Long-awaited Trail Ride

The horseback riders:  Laura, Maryann, Laurie, Barbara and Marianne

Barbara's horse Dusty is so laid-back that she can take hundreds of photos with her big lens. 

Bill and Laura enjoying a chat. 

Amber fields make for neat photos.  We were standing in front of the Boy Scout Jamboree Friendship Tower as Barbara took a group shot.  So, of course, I shot back with my cell phone. 

Maryann and Capone.  Capone usually performs in a horse show arena, but he seemed to really enjoy his experience yesterday at Farragut. 

 Laura saddling up April. 

All the pretty horses:  Dusty, April and Scout. 

Barbara and Laurie have gone "bling." 

Laura and Barbara dishing up the first helping of sandwiches and chips. 

Good talk; good sandwiches. 

Ahhh!  It's a wonderful life. 

Miss Lily with the storm in the background.  We, thankfully, missed it. 

Bill's trusty steed needed no treats. 

After a summer of nonstop activities, keeping us going at what seemed like a million different directions (get the hyperbole, Laura aka Swiss Miss?), we finally had an opportunity to head out on a trail ride yesterday. 

The weather was perfect, even though we heard thunder boomers and witnessed an ominous dark sky toward the end of our ride.  Except for an unexplained rain shower with deep blue, clear skies above us, we stayed dry through yesterday's area weather event.

Farragut State Park provided a wonderful venue for our ride, as it did for several other horseback enthusiasts yesterday.  Hunting season kinda limits the options, but Farragut is a wonderful place to take to the trails, whether you're aboard a horse or a bike as Bill was.

Our horses performed wonderfully with just a few little glitches, i.e., Lily does not like narrow trails or drop-offs.  Makes her nervous, so we avoided those wherever possible. 

What at first seemed like a swift kick from one horse to another was later assessed as a switching tail that simply landed with a slap.  All was well on that front. 

"The other Maryann," as we call each other, was thrilled that her Arabian Capone performed beautifully on his first-ever trail ride.  

And, Laurie, fresh off from spending a rather successful stint with her dressage horse Mani, was more than pleased with her Western horse Scout's first trail riding experience. 

Some of the more experienced horses---in their past lives---must have had to flee giant boulders rolling down hillside. 

That seems to be the only explanation for Lily and Dusty's reluctance to pass by the first few boulders along the trails, but their fears eventually subsided, probably because they were on level ground and those big rocks stayed still. 

And, Laura aka Swiss Miss, who learned about hyperboles yesterday, putzed along seemingly without a care in the world while riding April. 

Farragut's horse set-up is supreme with a nice outdoor arena, outdoor horse pens and picnic tables, along with a wide expanse of trails that could keep a sense of new scenery to virtually every route.

When the breeze intensified and claps of thunder started, we decided it was best to head back to the trailers where a great feast awaited us. 

Bill arrived about the same time from his bike tour, which took him to a couple of geocaches. 

 Using his Dutch oven, he stoked up the pulled pork, adding seasoning and sauce while we started our picnic with ham and cheese sandwiches between slices of 10-grain bread from the Mennonite Bakery in Bonners Ferry.

Then, it came time for the pulled pork on buns, and our tummies had plenty of room.  As we dined and sat back relaxing and reflecting on what a good time we had and how we have to do it again if the weather allows, our trusty and loyal steeds munched from their hay bags. 

I think we shall make every effort to get one more ride at Farragut before the snow flies, and I think it's important to plan because Bill sez next time the Dutch oven will be heating up some chili.  No pun intended!

Happy Sunday.