Wind in the Trees~

After light rain most of the night, the morning dawned cool & damp.  By early afternoon - the sun broke through & the day warmed up!  The first of the week had been busy - so today was time to ride!

Foamflower~

On this trail, Foamflower dominated the ground covers!  Farah was happy that her usual spots on the trail held water.  We stopped by the Wetland - things here are looking like Summertime!

Wetland~

It was a quiet afternoon, only one other trailer in the parking area when we left.  We were just a short way around our loop when we found the Excavator parked as we rounded the corner.

Excavator

No shy - just forward motion, we were late for Farah's lunch!  On the trail to the monument, there were the remains of pine cones all over the forest floor!  Evidence that the Squirrels & maybe birds too are tearing the new cones apart to feed on the seeds inside.

Pieces of pine cones~

Out in the sun, it felt warm!  The humidity was higher today than it has been, muggy is the best description.  I'm trying a new fly repellent on Farah & it seems to work much better - even though I killed my first Bot fly as it landed on her neck.

Looking West~

Yesterday, I visited again with friends in Snohomish & enjoyed auditing as a trainer taught Scott's young mare to hobble.  Quite a process & the mare is so smart that she quickly understood.  I'm taking Farah again this week - such fun place to visit! 

From the Monument~

My first visit in a while now - where we had the place to ourselves.  Such a low key kind of day - I could have easily taken a nap.

Lake McMurrary~

There's something about this mountain...  I'm always thankful to be able to ride here & it's a real pleasure on those rare days we have it to ourselves~

Getting the exact bite!

We took our time & just meandered.  Soon, my trails from home will be gone & I'll be relegated to the tree farms, Lord Hill & the lineal trails.

Mt. Washington

I want to do more exploring on the Morgan Horse Club side & find another way around a gate with a deep drop off to the side.  The clear-cut continues to grow - so the challenge will be to find myself an enjoyable loop or two - where I can avoid the logging trucks.

Clouds over Mt. Pilchuck

Greens & blues ruled today - so much cooler than last July - I have to hope it continues.  We took several shaded trails.  At one point Farah stopped & pricked her ears - we both listened to the wind in the trees...  I love that sound & the breeze was the perfect addition to what was really a perfect day.

We Get Through!

Did someone say; "Warm"?  Well, it was!  The humidity was high too or felt so.  I was more than ready to saddle Farah up & go to see if I still had any trails left up on the hills behind us.

Our first obstacle~

 Our trail out from Pat's was somewhere under this pile.  With my hand pruners I managed to cut us around it - but have more work to do.

Final private yard~

 At the top of the hill, our neighbor here too, had been cutting trees & putting the limbs over where our trail goes along the edge of their yard.  We went between the tree limbs & the yard to get by.

"Our" trail~

 Once past the yard, we found our trail - as usual this time of year - no matter how much we'd had it cut back - new growth was in our faces.  I had my hand pruners out again - will have to hope that I can convince Butch to come up with the weed-whacker again.

Nice~

 Our favorite section - that has stayed mostly open - was.  What a relief, we could even do some trotting!  I didn't want to spend too much time cutting - since I worried that the big fir might still be blocking our way out.

Cut out!

 Yippee!  I was so excited to see it cut away!  With it gone - chances were good that we'd make it to the power lines.

Farah notices!

 In the shade of the woods, it was really nice - once in a while a breeze would cool the sweat.

Foxglove~

 Darn, a little blurry - but the Foxglove above was so pretty against all the green & growing in the shade along side our trail.  We got out on the power lines, then went north & did our loop through the little woods.

 

Seed heads at the wetland~

 Circling back, we stopped at the big wetland.  The water lily's are getting ready to bloom.  It's almost like visiting old friends when we stop here - especially since it had been a while.

Upper end~

 Farah consumed mass quantities of Reed Canary Grass - the cattails are holding their own along the edge.

Heading back~

 A refresher course was needed for Farah to remember that it takes a lot of  side-passing & halting for me to cut all the greenery out of our way & get us through :-)

Water in the Beaver Pond

 There were puddles of water on the trails & still a good level of water in the pond here.

From the top~

I could see the haze moving over when we were almost home.  The day seemed to warm up the longer we were out.  Even so - it felt so good to be in the saddle again!  We both enjoyed it!

Pockets Full~

Rain, quite a bit overnight, some this morning - then sunshine!  OK, everything could really wait & I really wanted to ride before the storms that are predicted for the next couple days.

At the outlet of the Wetland~

Saddling Farah, I used the new Stable Ride saddle pad liner that I'd cut to go under the wool saddle pad I purchased from Stonewall.  I'm still having issues with the pad slipping out from under the saddle & I hate that.  We headed out to the north, so many trees down now in the Development - that there's not much buffer left between the construction & my trail out.

