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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Life goes on.

There are times I wish time could stand still.

When I am in complete darkness on the mountain barely able to see my footing on my walk to the barn, then a bright light falls at an angle down to what will be the horizon, as the sun comes up.  A falling star.  I wish I could share such times with everyone, but few are up at my time of the morning, few understand the distance from light the mountain is, and the incredible night views me have around here.

When I am driving down the road and someone is kind.  Yep! In a car but the other person is acting like we were taught as children, to be kind to others and treat them the way you want to be treated.  It is a rare action in today's world but there are times I witness such nice actions and wish everyone could experience it.

When I am on my horses and the world is at slow motion, the traffic is not a big deal to the horses, and the three of us are in the moment enjoying our walk taking in what ever is around us.

I can only hope today is going to be one of those days you wish time could stand still.

Otherwise, I'm on my second cup of coffee and getting to work early as the entire B&B needs to be turned over today, and be ready for a full house again tomorrow.  Life doesn't stop! But I have those times I can remember when I need it to.

Much love to the world,
Amber

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Listening or stubborn?

Last night I was returning a saddle I borrowed from a friend; in doing so he felt I was building up this trip so I couldn't back out.  (And was genuinely worried about my safety. )

He continually said I wasn't listening because I didn't change my mind about going on the trip.  What he didn't realize is... I was listening, I was taking in every word he said, I was also thinking that is probably what my Paw Paw ( Maternal grandfather, and generally the ONLY man who could tell me what to do.)  would have been saying to me.   BUT as with everything else in my life that I didn't think Paw Paw would agree with, or he clearly told me he didn't agree with, AFTER I had done it he would tell me how proud he was of me. 

I know my friend is worried about my safety. 

I am doing all I can to protect myself, BUT I also have to have faith in humanity that people are mostly good, and will want to help me with basics.  I can't go through life worried about every corner I turn. I never do when I am in another country,( although I listen to my gut ) why would I do it in my own country where I know for the most part people are good, loving, and giving people.  Aren't we human? Aren't 

This trip has been on my mind sense I was very young.  I have always wanted to ride a horse on a LONG road trip.  It started as a kid when the wagon train would come through Joelton on their ride of the trail of tears.  When I was very young this occurred once a year, and I was always interested.   Then it became a trip from Family to family, whom are no longer with us... and I no longer live in Joelton...   SO it is still family to family, but now my house to my parents houses and old family home. 

I was listening to my friend, but at some point I also have to listen to my own heart, wishes, desires, and NEEDS.  I need to do this!  I need to know I tried, I need to know I can.  Why is it because I am not so fearful I am not willing to cancel this trip I am not all of a sudden listening to GOD?   Why is it because it comes from inside of me it is not from our higher power?   When did another persons judgement become MORE than mine instead of equal to mine.  And being equal... I am the one that has to live with my choice.  

I could be hurt, I could loose a horse, ANYTHING can happen.  But it can all happen just the same as I am training each day for that ride.  Life is going to happen! Question is Are Your Going to Live it? or are you going to allow others to tell you HOW to live it? 


P.S. Horses got all their shots again today, paper work is good till May, and they look great! We are SET! 

Monday, October 24, 2011

Planning... day one and two figured on paper...

Now I have day one and two figured on paper.
Getting out of a place with mostly interstates, no straight roads... is not the easiest thing I have ever done.

I have maps,
Sign up pages... actually I've copied and pasted it below!  please use this page or this link...
Sign Up to Help Page!

All to be posted SOON. They are scheduled to post on the 25th and 26th of this month.  keep an eye out

What is so nice is I can easily have them posted here as well.
Life is getting busier and busier each day.

Here is todays post on the OTHER site... for those of you who are not used to going there yet!

This page is VERY important...

I can only hope that we...( Meaning Me, Navarre, and Sweet Pea) can find what we need, meet good people along the way and make new friends.

I am hoping that at some point, someone will have the gumption to join me on my ride, trailer their horse to where ever I am on the trip or just join me for the day.  This was typical in early American life, but today people are too fast paced to enjoy a slow ride with only wind, hoof clacks, and snorts from an animal aware of its surroundings.

