Under Tin Bridge~

Farah & Destry

When I rode through Pat's yard last night - we made plans to ride today!  I hadn't been to Bracken for a while, so that's where we headed.  First time in a long time that just the two of us have ridden together.  Our mares actually got on well - Destry can really walk out & Farah enjoyed some training on being in the rear!  At one point when Pat was teaching Destry to collect up, I asked Farah & instantly got a response!  She settled in today & really seemed to enjoy going out with a friend.

At the Stillaquamish

We took the long way & headed to the river.  From there I wanted to go far enough to see Tin Bridge - since the water is so low.  A little higher than it has been with last nights decent rain.

Pat & Destry

It's hard to believe that Destry is already 17-years old & that Pat was riding her dam when I was riding Alexi.  How the years have flown by...

Tin Bridge

It was pretty dramatic to see the bridge from the river bed!  A view that's not often seen - if it's ever been, with the river at historic lows...

Nice current still~

We stopped here for quiet a while, the sound of the water so soothing...  Farah almost went to sleep - until Pat saw a piece of wood sticking under the back edge of her left front shoe.  I tried using my hoof pick, no luck.  It was really jammed in under the brand new shoe.  Next - I pulled out Dad's Leatherman tool.  We'd bought it for him many years ago & I found it still in it's original box.  I've carried it on my saddle since - today saw it's first use.  Pat pried, I pried - we took turns...  Finally we got one piece out that would have pierced her frog...  We kept at it & finally got the final piece out!  Both horses just stood (Farah on three legs :-) enjoying the perfect day.

Looking up~

We started back, crossed the bridge & had our lunch at Cloverdale.  There - we found that someone has been working on the Whitehorse - pink paint sprayed in spots - & the trail is being hacked through!

Lots of Japanese Knotweed...

We started following the path - & I use the term loosely...  We soon came to a section where there was a deep ditch mostly hidden under the weeds.  Farah's rear dropped into a deep hole - she pulled us out.  At that point we could get up onto the rail bed - wisely deciding to turn back.  With the meeting coming up this week - after having summer off, I'm anxious to see how the schedule looks - to get this section in!

Stunning Vine Maple

Heading back, this vine maple gave us the first taste of what I hope will be the blaze of fall colors to come.  Since the leaves have been falling for weeks now, due to the drought - it will be interesting to see just how much color we get.

Farah came back relaxed & happy - as did we!  My favorite time of year to ride, I hope the weather give us both badly needed rains & those bright, crisp days of Fall!

Another "Square" loop!

At the creek

Today Joyce & I met at Bracken & we took the way out that we usually don't - which put us at the creek.  Beautiful & shady on what was to be a very warm (hot) day!  Joyce - as usual had a great ride plan - we headed for the river & from there down the Whitehorse Trail toward Arlington.

Along side the Stillaquamish on the Whitehorse Trail

It was obvious early on that today was going to be hotter than either of the last two.  The humidity was up close to the river, but now & then we'd get a nice breeze.  The rock was a little more compacted in spots - but still heavy going.

The Green Wetland~

The large tree that had slid down one of the banks had been removed, but the trail will need to be brushed before too long.  It's still not getting much use & won't - until the surface issues can be addressed or mitigated with another layer of rock that will settle what's there.

Joyce & Jesse admire the trail~

It's such a beautiful trail - with the trees arching overhead & the dappled sunlight.  Before too long we came out to the start of trail, where it splits off from the Centennial Trail.

We come to the Arch!

At this point, we turned north & headed up the Centennial Trail.  There were a few people out walking & one lady jogging with a baby in the stroller!  There was a blanket flapping & both our horses thought that might be worth a good spook :-)  She looked up, stopped & opened the blanket that she was using to shade the baby boy inside.  Farah had to take a closer look, but when she realized that the baby didn't have any food, her interest waned :-)  This Mom, out jogging with the baby - had twins at home!  I can't imagine what she must do with her spare time!

Finally at the Bryant store, we turned onto Grandview Road.  No shoulder to speak of & lots of traffic as usual.  I put Farah into her medium paving trot & we trotted all the way to the small road that took us off Grandview & eventually onto the trails back into the tree farm.  Sweet relief & shade too!  All together it was about a 12-mile Square loop.  By the time we were back at the trailers, we'd both run out of water & were ready cool off! 

Hazy Day Sunshine~

Joe with Jesse, Target & Joyce on Tin Bridge

The day started out looking cold & foggy, but within 30-min. the sun was breaking through the clouds & I was to meet-up with Joyce & Joe at the Bracken Rd. trail head.  The sun felt So good, Farah was happy to see her friend Target & knows Jesse - but prefers Target :-)  Much better behaved today - thank heaven!  She'd worn off her own edge yesterday.  Ten days off, smart enough to not go ripping around the pasture to release her extra energy - she'd just bottled it up!  I did have a little talk with her this morning - but what fun to do some nice trotting all three horses working so well together!

The Stillaquamish - With WATER!

Joyce wanted to ride over to the river & see what the water level had done since the week + of rain.  It was up!  Really good to see - not where it usually is - but a really good flow.  Lots of fresh snow showing up on the mountains too

Grazing break~

We hadn't gone far when the clouds moved over the sun & the temperature dropped.  We went to the current end of the Whitehorse as it heads east toward Darrington.  The valley is so beautiful, it was very quiet.

Our way back toward Tin Bridge & Arlington

Joe was telling us that in years past, this valley was used for Civil War reenactments - that would have been fun to see!  We made good time, stayed on the dryer trails & covered some ground.  Once back at the trailers - the sun returned :-)

I'd failed to schedule Farah's first of the year vaccinations - so called Dr. Essex as we were leaving on the chance that he could do the deed today.   He could!  So,  we headed to the farm, for the first time in a while, to find it humming with activity.  Lots of horses home from the track, Kisses flying down one of the big pastures - tail flagged!  Our friend & top track groom Manuel, soon had Farah ready for the "pokes" as Grandson Mason called them!  That done - Polito asked if he could sit on Farah so that his wife, (visiting from MX) could get the photo of him on her - that he's wanted for a couple years now.

Polito on Farah

Farah was happy to oblige.  Dean said that the way Farah draws attention is similar to the way men feel about blonds with large chests :-)  Well...   We all decided that analogy would work - since she is blond & does have a nicely developed chest :-)

A note regarding vaccinations - I asked Dean today about people who say they've had a "bad reaction" with vaccinations & no longer vaccinate.  Part of what he shared with me was to say that the drug companies have refined many of the current vaccinations - that they are safer & more effective than ever before.  You not only protect your own animal - but help to protect all the animals that come into contact with yours.  With proper vaccination protocol, the track has dramatically cut the amount of horses that get sick.  It's the responsible thing to do~