Color along the power lines~

 The clouds were moving back in when we left home, once up on the power lines, the rain started.  I stopped to put my jacket on, no point in riding wet.  The colors were just stunning, both in the woods & along the power lines - even on a gray afternoon.

Into the woods~

 Debating which way to go, I decided to go through the woods on the crest of the hill, following the tracks from the ATV's.  Thinking about mushrooms & knowing that this area is mostly Fir trees, I had hoped to find some.  Since the last time we went through here, the trails were more established & easy to follow, Farah hit her trot & we whizzed around, making something of a circle.

Farah with her new orange rump rug.

 Joyce made us a rump rug out of the orange fabric that is used in hunting vests!  Very bright & hard to miss!  I did hear gunfire more than once, a huge doe crossed the trail in front of us, but she wasn't in any hurry.

The large Wetland~

 The rain just got heavier, but the air smelled so sweet & was so fresh - negative ions abounded!  Again - we did some moving out!  I got a Big walk, a smooth trot, seamless canter -  my girl was enjoying herself :-)

Rain drops on the water~

 We headed back from here, but once we were down on the lower trails, I decided to go check out a couple that have been blocked forever - you never know, something might have changed?

Chanterelles!

 It was getting dark, time to head home - when I spotted my quarry!  They were just off the side of the trail & after spotting the first huge one, I realized that I'd found the mother lode!  Did I have a sack on the saddle?  No!  This after using Linda's on Tue., & telling myself that when I got home - a bag would go in my saddle bag!  I wasn't about to leave them, I have fresh scallops for dinner tomorrow night & they would go perfect with them!

What to do?  I took off my rain jacket & filled the pockets!  Then - since the pockets were so full that I couldn't ride without my elbows hitting them, I just tied it to my waist.

Chantrells - home!

 By now it really was getting dark & we had to hustle to get back.  Butch was home ahead of us & he was wondering why - in the rain - my jacket was tied to my waist?  As I started pulling mushrooms out of my pockets, he just smiled :-)

Farah in Black~

Tacked up~

Now that I've decided on a Stonewall Sport & am currently leasing the Stonewall Classic, it was time to get the accessories to go with it!  It took three breast collars to get one that fit!  The first from Hought was too small, the second too big & I couldn't reach Gail to figure out the third.  I called Diana at American Trail Gear, who had one in the mail over the holiday weekend & surprise!  It fit!

My new reins, are identical to my old, except for the color.  1" wide & 6.5 ft. long just as I like them & work well with the running attachment with 2" rings - both made by Gail.  The headstall I ordered from Tory Leather - leather conforms to a horses head & is my personal preference.  I'm still trying different pads.  Today I used an inexpensive one that I found at Bony Pony, made by Cashel.  It's called a "Soft saddle pad liner" & works well with the shape of the Stonewall - fitting under the dropped rigging.  What I didn't like was that it keeps slipping out the back.  I'm going to end up ordering one from Stonewall & those don't cover the rigging.  That's why they have sheepskin on the back of the ring.  Jackie says that these saddles work best with only a 1/2 inch pad.

Another "Oh No" moment...

We'd gone right past the Cottonwoods that Butch had cut out for us & another mile when we came to this :-(  Too high to jump, too low to go under.  I busted up the hillside on the right, Farah followed, once up on top, there was a place to get over it - Farah did that - then I let her go & she made her way back down to the trail.

Tops broken~

Over at the far Wetland, we found a mess.  The wetland itself is totally dry - it's the first I've found that is...  Two of the big Cottonwoods that are along the creek, had broken off & their large tops crashed down. 

Dry Wetland~

What a mess & it will be interesting to see if anyone cuts them out - or if they're covered with water as the wetland hopefully fills again this fall & winter.  Either way - we turned back here.  Farah was in a nasty mood today...  Threats to buck, grunting - rushing - just generally ornery.  It has been a week since she was out - so maybe that was her problem.

Our way back up!

As we started up, she made a very strong threat to buck & got the stick!  Once at the top, she settled back down & we did our woods loop, until we were again stopped by another tree down across the trail...  I turned back - deciding to check out the big wetland.

Peace & Quiet

We made good time heading home, until we came to the tree & hillside to climb.  This time I just let Farah go.  She went right up the hill - a little too far up - but then looked, jumped over the top of the tree & crashed back down the far side in a rush!  That left me to just walk under the trunk & mount.

Once home, I untacked her & she hadn't even broken a sweat under the pad!  No waves on her withers, not a hair out of place :-)  I brushed her & turned her out - where she tore around the pasture, back through the gate, around the back yard & back to the pasture - bucking & blowing off steam :-)

Hot, Buggy, Humid & Overgrown!

