END OF THE SUMMER

Labor Day weekend is traditionally the end of summer. We celebrated the weekend by renting out a campground in a state park for our group of riders. Fifteen living quarter horse trailers arrived with their horses, dogs, camp chairs and toys and went to setting up horse pens, awnings, and makeshift patios. Friday was a relaxing evening of conversations and sharing stories of summer activities.
We enjoyed two long rides in the park on Saturday, and with such a large group, we found ourselves breaking into groups....the early morning riders, the gaited horses, and I went out with a group of gals who were single or not with their husbands for the weekend. We enjoyed the smaller groups, and were able to do more loping and trotting that we can do when we are in a long line in a big group.
There is a river that we ride along, but due to a steep bank, cannot ride down to it except in one spot, and that has been made difficult by a large tree lying across the entry. Recently, we noticed someone had cut a gap into that huge tree, so we attempted to go down the bank. Bart went first, and carefully picked his way down the steep incline with the rocks and logs. He arrived safely at the river, where the other riders joined us. One rider sent her horse down, which we caught, then she scrambled down on foot and re-mounted.
We rode in the river and went all the way around an island and the horses were wonderful. The weather was a breezy, sunny 80 degrees and the day was one for the memories.
The evenings were grilled dinners and a campfire with stories and laughter until our eyelids would not stay up any longer. The evenings cooled down to the 60's, so it was perfect for sleeping with the windows open and listening to the sounds of coyotes, owls and trees whispering in the breezes.
Sunday morning started with the big Cowboy Breakfast made over the campfire in a huge fry pan. Everyone supplied the eggs, sausage, bacon, cheese, mushrooms, onions, peppers, cheese, hash browns, and our expert chef combined them all into an anticipated delicious breakfast that stuffed our tummys (to our horse's chagrin!).
We had two wonderful rides on Sunday and one more earlier ride this morning. The trail leader today took us on some more remote trails that I hadn't ridden before in this huge park, and were breathtaking in their beauty with the rolling hills overlooking the lakes, the narrow trails through the huge oaks, and across the waving meadows. Most of us agreed that this weekend of camping was the highlight of the summer, and today was the best ride of the year. It was so hard to pack up, wave good-bye to friends who I wouldn't see again for a long time, and to pull out of that park on yet another beautiful breezy day.
Now the horse has been returned happily to his pasture, the trailer has been unloaded and parked, the dog and I have had our baths and supper, and I am relaxing recalling such a perfect ending to the end of summer. Tomorrow I will head back up north to attend a funeral, then look forward to spending next weekend with my sisters for a last good-bye get-together before I head to the Black Hills on a ride, then back to Arizona. It has been a summer full of riding, golf, fishing, time with family and friends, and lots of time on the road. I almost didn't come up for this summer....and maybe won't again next year....but this one was wonderful. Now for that beautiful season of colorful leaves and first frosts......

CJ DRIVES THE BLUE HOLLAND!

Had another fun day with my grandson....lunch at Sonics, seeing the movie "Space Chimps", and out to the ranch to visit Bart......and to top it all off, Paul let him sit on his lap and drive the big BLUE HOLLAND tractor! CJ thinks Paul walks on water and just loves to follow him around at the ranch talking about the machinery.

When it was time to bring the horses in, Heather opened the door and they all ran through the indoor arena to their stalls. CJ was standing by the gate, and Bart left the other horses to walk over to CJ and drop his head to say "Hi". Heather came back to see why Bart wasn't in his stall...and he was still visiting with CJ. Bart ignored Heather when she called him, but then quietly followed CJ to his stall where CJ closed the door triumphantly. As Heather later said, "That horse knows his boy". A sleepy and dusty boy was delivered to his parents by 8 pm, where he told of how he drove the tractor, moved the dirt, and helped with the horse chores. I don't know who enjoyed the day more, me or that fun little boy.

BEING A GRAMMA IS FUN!!!!!

Who ever thought being a grandmother would be so fun! My only grandchild (so far....Jen is expecting her first child in December!)is a darling 4 year old with glasses, a lisp, and a great sense of humor. He is bright, thoughtful, and sooooo respectful! It is refreshing to be around a child who didn't have a whine the whole two days he was with me!
I picked him up and took him to my sister's home in northern Wisconsin. She and her husband have transformed a former gravel pit into a gorgeous garden spot with an ever-changing home. John is an incredible carpenter, and is always remodeling the home. The newest change is a remodeled bathroom with an awesome stone shower. My sister has become quite the gardener and grows all her own vegetables, plus a plethora of flowers in rock gardens all over the yard. She also has chickens, so CJ had a ball feeding them and gathering the eggs.
He was so eager to see the huge muskie statue at the Hayward Fishing Hall of Fame. It was closed when we got there, so we got a bucket of KFC and heading to the lake for a picnic and some sunny fishing from the lake shore. He had a ball swimming...and an incoming boater even took him for a short boat ride!
The next morning he was finally able to see that BIG fish and was so excited. It is such a treat to view things through the fresh eyes of a child. We also went to the Wilderness Walk, where he was able to pet deer, baby animals, and even a camel. It is a wonderful learning place for children, and such a relaxing place to walk through the woods while seeing spotted fawns following their mothers and read the informative signs about the trees, glacier formations and ecology.
I returned a dusty, sleepy boy back to his parents 30 hours later. They are fantastic parents and have done such a great job of raising a well-mannered child. I couldn't believe hearing him apologizing to my sister when he dripped some of his yogurt on the tablecloth, and asked for a cloth to clean it up! After 30 years of working with kids, I didn't think I would enjoy being around on so much....but he is special....MY GRANDSON!

