A Special Horseback Ride

 

It's a bond that began nine years ago when Marlo, from Salt Lake City, helped name CB.  

His registered name is Ravenwood CB Strong. 

CB stands for Cazzie Brown, Marlo's late father, an educator and popular football coach, who passed away nine years ago. 

 

Cazzie's memory lives on in many ways for the family, including through his namesake, a handsome Arabian gelding named CB. 

The bond between Marlo and CB enjoyed a new chapter yesterday when Marlo, her mom Heather, grandmother Beth, good friend Amelie and great aunt Sig came to my sisters' Tibbs Arabian Ranch where Marlo would ride CB for the first time. 

These family members are all what we love to refer to each other as the "outlaws," thanks to the fact that Marlo's great great Aunt Mary is married to my brother Mike. 

Over the past 50-plus years, as in-laws and outlaws, we've enjoyed a great friendship and many commonalities, including horses. 

So, once Bill and I rolled into the driveway and unloaded CB, we all headed toward the barn area where Laurie gave Marlo a formal lesson about horsemanship and CB. 

There was the grooming stage, the saddling up, then a stage where Laurie warmed up CB and helped acquaint him with new items placed around the edge of the arena. 

Once she had worked him both ways so that both eyes were familiar with all the potentially scary things, Marlo stepped onto the mounting block and climbed aboard her horse friend which she has visited off and on over the years. 

CB is smart and has become savvy enough to know that when a new rider climbs aboard, it's fun to test that person's knowledge of how to get a horse to giddy up and go. 

So, the ride started out slowly but revved up fairly quickly as Marlo learned from Laurie what level of assertiveness was most effective.

For the most part, the two had a great time with the maiden ride, but it was hot and CB eventually decided that the "scary" things should scare him so that maybe he could get out of some work. 

So, Laurie led Marlo through some new strategies to get CB back on track. 

It wasn't the perfect ride, but it was okay and loaded with some useful lessons to use in future get togethers. 

For all who were there, the ups and downs of the lesson paled compared to the emotional meaning of the experience. 

Marlo was at last riding the beautiful horse whom she helped name after her dad Cazzie Brown (CB). 

And, that was the mission of the day. 

Mission accomplished beautifully. 

Plus, we all had a great time visiting amidst the cats and horses  AND Marlo, now 16, wants to come back sometime for another ride.   

Great Aunt Sig labeled her helmet very appropriately for Marlo to use while riding. 

While people visited, some horses, like Chrome, cooled herself and provided some entertaining distractions. 

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

After the horse lesson came World Cup Soccer where the United States fell short 4-1 against Belgium. 

One of my former colleagues John Hastings and his family still enjoyed a lifetime high in the stadium as they cheered for USA.  

John told me that he entered a lottery and three months later had the tickets in hand at face value. 

John and his wife Nancy own All Seasons Garden and Floral on HWY 200 in Ponderay. 

With the planned holiday weekend festivities now complete, Bill and I are going back to a normal routine of working around the place and engaging in whatever recreation attracts our desires at whatever moment. 

It's definitely summer weather, but happily, so far, it cools off at night, so I'm not complaining. 

Plus, the summer is already loaded with lots of great memories, and we're, of course, looking for more as they unfold. 

Happy Tuesday. 

Sunday "Seen's"

 

                                                                           --AI Enhanced

The gate just past the horse corrals was open. 

That meant we were able to drive further than usual on the Trail Creek Road yesterday afternoon. 

So, we did. 

I reminded Bill about how we had walked that stretch a couple of times on past trips and how the first section with all the curves always seemed endless.

That area eventually opens up allowing views of Bald Eagle Peak and pretty mountainsides. 

It's a great wildflower year, we decided.  I've never seen so much Indian paintbrush, and the ocean spray this year seems more prolific than ever pretty much anywhere we go. Same is true for daisies, and fireweed is both abundant and glorious.  

The Trail Creek Road near Naples off HWY 95 offers one of our numerous annual driving routes to the back country.  

There's a pass a few miles up the road with some beaver ponds, connecting two drainages:  Trail Creek and the North Fork of Grouse Creek.

 

Before arriving at the pass, the route also includes some stunning views of the Selkirk Mountain range where one can easily see Roman Nose, Chimney Rock and Gunsight Peak. 

In some places are views of the Kootenai Valley north and west of Bonners Ferry. Yesterday the air in that area had a hazy, brown cast, suggesting that forest fire smoke might be drifting in from somewhere.    

I had mentioned looking for huckleberries when we left home but forgot to bring containers.  We did see ripe berries along the roadside and along the narrow, rocky trail down to the beautiful waterfalls on the North Fork of Grouse Creek.

The walk to the waterfalls marked a nice triumph for little Foster.  I kept a short leash on him at all times, and we walked both slowly and very carefully.  

The little guy made his way down the trail with no incidents.  He even drank from the creek and got his toes wet.  

As expected, the trip back up the trail was much easier for me and Foster.  I'm always afraid that I'll trip over a rock or root and fall on him.  So, the extra care yesterday worked well for both old lady and the elderly pup.  

We enjoyed the drive, which offered a change of scenery and some relative relaxation after the prep and the experience of all the holiday festivities. 

Annie and Sam went on their way to Montana for some visiting, fishing and geocaching, so the house went back to its usual occupants---two dogs and Mom and Dad Love. 

It's summer so life is still far from dull.  I have an insurance meeting this morning and then will meet Marlo and her family over at Laurie's where Marlo will ride CB.  Since she helped name him, the experience will be very special. 

I also see from the edible growth around here that berries will soon be ready for picking as will beans. That means the beginning of picking and grinning season. 

Plenty of stuff available for keeping busy these days. 

Happy Monday. 

                                                                                                                          --AI Enhanced

Holiday Album

 

Just an album today of some of the good times we enjoyed during our Fourth of July celebration.  

Dogs, horses, the folks next door and some family members are included. 

We welcomed Annie's friend Sam to our annual barbecue and to the lively Viking game of Kubb afterward. 

I enjoyed my annual UTV trip over to the Meserve Preserve where the group of moms, dads, kids and grandkids were enjoying their tasty Fourth of July favorites and, of course, each other. 

It was a lovely day, and I'm feeling confident in saying that a good time was had by all involved. 

Enjoy the pictures.