I open this page to ANYONE who wants to join me.  I will attach it to other pages along the way.  The other pages will be short distances I hope to achieve on a daily basis.  I do plan to post the days ride and the next two or three days rides as well.

So HERE I am inviting the world to join me anywhere along the way.  I do not expect you to bring a tent, sleep out in the freezing cold with me.  (But a thermos might be nice ...  just a joke I don't expect anything except kindness for my horses along the way.)


make a note here under comments... 
OR email me 
gypsyvanners@acelink.net 
piratesmate@acelink.net


I will gladly respond to ANY, ALL , and both. 
Amber. 

Sunday, October 23, 2011

ride yesterday.

the map for the ride yesterday was posted on the new site.

link to the site is... NEW TRIP SITE ONLY

link to the page with the ride map.... is... MAP...  While the map is yet another link IN that page... I extended the little ride into a 10 mile trip instead of only 5 miles as shown.  We went up the mountain, met a few neighbors, were snapped by passengers in cars out looking at leaves.  

It was so funny, they were hanging out of their cars as if they had never seen a horse.  Passengers leaning over the driver to get a better shot.  It was funny to see.

it is after all leaf season here!

While my incredible husband loves me, he trust me to do what ever I want and expects to like it!   I can only say thank goodness we have similar taste.

Here are our new decks... THREE in all
Above are the 12x12 and the step down ... 8x8

Below is the higher 8x8 that you step down to the 12x12.




Just an enjoyable shot of the country side around here.  I spent the day with the horses, Jerry spent the day on the bike.

Friday, October 21, 2011

New Blog for Ride only....

I tried and tried to put this blog as too many things.  It is not going to work!

As I sent someone the link to this blog I wanted to shoot myself in the foot.  Why am I trying to kill myself putting too many things into one silly blog?   Because that is really how life is, life is messy, full of crap you have to weed through to find what you want.  Then when you get there half of us are too tired to care what it is.

SO...
If you want to start from the beginning... I have created... this blog for the trip. Amber Navarre and Sweet Pea simply click the link above and it will take you there.  If you only want to copy and past, hopefully putting it in your favorites.  start here...  http://ambernavarresweetpea.blogspot.com/

The night was cold, and I should have been sleeping in my tent but instead I choose to sleep in my wonderful bed and snuggle with my husband all night.  Oh how I am going to miss these warm nights! I am doing my best to get used to the weather, but joints and body aches are quickly catching up.  I can now understand why far too many only lived a young life in earlier days.

It is hard to imagine someone in my family doing what I am going to be doing but without the good equipment I am going to be using.  Mostly animal skins to keep them warm ? oh how the tiny wheels in my mind start to spin.    I think I could have handled a life in Europe in the 1700's but not so much a pioneer woman as Wayne likes to call me.

The thoughts of this trip are daunting, but exciting.

Life... get off your "arce" and go live it.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

no title...

Yesterday got no better!
a 35 minute drive one way for shots and the place is closed? no notice, no warning on line.  Just one more thing to waste my time on.

I had guest to check in at 6 or 6:30 I was going to get there by 4:30 but they got there at 3 and as I was rushing to work, the car broke down.

AAA would not help me till the third call.  All three things very unusual.

Even Jerry asked... on a scale of 1- 10 how bad was today.  Only a 7 because while it was a crappy day it wasn't a horrible day.

All is well and today is going to be great!

Much love to the world and here's to one bad day. Today is going to be great!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Human or Animal?

It is one of those days...
A day when the animals know more than we humans.
Yesterday and today were very bad, a conflict of business practice with a company I had worked with, enjoyed the owners, and considered them friends ... considering we had discussed, wives, x's, children, bikes etc...

Today the conflict ended with? a sour note for both parties.  A note I am not clear on, did not see coming, and ? have only one one idea of my wrong actions.

I take this anger and confusion to the barn, as this is where I normally breathe in nature, my horses, and beauty of fall sounds, colors, and energy.

I loved on my Mare, some simple strokes along her body lines, a gentle kiss on the jaw bone. I was calming down when she ran off, turned around ... ran back to me, did a 180 and kicked the snot out of me from two yards away.