TORNADO!!!

One thing you know for sure in July in Minnesota.....those warm, humid days often end with a storm. Yesterday had a beautiful sunset....but then the storm warnings started flashing across the bottom of the TV screen....and when the beeping announced a tornado 1 mile east of Blackduck, and I was sitting one mile west of Blackduck....well, it made for an interesting evening! Luckily, all we got was a spectacular lightning show but avoided the hail and wind that hit around us. The weather will continue to be erratic the rest of the week.....hot, humid days followed by storms at night. Hope it settled down before the horse camping this weekend!

INDEPENDENCE DAY

When one is single, a realtor, or a nurse, many July 4ths are spent working or alone. We convince ourselves that it is just another day, and watch faraway fireworks from the back deck or a hospital window.

A friend just told me that I am now living the good life. I hold my breath when I hear this, as there is no guarantee that life will treat you gently as the years pass. At this point in my life, I am enjoying retirement with relatively financial security (as long as I remember I am a retired schoolmarm on a fixed income!), fairly good health (ignoring the issues with my eyes, joints and heart valve!), a family that is also fairly healthy and happy, and wonderful friends in Arizona and Minnesota. I find myself treasuring each day that I am able to enjoy the beauty of nature, and activities that I enjoy.

And so another Independence Day has come and gone, and it was a perfect day. It began with a clear sunny day with a soft breeze. The resort has an annual flag changing ceremony, and as that bright new flag fluttered at the top of the flagpole, I caught a lump in my throat as I noted the salute given my one of the residents, a veteran who fought battles in WWI, and is now fighting the battle with Alzheimer's.

After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to that new flag, we were invited for rolls and coffee on the deck of one of the park model homes, and Wylee made his rounds for treats.

One of the joys of living in a small town across from the golf course, is that it is so easy to hop in the cart and drive to the first hole....which we did with three guys and me. I am a hacker golfer, so was very flattered that they insisted that I join them, and were patient with my hooks, slices and duffs. They were also very generous with praises when I would occasionally connect for a good drive or putt....and even offered some helpful pointers.

Not done, yet! The customers from the resort all met again at the Hillcrest supper club for their special BBQ of turkey, pork and beef. And as we sat out on the deck enjoying the view of the lake and cocktails, a small canon that had been beautifully made by a local retired welder was fired.

And there is more! We took our full tummys back to the resort to relax in front of a bonfire and to watch a spectacular sunset over the lake. And as dusk crept in, the fireworks began. I brought a family pack to set off, and there were other displays shooting up from across the lake, at the park, and at the neighboring resort. Finally, we used the glowing coals of the fire to make smores, and then said our good nights.

Before ending the day, the nightly game of Gin 13 was played, and I ALMOST won. And midnight arrived as we shuffled the cards, and my 61st, and perhaps favorite, Independence Day passed to memory.

Not every day or holiday will be as we would like it to be, and loneliness and disappointments cannot be avoided. But we need to enjoy and appreciate the moments.....and this memorable day was one of those very special moments.

Happy Birthday, America!

MINNESOTA FISHING

Back to Minnesota and enjoying the lakes once again. Have caught some nice walleyes, perch and bluegills, but the real fun was bringing in this 34" Northern! And, of course, half the fun is being competitive with the guide. Who do you think won????

BACK IN MINNESOTA

I have now been back in Minnesota for a week. I have heard horror stories all winter of the terrible winter and cold, wet spring they have endured. But this weekend was my first camping trip and trailride, and the weather was a sunny, breezy, 74 degrees, so maybe I have brought the sunshine up with me.
I had dreaded the long drive up pulling a horse trailer and paying for the inflated gas, but we make it in three days, and were able to get up in a short interval between floods and tornados in the midwest. My friend, Ginger, flew down and spent a few days soaking up some sun, sightseeing, and then helped me pack up and drive north. As she also has a living quarter horse trailer, she was great to help with the driving. We drove from 7am to 7 pm and stayed at nice horse facilities in Albuquerque and Kansas City. We paid between $3.74 and $4.86 for gas, and I had a tail wind, so got better mileage then I had figured on, so that was great! Bart trailered well....I was worried about his not wanting to load, but had no problems.
So now I have been back a week, spent some time with my son, daughter-in-law and grandson (including his sleeping over in my camper one night!), caught up with the news with my friends, and left Friday morning for a weekend of camping and trail riding in Red Wing. The trails were slippery from all the recent rains, and blocked several times from trees fallen in the storms, but we were able to navigate around or over them, and all went well.....with the exception of Cindy being thrown from her horse and getting a trip to the ER (thankfully, nothing was broken), and Orrocks horses getting loose and ending up on the freeway, where a helpful motorist helped catch them. So....now home, unloaded, Bart is rolling in the sand of the arena, Wylee is sacked out under my table, and I am cleaning the trailer before loading the car to head north tomorrow. The summer is off to a great start!!!!