 2nd...The Bossman is in the lead...not the Desert Rose!!!
In honor of the one year anniversary if our "unscheduled overnight on the PCT" I will be re posting the story one segment each day for the next week. If you read about our adventure last year...please feel free to skip it. If you have NOT heard our story before...you might want to take notes...cause we never thought it could happen to us either ;)
I left you at the last post as we had just cut our way through the downed tree, which by the way cost us at least 15 minutes time. The Bossman and I tend you cut our rides pretty close so we will need to make this time up somewhere along the line. I decided to save this info as a surprise for Bronco Betsy later on in the ride.
We mounted up and soon came into this really great little valley surrounded by these rocky hills.Soon after this...we come to this!
Ya...that is one steep drop off, right down to the desert floor! So we turn around to go back and see what we had done wrong...you see we had followed the Bossman and he had followed a trail. Only now we discover that there are many many little trails going here and there and they all seem to lead us to the same kind of situation or this!Not sure why...but we could not even find the trail we came out on...it was so well hidden!Then The Desert Rose has a bright idea...let's follow these...surely we will find the trail again cause these guys know where they are going up here...they are the ones that made all the little shoot off trails to begin with to eat the grass. If we follow the freshest of these...we should get back to the main trail cause they drink water at our lunch stop! BRILLIANT! So we follow the freshest one we can find and this is where it leads us! Then down this!With this all around us!!! Notice the sky...the sun sets early here in the desert when it goes down behind the mountains...which by the way are the direction we needed to go originally! It is now approximately 3:45 pm and the Bossman I have the same thoughts all though we have not spoken them out loud...yet! But at 4pm... we decided it was time to regroup the and alter the game plan. The Bossman got a hold of Big foot and arranged for him to go get our trailer and head back up to where he dropped us off. There was going to be no way off this mountain tonight, our only hope was to go back up...and we had been trying to do this now anyway. We were just hoping to find the right trail. This means we would be riding in the dark...but we do know the trail and think this is our best option. Below is the Bossman on the phone with Big Foot!
Now...somehow I had forgotten to mention this itty bitty little incident... it was our first meltdown. I say "our" because since we got Bronco into this mess we need to share all her...emotions!!! We are starting to get touchy feely here...so watch out! This is the "hill" that started it all. You see...we were at the top of this hill coming down when we got to this boulder at the bottom. There really was no way around it although it looks like there is from this picture. Well Bronco watched the Bossman and Slick slide down this boulder on Slick's butt and turned to me with little crocodile tears welled up in her eyes and said, " I just can't do this!" I turned to her...knowing I risked the possibility of the dam breaking and a major flood flowing and said, "Baby Doll...you have to"! I then told her what to do to get down safely and she then sucked it all up and went down on Jesse's big Quarter Horse butt!!! Bronco and Jesse look back up towards the hill! Notice the little red can in Bronco's hand? The Bossman decided that Bronco needed a shot of "Cowgirl Courage" and snapped open a can a champagne for her! Moments later she was laughing as the Bossman was on the phone...guess it worked!Soon we hit upon another snag...we run out of daylight! And even though we know exactly where we are...we can not get to where we need to go!!!
And even more distressing we have been separated from the Bossman. He went down a hill while we waited...he yelled up for us to find another way around and meet him up at the top. We have been trying to find a place to hunker down for the night now as we see no way to get out of these rocks safely. Fortunately...we find another way up...but not before Bronco has somehow lost her "cowgirl courage" (not the liquid kind) and needs to dismount. She has come to the end of her rope...no pun intended here and decides she will lead her mount ( she is now riding Little Lady as Jesse has a shoe that slipped sideways. He is wearing an easy boot and not to happy about it so I traded Bronco mounts) By the way...we lost 10 more minutes getting the easy boot on Jesse and all taped up! Bronco thinks she will lead Little Lady up to where we can see the Bossman...only realizes that Lady has to jump up these boulders and is afraid Lady may knock her down unintentionally. So...I have Bronco give me Lady's lead rope and pony her up the hill jumping boulders, dodging trees, making Jesse move because by now he is just plain worn out and DONE! My arm is just about torn out of the socket as I pull Lady up behind us and because I am in Bronco's saddle with too short of stirrups and not as deep seated as mine I come very close to being pulled out of the saddle by Lady's lead. I would have drooped her lead before that happened...but I did have several near misses!!!Now between Bronco and The Desert Rose... we have not taken very many pictures the last hour...we were in the beginnings of survival mode, but I did manage to get this picture of Bronco trudging up the hill behind us!
Look ever so closely right in the center of this picture and you can see poor little Bronco! So again... dear family and friends I hate to leave you here in the dark with Bronco...but the story is just too big to squeeze up here! Your Desert Rose!
This picture show several interesting things. 1st...look ahead to the mountains in the background. We know that our trail we are headed to is down in the wash between this ridge and that one. We are right on target! 2nd...The Bossman is in the lead...not the Desert Rose!!!
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