She could have kicked me well across the barn yard, she could have kicked a leg, a rib, for all that my head...  but she aimed at my rump and landed her kick with perfection.  A nice large fleshy area of my body, so she would not kill me.

The point is... I am NOT a politically correct person!  I WAS raised to be a proper little girl, and only learned my solid back bone from a prize winning manipulator that showed me how badly I needed to stand up for myself, as he pushed me to my limits.  Of course the pain and the agony took me 10 years to develop the thick skin I have now.  I play life more like an animal than I do a human.  ? What you ask.  Yep.

You do something to me, you confuse me, by sending me mixed signals and I'm going to ... stand up for myself and give you back what your sending me.

The difference comes in, when I lash out, and let someone know where I stand, where my line is.  I'm done! I go on with my life, I go on with the relationship providing we both stay on our side of the line!

I'll go back to the barn, I'll go through the same routine as I always have and neither Sweet Pea or I will ever point a finger at the other with this mornings issues.  Humans on the other hand sit in their agony, throw in their own emotional "crap" and make it all into a much larger situation that it is.

Animals play life fairly so each can survive as long as possible. Humans do not; they are out to kill who ever gets in their way no matter what it does to the rest of the world.

I'm not sure what happened to the world, society, and work ethics; but I like knowing where I stand with someone (or something) instead of reading between the lines, where most can NOT read it correctly.

Monday, October 17, 2011

the butterflies...

I'm getting more anxious about my little trip.  ( excited about Ecuador ,but anxious about Nashville? )

I'm getting more and more together in terms of roads, but I'm getting more and more worried about begging for water and people allowing me to camp in their yards.

I am sure I will feel better after I am on the road, Get a few people to say SURE no problem. etc....


I have no disillusionment this is going to be easy, I am sure at some point I will want to quit along the way.  But I've got to get it done and not feel like I have failed at a simple task put on that to do list as a teenager.  how can I encourage kids to do ANYTHING if I as an adult don't do the same?

this week is perfect for me to do some good practice with the tent etc... high in the low 50's and lows in the low 30's this week... I'll be sleeping outside.

Now as gross as it sounds... a toilet is my next real issue. ? oh what to do !

Any GOOD ideas from any real campers out there!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

ER visit, due to horse. NOT ME!

Not me, but even worse.....

My wonderful neighbor that loves Sweet Pea, but rides Navarre because he is the safer horse! got a taste of being a real horse woman today.

? We were out having fun, riding and seeing the mountain sides.


The day was PERFECT!


We put the horses in the trailer and went down the road. Crossed a side- less wooden bridge... * a big deal for both young rider and young horses.


Lily is SO good at this! She gives it no thought any more and Navarre just follows her signals...

We went up a gravel drive and followed the flags from a race earlier in the day back and around to the barn.


We were just about to meet up with David ... more people is always a good thing.


Horses love to stay together, I just wanted to make sure to allow Navarre and which ever horse David brought to smell each other and get it in their head who was going to be over whom so we could have an uneventful ride...

Sweet Lily ended up ? well OFF the horse on the ground in a moments notice... as it always happens. All I saw was Navarre's head all the way down, and her HIT the ground BOUNCING her poor little head HARD. I rushed off my horse over to her, ask her not to move, I was calling Mommy.

I called her mother, had her stay still till Brenda got there so WE could evaluate what we wanted to do.
NOW just note I would have called  911 BEFORE Brenda had I had ANY idea I need too.

Having said that! the "Judy" came out in me... Called Brenda, I really need you to come get Lily, she has had an accident, she is ok, but has ... landed and I am not moving her till you get here.

In the mean time I'm asking the poor thing a million questions,

Calling Brenda AGAIN... Have you left the house, bring ICE... swollen lip, bleeding,

Called David up the road, ask him to come help me. ? I am after all with someone else's child.
Brenda shows up, having been only down the road at the grocery store... frozen peas in hand... napkin... Such a wonderfully prepared mother.
Lily is ? fine gets up and walks to the car. ? I'm still worried but it does not appear anything is broken.  I was worried about her shoulder etc...

