out and about

Spring is flying by, and really, I've been riding, but with no time to write about it! Mud and rain have given way to green and flowers, but this is fleeting, already some grass is browning, let it stay spring awhile longer…

this awesome tree watched us for at least 1/2 an hour, good patience practice.

My Spring horse has arrived in full naughty dragon mode. One still-drizzly day a two mile mellow ride turned into 2.5 hours of patience practice. I had the time, he had the energy, but finally I had four hooves on the floor, not dancing around, when I asked for a halt. A 4-beat walk and we headed home. Sigh.

crabby ears are crabby that favorite trail is under water

Another day Major was incredibly crabby that he did not get to play in the lake. The water has been rising quickly, there was debris everywhere, and it was hard to see where the edges dropped off. Crabby man felt like he needed to dash home to wallow in his misery. No, so we walked home, passed home, and kept going until there was some attitude change. I hate Spring horse sometimes.

poppies!

so many options, so little time

But we’ve also had great 18 mile rides in the canyons, dodging hikers, dogs and strollers on single-track trails. (Sadly, another addition to our last long ride was helicopters circling above us and recovery divers in the water,  looking for a person who jumped off the 700+ foot Foresthill bridge. Their body has still not been found.)

Foresthill Bridge

rocks are not fun

One favorite trail has been transformed by two years of rain and lack of trail maintenance, it’s now two miles of rock, like a creek bed. Major got a bit discouraged heading up this climb, but was rewarded at the top by acres of grass, dry trails and room to chase distant runners (or not, as I reminded him).

this doesn't get old

I'll take this view

I've been also having fun out on my own two feet: hiking to waterfalls, finding creatures and avoiding poison oak (without success).

gorgeous clover

waterfall looks tiny from far away!

garter snake is MAD!

black swallowtail morning warmup

My Spring dragon horse might be naughty, but gives me enough good times to outweigh the bad. And coming home along a poppy-lined trail is a pretty great end to any day.