Farah enjoys ripping the Reed Canary Grass

With any horse, it seems you have those regular rides, those good rides & some special rides.  This day - Farah gave me a really unexpected special ride!  Even though it was difficult, we both got torn up by the blackberry & attacked non-stop by the bugs - she stepped up to the plate & let me know that we're - partners!

Water still flowing out of the big wetland~

It was 89 degrees when we left home, hotter on the paving as we headed up to the trails.  (I'd wanted to attend Renegade this coming weekend, but with the heat - I had to ask myself why?  No fun for me or for my mare - to work as hard as I know she would have - in record breaking, sweltering weather.)   We both were more than ready for some trail time - at least leaving from home, I knew we'd have some shade.  What I forgot, was how overgrown things become by the end of June!

The trail is where?

Just getting out through the first section - took teamwork!  I'd pull back a blackberry vine with my stick, Farah would step over the ones trying to entangle her legs, then drop her head & go under the one I was holding up!  We'd had just enough rain this morning to drop everything down low.  The humidity was high & the bugs were awful!  I'd bought one of the masks that go over a bridle, but did I think to put it on her?  Not!  Between smashing the biting flies, getting snagged on the blackberry & the general miserableness of the weather - we still had an amazing ride.  We worked together!  My girl was on a loose rein, collected up - so strong & forward - her best ever!

Whether sprayed or dying, some of the Scotch Broom is dead & bone dry...

The ugliness of the dead invasive was both good & bad to see.  Good that some of it is dead, bad that it's so tinder dry.

Fireweed~

The beauty of the blooming Fireweed offset the dark, nasty brown weeds.  We went up to the top of our short loop & stopped in the shade of the forest for a break before turning back.

This wetland still has plenty of water - good to see~

Since this area is a Narnia for natural water sources & has been forever, it was good to see it holding it's own in this season of drought & record breaking temperatures.

Beaver's newer pond~

The Beaver's latest pond though - is almost empty.  It didn't look like anyone had been up here - so I don't know if this is due to the drought or not.  The little creek is nearby & still has water.

Everywhere she could - Farah would leap up into short bursts of speed & we got in several short gallops!  She was so forward today - walking along at 4.5 to 5 mph.  Fast enough that even walking we had a breeze!  :-)  This alone let me know that the Supracore pad is working for her & her comfort level has improved.

Dry view of Mt. Pilchuck~

Any remaining snow is long gone off the peak.  The neighbor's fields are turning brown, the quarry & logging operations outside town have changed the view.  Butch was home when we returned - I hosed Farah off, sprayed her down & she headed out to her pasture for a good roll.  Feels good to know that things are back to working for us!

Earth Day Ride~

Out on the trails~

It started out overcast, but cleared early!  I hadn't planned a ride, figuring after yesterday's clouds that today would be the rain - not!  Rather than waste the time to drive somewhere, I decided to ride from home - it had been weeks since I'd been up there.

Down to Star Creek, then back up the far side

The first thing I noticed, was how Green everything was!  It seemed like there had been an explosion of green!  With the temperature cool - we could enjoy the day without the bugs that have been hatching in swarms.

Native trailing blackberry~

It was another very, very, nice spring afternoon.  A lucky break between the cold & wet evening we had yesterday & the next round of rain that's supposed to come in tomorrow.

Far north end of my "loop"

I originally thought it would be a short ride, but it was too pretty out - so we kept going.  Over the years, I've enjoyed discussions with a variety of horse people on what the "perfect" age is for a saddle horse.  By "perfect" - the age that their brain actually kicks in & they become a reasonably sane ride.  Farah has matured mentally more this last year - than I expected.  Always a basically good girl, she still had issues - the bucking, the head tossing etc.  All that - at least when we're on our own - has disappeared this spring.  Another ride on a loose rein :-)

Beautiful blue flowers along the trail~

 We were trotting along when this bright blue patch of flowers appeared!  So pretty in the sunshine!  No idea what they are?

Busy Beavers!

I was amazed at the size of the trees the Beavers are taking down!  They're determined to get a decent size pond going before the dry summer!  I hope they get to stay!  Many years ago, they were all trapped & removed when the development was imminent.  When the economy stalled, my open space was saved yet again & the Beaver have had time to return.

My favorite wetland~

Someone was cutting down a few trees on the hillside at the far end of this wetland.  I pray that they stop...

Mt. Pilchuck

Seeing the ever increasing areas of clear-cut - sickens me.  Every hillside that I view from home & when I drive north to ride - is getting stripped.  One would think that this state would wake up & put a stop to it before it's all gone...