FROM WHAT I HEAR..
They got home , and at some point Brenda could not find her teeth!
I'm in panic over the phone when I hear this... She's 11 it's adult teeth... I can't breathe waiting for the next thing out of Brenda's mouth.
Brenda takes her to the ER...  Picture on FACEBOOK
Teeth are loose but will be ok. They were embedded in the lip!
LIP? THREE stitches, along with collecting SEVERAL horse stories from all the nurses and doctors in the ER, and pain medication for next few days.

From what we can figure... Navarre raised his head into hers and probably bucked
Last time Sweet Pea did that to me I had two black eyes and a knot on my head.  But I've never seen teeth disappear like hers did!

NOW all to Lily's GOOD nature, she says she was never in any dire pain.
I am told she told the doctors she will get back on the horse.
?
OGM

Thank GOD I never had kids! I worry enough with every one else's!
Oh just look how good she looks on him!
They were so cute together!


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

all about today.

cool weather has allowed me to get some good workout with Navarre. Lunging mostly but good all the same.  Besides he needs to work up his back muscles for all the weight he will be carrying on the road.

TWO birds in the house... sitting...
and I need to go check on the neighbors cat.
Then back to the barn once again.

Much love to the world
Amber

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Training

Today's work out was a lunge secession for Navarre, while Sweet Pea was allowed to rest and eat lush grass in the pasture.

What is in a work out?
For me... it is lifting heavy objects over my head, squats, lunge the horses (works my arms more) not to mention just the basics of brushing an outside horse daily.

For the horses... if they are not ridden they are lunged ... A Basic training tool in the horse world, I do both flat ground and hill side depending on the time I have and how Navarre is responding for the day ( meaning how his muscles are working due to the PPSM)

Other wise the horses and I go out for at least a good 8 to 10 mile walk about on the local roads, always ending with the good one mile up hill 8% grade back to the barn.

In the process.

This site has mostly been for my family and I staying in touch, it has evolved through the years and will now serve as daily grind of training two horses for the long walking trip to Nashville TN from Asheville.

I am going to do normal post but I have JUST this morning added a list of specific words, etc... that I will now add to certain post for the search engine for the blog.  It may not work as well as I had hoped but I am at the mercy of the computer and I am ... well stupid when it comes to computers.

I  hope to narrow down the search engine a little better this week.  I can only hope this helps those whom have asked about the blog out of interest of following me on my trip to Nashville.

Much love to you all for being so encouraging...
and THANK you for reading this... it often seems as no one does...

Amber

Saturday, October 8, 2011

time for blogging

With working several jobs, riding at least one horse a day I find very little time to put my words on paper, or even electronic entry. 

I am however taking off today from riding the horses as I am in the mountains with the guys...
You know that crazy group of K12 riders that has supported my life style for years now....  I have not shown up at one of these gathering sense Navarre was born, all my free time has been devoted to him, with all that is necessary to make my life easier in the years to come.

I do enjoy such a diverse group of people, I enjoy that with such a open group; as they do not see me as SOOOO out of the box that my life is unusual ill spent or wasted.  These are men that take a risk whether it be speed, financial advancements, or career choices.  It is nice to be inspired by such men.

Neighors are taking care of the horses this morning, and I will meet them tomorrow morning for a pleasure ride up the mountain by 8am. 

Decks are well on their way, as I will soo have a gathering place for friends and family at the barn, clear or clean of horses and their deposits.   All are welcome, just let me know if you are coming ha ha ha...

My time here today has been to read and catch up on ME TIME, something I have not had in a while.  Yes I have been home ... yes that is nice , but it also is tiring as I have several stops to make when home.  This is wonderful, as the trees are brightly colored over here and it is a visual taste of what is headed my way in only days I am sure. 

Clean air, sun shine, a good book to finish, and a chatt from time to time.  ( one guy low sided it... and needs new panels... not even his bike.   I'll call a few dealers later! so he has an idea of what he is in for$$$$ ) simple things... I don't mind doing for someone that needs a piece of mind, so he can enjoy the rest of his stay! ...

Loving my day hope you are.

Amber

Saturday, October 1, 2011

October

October: from octo, Latin for "eight"