Weekend Adventures!

This last weekend (Feb. 19 & 20th) we had some unseasonably warm weather, so I got some mule riding in! Saturday I met my friend Cara for a mule ride at Medoc Mountain State Park. Her horse is getting over a hoof abscess so she rode Sadie Mae. It was nice and warm but the wind was blowing like crazy. We rode on the side of one field and when the wind kicked up, I thought I was going to be blown off my mule. At one point, heard a cracking sound behind us, and the mules quickly scooted forward. When we looked back the top half of a tree had blown over! We were not in any danger of being hit by it, but it was nice to know the mules are quick to respond to keep us all safe! We rode in a different section of the park from the last time I was there. Some how we got off the park land, it took us a while to figure that out, and to get back. Seems the logging company also uses blue marks on trees like the blue trail in the park. I marked the map so I will not make that mistake again!

Sunday, I took Seven over to Jerry's to ride with the Pilot Group.

It turned into quite an adventure.

My cat, Shawn, thought he would like to come on the trail ride yesterday!! I got to Jerry's place, opened the living quarters door, to get my helmet, and there he was. I grabbed him and put him in the truck for the ride and then he drove home with me, rubbing all over me. He never acted scared of anything. Good thing that did not happen on a long weekend trip!! That would have been a big problem!

Three weeks ago, when we rode down a certain trail, I spotted a deer horn and could not believe that no one else stopped to pick it up. I was at the back of the group and decided that I did not want to stop and get it, I regretted ever since. Sunday we started down that same trail again and I promised myself that if is was still there and no one else picked it up, I would. We rode by and there it was! I could not believe some dog or animal had not dragged it off. Seven was really good and stood perfectly still while I got off, picked it up and tied it down. We caught up with the group again pretty quickly. Part of the way home I found that the deer horn was coming loose so I had to ride home with it in my hand..oh boy! That was a little tricky, but that is when it is all worth it to have a well trained mule!

On the way home, we took a trail that is not used very much. We came to a small creek with steep sides. By the time four horses had gone through it, the last horse was sinking up to his knees and it was too rough for the rest of the group to go through. I was the first to dismount from my mule! A few people rode over but most people got off and jumped their horses over a different part of the creek! Seven was not sure about it. He kept coming close to the edge and then backing off! Jerry got up behind him and just waved a stick, Seven jumped! Oh boy! 4 foot high and landing two feet further than he needed too! From the amount of excursion he put out you could tell he wanted to make sure he would make it! Glad I was not riding him, even if I could have stayed on for that jump, my head would have been cut off on the branches!

Reuben and Shawn check out the deer horn, Reuben licked his lips!