Rides, Drives, and all stuff in between

Per usual, there's much to report after a lengthy hiatus from blogging. In addition to the untimely demise of my computer - We've been riding and driving -- working with horses and every day .. getting closer to being prepared for winter. Hunting season has kept us from the trail for the most part... this weekend is the last of that.Zoe and I have been making plans excitedly for some new trail loops and of course our Christmas ride. 

There were a few days during which there was no hunting - while the transition was made from rifle to muzzle loader.... we took advantage and headed out with the Keri-T team... off onto some trail we have not been on in some time.  I snapped a quick photo of our new gear.  I bought an Equi-pedic saddle pad - which both Keri and I love... it is not quite long enough for the flaps of my London which is mildly disappointing, but the pad itself is super ! So much nicer and better than my Skito pad. 
Plus the memory foam inserts are guaranteed for life AND Keri looks lovely in that rich burgundy.  !!  I also purchased a backpack for snacks and serendipitous trail finds. Such as this awesome item I spotted alongside the road as I was trotting -- a candelabra made of deer antler !!  just sitting alongside the road ! It did not fit into the carrier so I had to tie it to the back of my saddle.



 

This trip we head up my property into the pine woods-  Moving in and out of sun and shadow.

Amazingly, when we took this trot out, the ground had not even frozen yet. After our long summer drought, fall deluge has created rivers out of forest trails. 

We river walk up the mountain - out at the top to pass down past Zoe's house on the other side, Where we have to cross the highway. 

Trotting across the highway, up Fletcher Hill Road - and onto the maze of trails where we are hoping we remember the turns we need to take to arrive at our destination.  

We took a couple of wrong turns, but finally found the one which led to the far side of the beaver pond - which has grown tremendously since the last time we were here. 

There's a more narrow dam up ahead... right where the trail used to be. Last time we were over here.. we were able to walk through the water and over the dam to continue on down this opening.  Now, there is a long wide dam to the left -- the water is considerably deeper - Keri says - No way. :)  We can hear a beaver gnawing down a tree somewhere pretty close.  Keri has never been fond of beavers. 

We have to peck our way through the forest to find an alternate route .. there is sun, but it's still brrrrr cold !


I have missed the trail with all this hunting foolishness.

Zoe and I are investigating GPS systems for trail. I have read quite a few reviews and am saving up for one. Snowmobilers and ATV'ers use them to find trail and also keep track of their voyages.... with the right model, you can see how fast you travel, how many miles you have been and find all kinds of ways through the brush. 




We exit out onto Pleasant Valley, trot up to Breezy Hill Road - where we find the road is iced over as it's so shaded and "breezy" :)  Back into the woods - cross the mountain for home ... always fun with Teasel and Keri. 

The last few weeks, Keri has a new 'favorite' riding partner -- not that Teasel will ever be replaced.. but Keri loves to go out with Elektra.  The one advantage of trotting out with Elektra is - she moves out with huge strides and loves to go fast... so it's easy to 'spur' Missy Keri into long canters and some gallops.  If you are banned from the woods - and have to repeat the same old 6, 8, 10, 12 mile loops - it's better if you can do it fast and furious :)  

Nimue has gotten out a few times also -- to keep her in shape. She loves to drive out with us.. and now I have her on the sales list so it's good to get her out and about on a fairly regular schedule. 




Yesterday -- I grabbed her out of the pasture and did the 6 mile loop as part of the Ride A Curly "Ride With Me" ... we had a blast !

I had purchased some jingle bells at the local dollar store with the idea of having Keri and teasel wear them for our traditional Christmas eve ride.  These bells are for hanging on your doorknobs around the house and NOT made for the rigorous trotting motion... we left a bell about every half mile or so along the loop, arriving home with 3 bells still attached. So much for that idea. :)

This fall - keeping with my usual practice of having several (many) projects going at once...  I have a new shed in the works and am enclosing the outdoor wood boiler room more adequately.   The shed -- this is an idea using something very different than any other shelter I have built in the past. I chose to put it in an area I knew was going to be nearly impossible to dig (by hand anyway)  for a pole style building.. with many roots and large rocks.

I used telephone poles as the base and built up from there.  I notched the base poles.

When the building is erected -- the notches will be on the inside facing each other. 

  Like so !  There will be a pole the horses will have to step over to enter the shed .. as shown here - but at some point I am going to fill the shelter with some sort of material as a base.  To be honest ... I am pretty pleased with the outcome of my attempts. 

I was not completely a purist with the whole post and beam style structure -- I did use very long lag bolts to keep everything together at the junctions instead of the old fashioned wooden pegs. 


While I was turning the lag bolts into the wood, there was quite a bit of screech and scritch sounds of the metal biting into the old wood -- the pileated woodpecker who lives out in the orchard evidently was aroused in some way over the sounds created.. and flew back and forth overhead answering every screech I made with the socket wrench... silly. Wish I had had my camera for that :) 

Here's the inside of the roof almost done -- and the siding partly on.  I am happy to report this shed was made with all materials that were hanging around somewhere on the farm -- recycled from another job... except I had to buy the lag bolts.   

Quite a few people have advised me that I would use a lot less wood if I would only better enclose my outdoor wood boiler room. SO --- FINALLY.. I started that project as well.  Again... I tried to only use materials laying around stacked in this building and that.  I took off what little existing front there was and started somewhat "fresh"...  This is a very old carriage shed... it is sagging a bit.. I jacked up one of the corners a little.. but really didn't want the job of making the entire building plumb and level so was happy with the 3 inches I got.    

I put a new sill in that section of bay. 

There are two plexiglass windows overhead -- all that is missing now is the door... which is assembled but still waiting to be hinged on.  The whole inside now is lined with plastic, roofing felt and insulation.... NOW-- to see if there will be any difference in efficiency.  It will be super if there is, but regardless - it was a fun project and looks a bit nicer.  You can notice my roadside find -- the antler art -- sitting in the little window.


So -- we've been busy at the farm with this and that.... more to follow as I try to catch up blogging before the year ends !!  


Enjoy ~