First Ride of 2013

Find the shoe?

I wanted to ride today, but the weather didn't look promising this morning.  So - I decided to wait & see if the afternoon weather improved any & it did!  Saddling up with a plan - to retrace my last ride & find my glove & Farah's shoe.  No luck with the glove, but we did find the shoe, right where I knew it would be!  It wasn't even bent!

Wetland to the north~

 Years ago, we used to actually be able to ride from "our" trails all the way over to what would eventually be the Centennial Trail.  It took a lot of work, brush whacking, water crossings, roads to cross, you name it - but it was always a fun adventure.  Since the woods have been cut down & civilization has encroached further & further away from the towns - into the countryside - fences have gone up.  Even under the power lines & across the easement, more fencing.  Homeowners that moved into the houses built on the west side, have put up no trespassing signs.  I don't know if they are able to lease the land or exactly what the status is with the power company.  It seems to me - that to loose right-of-ways that have been in use forever is a sad thing.  Especially, since I see the area used more as a dump for discarded tires, broken cars, construction junk etc.

Trails to paving~

When construction signs went up several years ago, after a lot of logging had gone on, anyone who was familiar with this area was sick.  We went to court & fought as hard as we could to stop the development, but to no avail.  Finally, the paving went in...   Then - things came to a crashing halt, as did the economy.  It's been gated, fenced, locked & left.

As we come out to the Power Lines

We manage, going between whats left our our old trail system, some of the paved roads (Where sadly more houses will probably someday be.) & through open gates, or around closed ones.  I'm thankful to still have it.  Now, with the GPS & ability to "see" where we are & what's between us & the Centennial Trail, it would be an interesting project - to see if we could manage to get there from here :-)

Ms. Farah is enjoying our solo outings, she easily & effortlessly walks along well over 4 mph, then we do some galloping - which she loves!  Today - I let her kick it up to 21 mph.  Using the snaffle is a bit more challenging (pardon the pun) but when I ask her to start slowing down, she listens.

Next, to ride the trail & get it mapped with my GPS again.  Then - some time on Google Earth - just curious as to whether I could plot a route!