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Sunday, August 28, 2011

Normally its all BUT the kitchen sink.

Most women pack everything but the kitchen sink, in my case I'm packing TWO.

With life, with packing, now with camping off the horses... I am always thinking of double duty for anything and everything I spend my money on.  This time it is called the kitchen sink.

One of my major worries for this trip is water.  I am going to be forced to ask people for water along the way.  Having said that, what would I put water in, and it be small enough to carry on the back of a horse? Large enough to hold enough water ( horses drink at least 2 gallons of water a day, with exercise it will be more)   The Kitchen Sink of course.

All ready I have started my serious research on products, bags, tents, rain gear... me and horses... etc...so
I was in REI ( Love that place!) and saw it a 20 liter kitchen sink for camping!   I got one to try, because it is relatively light and folds down to about the size of a breakfast plate.  My little boy is just VERY picky about his water and ? containers?  He hates buckets; I think he hates hitting his head/ eyes drinking out of a bucket.

I rode to the cafe down the mountain today.  Yes the one Wayne suggested to me on Facebook.  It was only 8.8 miles  (17.6 round trip) down the road but it was all I could do because of SEVERAL things...

Really it wasn't that bad, just a lot to take in.

My day started off normal enough, Navarre broke open a hornets nest, so he was bucking, kicking, throwing his head while I was getting stung and trying to stay on, handle Sweet Pea and get out of the curve.  I was only 1/4 mile from the barn and it was a great wake up call!   It's going to be one of those days a little voice in my head started to ramble... those days... a day... not today... yep today for sure!

Not 2 miles away from the barn that metal sound no horse person likes to hear! a shoe... a rear left but only in trot , so we're walking today.  It got a little worse but I walked the rest of the way.

There were a few fits from Sweet Pea, it was just the three Harleys still in my lane buzzzzzing by us and as if we weren't there.  This brought out the whites in her eyes that never went away.  She was wired the rest of the day, yelling for a herd of horses within a mile of finding any down the road.  She was difficult but it wasn't something anyone could blame her for. The good thing to remember as I mention all this buzzzing , is rarely are there Harleys on the road in January.  Goldwings on occasion with all their electrical gear, butt warmers, hand warmers and plugs for anything else you can imagine; but no deep sounding glaring shinny monsters called a Harley.

Poor Sweet Pea I was making her life a little difficult today!   I took away her lead mare status, and was riding Navarre as lead horse, this alone was enough to upset her beyond repair.  But on my trip I will have to switch who is carrying the pack and who I ride from day to day so neither is worn out from the weight the pack animal will have to carry!  It is different for a horse to carry an object that keeps no balance and packing  it is an art I will have to learn.

Today was only proof that I STINK at packing an animal!   I packed lunch for the horses, a 1/2 bail of hay, lead ropes, the sink for testing purposes, knife, etc... lots of tools ... today it was just STUFF, for weight, and practice.    GOOD THING I'M Practicing this months ahead.    I have a LOT not just a lot but a LLLLOOOOOTTTTT to learn.

Hay fell off, down the road only one more thing to add to the list.  But the horses were perfect! Standing not 3 feet off the highway unpacking, re packing, I was concentrating so hard I never saw the guy walking up to me.
He asked if he could help, and I took him up on his offer.  If you want to help you can keep that horse from eating grass!   He's diabetic and I can't do both.  The guys name was Zach, his wife's name was Amber and they had two little children, one in diapers.  So after I got Sweet Pea settled again ( I was hoping) I offered to put his kids on Navarre.    I said thank you so much, he stated that he didn't do anything!   Oh yea as if someone watching your children as you repair something is nothing!   You did me a HUGE favor... thanks so much.

As I was pulling off, a nice man and his grandson were walking down the road to us, each with a shirt full of apples.  Oh Thank you but they can't have them! I know..it almost sounds abusive! but all too true!  It sparked questions and then we exchanged stories as I stood in the middle of the road as cars passed us all quiet and slow.  His three horses ran up to meet us ( wanting their share of the apples no doubt) as we just chatted.    It was so nice, this is exactly what I love doing, meeting new people, each of these were helping and sharing.  This is what life is about! In that respect is was a GREAT DAY!

People were amazing today!  99% of road travelers today were so nice, slowing down, waving, waking up the kids in the back seat, snapping pictures of us ( if ANYONE has a photo of us... can you send it to me Please!) .  I actually had to flag a few of them to pass me etc... and today crossing a wooden bridge the cars in both directions actually WAITED for me!

I tied the horses up at the cafe, Sweet Pea called out the entire time I was there.

The ride home was hard, because I rode Sweet Pea!   She was so wired it was exhausting, but Navarre needed to be on the curb / in the grass and I figured I could handle it.  I did, but I don't want to have to do that all the time.    I know these days will happen on the trip as well so may as well get it down pat as much as I can.

a perfect end to the day... was Jerry took me out to dinner at a new place~  Thanks to my lovely Step-Daughter Gypsy!   Love you ! Thank you!   it was PERFECT!

short version.
found fold able container for water.
hard days ride.

Next post.
I figured out some things with traffic and horses freaking! Stay Tuned! I'm happy to share what I have learned.


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