MINNESOTA vs ARIZONA SUMMER HORSE CARE

This is the first summer that I have spent the majority of the hot months down in Arizona instead of hauling Bart to Minnesota. Some adjustments needed to be made. Today I put up a sunshade on Bart's pen and hung a mister over his shelter. In Minnesota he would be in a big grassy pasture with many other horses. In Arizona he stays in a 20x20 pen with a shade shelter, as most of the pastures that aren't irrigated are all dried up, anyway. In Minnesota he has to endure a cold bath or hosing off. In Arizona the water gets hot in the hose, so has to be run for a minute to cool it down to bath water temperature.....and he LOVES being hosed off...even his face! In Minnesota he ate pasture grass all day, plus had a generous portion of grain mix twice a day. Here he was getting alfalfa fed twice a day...rich, leafy green stuff. That seemed to be a bit "hot" for this temp, so changed him to grass hay in the morning and alfalfa at night....and just a cup of senior mix with some wheat bran. In Minnesota I would be taking him camping with friends on weekends and for afternoon rides in the park. Here I go out at 6am for a 2 hour ride before it heats up, and would need to trailer up to Prescott or Flagstaff for some cool camping and riding....maybe next month? In Minnesota I would be spraying him to keep off the flies and mosquitoes, and checking him for woodticks. In Arizona I spray him for flies and watch for snakes when I ride! In Arizona I look forward to the end of August, and then to 10 great months of riding in nice weather. In Minnesota I dread the end of August, as frost...and gray...and snow...and ice...and freezing weather isn't far behind! But I do miss my wonderful riding friends in Minnesota....and the rides around the lakes....and the gorgeous fall leaves....and sitting around the campfires on a cool evening.....hopefully next year I can have the best of both worlds again, and head for Minnesota when the weather heats up, and back to Arizona when it cools down up north. My horse and I intend to be SNOWBIRDS!

BACK IN ARIZONA!!!!

The summer is over and I am back at my little home in Arizona. The last weeks were busy with good-byes, a wedding,and then a week riding in the Black Hills of South Dakota before driving through Colorado and Utah to haul Bart back for some desert riding this winter. The top picture is Bart and me at the top of an overlook....straight down a loooooog way behind us. The second picture is my last night in Minnesota, where my son, daughter-in-law and grandson met me at the ranch for a picnic, bonfire, and for CJ's last ride on Bart. It was a fun evening, but I will miss them. The bottom picture is with two of my riding buddies all gussied up for another riding friend's daughter's wedding. Hardly recognize each other when we get all dolled up and replace our Wranglers, boots and hats with our girly outfits! The trip down went well....beautiful country in Colorado with the snow capped mountains and golden aspens, and the arches in Utah, and the impressive rocks in Monument Valley, where so many of the John Wayne/John Ford movies were made. I drove 13 hours from the Black Hills to Grand Junction, CO the first day, and stayed at a beautiful show barn. Turns out the owner graduated with my college roommate's husband in Minnesota! The next day was a 10 hour drive to Flagstaff. The steep grades and sharp drops in Colorado were challenging.....I was driving 35 mph in low gear with the semis getting over those gorgeous mountains. The ranch at Flagstaff was beautiful and cool in the pines. A herd of elk walked through right behind Bart's pen, and it was a nice relaxing rest before the two hour drive home. Bart trailered well, and Wylee slept in his crate for most of the days. I came home to a welcoming house where Mom had fixed lunch and brought over my mail. So the week has been one of unloading the camper and cleaning it, doing lots of laundry, going through many emails and snail mail, putting everything away again, and getting Bart settled in again at the ranch. I rode him for the first time yesterday, and he seemed to remember his routine from last spring, and all went well. This morning I took Wylee for a long walk, swam and did aeronautics in the pool with Mom, and will head to the ranch this afternoon for a ride. And it is now like I had never left. It is good to be back among my 'tings and with Mom, but will miss my Minnesota friends and family. Hope they come for a visit this winter!

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!

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????