Dreamin'

I wanted to ride today & would have ridden with someone - if anyone - had wanted to ride with me.  But since I'd been wanting to get out from home all week - today looked perfect.  I love what trails we have left, especially so - when the landscape is coming alive with buds & blooms!  The birds were singing & flirting between the trees :-)  I must have been Dreamin'  though - since after the last big wind storm, I should have realized that the chances of getting to where I wanted to go - were - well, slim... 

The first one was hung up~

 No problem getting past the first one, nicely hung up between two trees.  Farah is still in her non-stop spring cycle - we had a couple discussions by the time we'd reached this point.  I've never seen things so wet & the trails were slippery too. 

Trail to the development gate~

 I didn't plan to go this way anyhow, it would have been jump-able.  Instead we went the usual way that takes us to the power lines.

Not looking good~

 I love this section of trail, we usually trot or gallop it.  Today though - the view was not good...  Farah easily jumped the first smaller one, but the next was huge!

Big Tree~

 Not only wide, but long - the root ball on the far side of the creek & wet area.  The top, hung up on the hillside & continuing up the hill unbroken.  I decided to try to clear enough limbs that it might be possible to take Farah up the hill, maybe find a place to get over the trees, then drop back down.  I'd done a lot of tossing, got up the hill quiet a way - just to realize that the ground was so soft, wet & littered with debris that it just wasn't work the risk.  As I was jumping back down - I slipped & caught myself just before making contact with the sharp end of a broken off limb.  Stupid & getting impaled would not have been fun :-(

Here you can tell there was a gap between the two trees~

 Farah was perfectly happy to be grazing, while I worked!  The grass is always greener don't you know?  I think she could have jumped them, but a mistake might have resulted in a hoof going between the two trees.  Instead, we did the wise thing & turned back.

I finally got bucking rolls last week from Gary Winckler.  Butch installed them & they work great!  No one had the black leather needed for the base of the rolls, but it will darken over time.  I kind of like the little bit of accent. 

Can't identify this one?

 There were many of the above Shrooms, sprouting up all around the area near the Cottonwoods. 

Salmonberry~

 The salmonberry blooms were glistening with rain drops...  The air was so full of negative ions - smelling so fresh, clean & springlike!

What is this?

 I don't care how many things you desensitize a horse to, there's always something :-)  We were coming down the edge of our neighbor's yard, on our little trail, when Farah stopped cold to check out the yellow float.  The wind had blown it from the yard, over to the trail.

Rain over Mt. Pilchuck

The sun was out most of our ride, it felt so warm!  But every now & then, a big dark cloud would roll overhead, the temperature would drop & we were drizzled on more than once.  One of our shorter rides, but the weatherman is promising that next week we'll enjoy days & days of sunshine & warmer temperatures!  Overdue I say!