Into the Cold~!

Farah unimpressed~

The morning wasn't too bad...  by noon I decided that with any luck at all, I might be able to get in a loop up at Victoria.  Farah needed some LSD & hills would help too.  It was 1 p.m. when we arrived at the parking lot to find a truck in the horse trailer parking.  I stopped at the porty potty... while inside, the door was attacked by a barking dog & his claws.   I'd left Farah in the trailer & was glad of it!  Peeked out the door to see what I would be confronting & found a black lab.  No owner - just the dog.  How many ways to say "mad"?!  I've about had it with loose dogs...

The dog headed back up the road & I unloaded Farah.  By the time I had the saddle on her, the dog walkers had returned to their truck.  I let them know how unhappy I was with their choice of parking places & loose dog!  They mumbled something & drove off.  I'd parked up against the trees at the far end - some "shelter" from the rain.  Had just put Farah's halter on her neck & was putting in her bit when she spooked & turned toward the front end of the Bronco.  Here was a woman standing not five feet from us!  She had been with the dogs & had evidently walked back up the road to "talk" to me.  This caught me off-guard & I'm going to be more careful to keep an eye on my surroundings when I'm alone.  She started in by saying that she was a dog trainer & that dogs did not have to be "on-leash", just "under control" on the tree farm.  I told her that barking & scratching at the Porta-Potty door was NOT what I would call "under control"!  She went on to add that horse trailers didn't park there often & that if they parked off to the side, that sometimes they got stuck etc.  I told her that the parking was for horse trailers ONLY& that the parking though empty when I arrived, could fill up quickly!  Finally admitting that the dog was Not under control... she left.

I thought I had my GPS set for the ride, but when I put it in my pocket to keep it dry, must have hit the off button.  Farah started out with her usual brisk trot.  Heading up the hill she wanted to canter & was so smooth in her transition that I didn't touch the reins.  A little further & we were into the snow!  At least 6" on the ground & more starting to come down! 

Bunny prints in the snow~

 We both enjoyed the canter in the snow, but the weather was quickly turning worse.  By the time we were climbing the hill below the clear-cut the wind had come up & the air with thick with fog.

Mt. Washington is over there~

 I wore a polar fleece vest, my Carhart jacket - then my Muddy Creek long rain slicker over all!  I was still cold!  My plan was originally to head up to the Monument, but with the weather deteriorating & no views to speak of...  decided to finish the loop & head back.  It felt like a good call.  We'd gotten in a ride & I was ready to get WARM!