July 31, 2051 Excitement & Synchronicity

Ready to ride.

RJ's cabin where he is doing
more remodeling.

Wednesday 7/29. Just realized that the book I was reading, Ironhorse, was not written by Robert B. Parker, but one would never guess.  Robert Knott wrote it after Parker passed away. Knott also worked on the screenplay for Appaloosa.  One of the best westerns ever made.

I think every bird who was Up Here drinking out of our bird bath has told every bird they know about it.  Yesterday evening we must have had 100+ birds flying around at Rose Camp.  And this morning it was so noisy with bird chatter that we almost had to raise our voices to be heard!

Couldn't sleep much last night with the excitement of riding horses today.  We were on our way at about 9:30 am, me on Molly and Bud on Rusty.  And, silly me, Rusty is not just a pied - he is an Appaloosa.  We rode up the road to the canyon near Larry and Elsie's.  I had never been that way but I knew that the trail/road came out at RJ's cabin.  It was quite overgrown for a couple hundred feet, but we came out to a clearing through which the road wound around and up to RJ's.  I gave Bud a tour of the place, and he was properly impressed.  Then we rode up the short cut to Rose Camp where we rested and ate lunch.  

And if all this weren't enough excitement for one day, while we were there, Larry called to say that the police were chasing a possible murder/robbery suspect up the paved road and into the area just to the east of us!  A helicopter was circling for quite a while and then disappeared.  Well, I am always packing, so. . .

We took the road all the way back to Mrs. Gridder's and were gone for a total of about four hours.  Four heavenly hours.  Everything looks so much better on horseback.  Just being around a horse mellows me out.  And the fugitive was caught way to the east of us.  Turns out he was just a thief, no murder involved.

We got the horses unsaddled.  Gave them a good brushing, along with some apples, water and oats.  Then we went into Mrs. Gridder's who served us ice cold water and snacks.  By the time I got back home in Miss Kitty it was after 3:00 pm.  And, again, couldn't wipe the smile from my face.  I absolutely belong on a horse.

Our high for the day was 80, but the ride was very comfortable as we were often in the trees.  It didn't get too warm til we got back down near Larry and Elsie's.

In going through my family records, I came across a diary my Mother kept the first summer we spent at the Forest Service Guard Station.  I was about 14 months old and, thanks to my Grandfather, I loved horses.  The Forest Service always had a horse for the Ranger which my parents took care of and my Father used.  My Mother wrote that she would put me on the horse and walk it around to my utter joy.  Then I would scream when she took me off.  The horses name?  Rusty.  Synchronicity at work. . .

Thursday 7/30. It was 68 with clear skies this morning and a little breeze.  I had to leave for Down There by 8:15 for an eye exam and a few errands.  My eyes haven't changed much, except for the cataract in my right eye, so I opted not to spend the money on new glasses.  I will most likely be having cataract surgery next year anyway and then the insurance will help pay for new glasses.

The temperature was supposed to climb to 100 Down There today, so I wanted to be back home as soon as possible.  I made it back by 12:30 pm.  So glad to be home, but now we both have to go back down tomorrow for JB's check up on his pace maker.  And then again on Monday to take his Jeep in for some work, and Tuesday to pick it up.  I will be so glad when these many trips are over.

Thought for sure I would be sore today but I am not.  I just belong on a horse.

I got the invitations to our annual Rose Camp BBQ ready to mail tomorrow, along with my letter to John Hancock in response to their very lame response to my complaint through the Washington State Insurance Commissioner.  That company is completely devoid of any sort of customer service.

I picked our first tomatoes this afternoon, three small ones off the Rutger's bush.

Our high for the day was 86, and tomorrow is set to be even hotter.  JB's appointments are not until early afternoon.  Can't wait.

Friday 7/31. The skies are clear and at 7:00 am it is already 78 outside.  Not going to be a fun day.

Thought for the day: What I like to do is do - not the fact that I did.  It doesn't excite me.  When people start to think that what they did in the past is perhaps even better than what they do now, they should stop. Karl Lagerfeld