Free Range Rodeo

Branching Out

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Sea G Rhydr

OK – I did it. I caved to peer pressure, drank the cool-aid, donned the uniform – I started a Free Range Rodeo Facebook page. I’m a total neophyte and still sort of stumbling along, but since so many people have suggested that this is something that will be really really helpful I am feeling at least somewhat hopeful that it will prove to be a good thing. Meanwhile, I am struggling with such basics as adding photographs…

Speaking of photographs, I went back and added a bunch to the most recent post – so if this post is showing up in your e-mail, you might want to visit the blog and check out the new photos.

I’ve wanted to have a way that people could share photos they’ve taken of the Free Range Rodeo along the way – and I’d love it if that could start happening on the FB page – if you do have fun photos of the Journey (no matter how far back) please post them!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged cedar park keep, facebook, microcastle, networking, peer pressure, photos | Leave a comment

a little rain…

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Sea G Rhydr

Into every life a little rain must fall…
And after 15 months on the trail (and over 20 months riding Jesse James) I’ve taken a fall.

Gryph returned to California on the 2nd (a week ago) and I continued on with a herd of three. The first half hour out was a bit of a mess as the ponies and I sorted out how this was gonig to work. I had two lead ropes in my hand, a packed mare at the end of each one and none of us had a clear idea of where the lines (or the ponies) should be. Adding to this, we were heading out a long gravel driveway and none of the ponies wanted to walk on the rocks. Nobody fussed much and gradually we came to a working arrangement: Sea on Jesse with the reins in her left hand and two leads in her right. The shorter rope is attached to Finehorn (walking next to Mr. James) and the longer rope between them leading back to Luna Jack – who walks with her nose between their hips. It’s compact and simple and Fast! The big surprise with the new arrangement is that we’ve picked up the pace by at least 1/2 a mile per hour since Finehorn (who tends to dawdle) isn’t about to lose ground to Luna Jack and she marches right along, encouraging Jesse James to keep a brisk pace since he’s supposed to be the leader. Brilliant!

Day one the weather was cold and I had no leads on a place to stop for the night. The best advice I’d gotten was to ride into the town of Blue which had one store, a “beer joint” as it was described to me, that had a hitching rail out front. I was to ride up to the store, tie up to the hitching rail and ask about a place to stay. That sounded suitably Texan for my tastes but as I rode into Blue a door opened and a young woman walked out, saw me, walked back in and closed the door, opened the door again and waved. I waved back. She disappeared. Before I’d passed the house the door opened again, two people this time and I waved again and started across the lawn calling out “Hello!” I was invited in for a cup of tea while the ponies grazed in the front yard. A cup of tea led to a sandwich. By this time I could feel my fingers and toes again and we were discussing pony accommodations. I unpacked the ponies into the garage, tethered Jesse and Finehorn, left a rope on Luna (who hasn’t been trained to tether yet) and left her free to graze, reasoning that she wouldn’t stray far from the other two (especially since there was such good graze around the house). The next time I looked out the window my ever curious baby was standing by the edge of the road – and three cars had stopped. Oops! My bad. We procured a bale of hay from a helpful neighbor and Luna spent the night in a pen formerly inhabited by an Ostrich.

The next day the ponies behaved admirably considering that we were riding through alternating rain and sleet. brrrrrrr! We were heading towards Lexington where we’d been offered accommodations by a couple who trains polo ponies and recently bought Herk’s Store. Only a 10 mile day – but once again by the time I arrived at my destination I’d lost feeling in a few of my extremities, even though we’d made excellent time! I’m starting to really appreciate how spoiled I’ve been with the lovely weather on most of the Journey thus far. I was up late that night, enjoying getting to know my hosts, listening to new music, gorging myself on broccoli and waterproofing my new Duster. (If Gryph was still along we’d match! ;-)) Breakfast at Herk’s at The Table of Information and then back to tack up the ponies for another short day’s ride to a pre-arranged destination. En route I stopped at Herk’s again, for a truly transcendent cheeseburger on a fresh jalapeno bun – and learned that what I’d been told about Lexington, TX was true – EVERYBODY I passed on the road waved. Every Single Person – amazing!

By Sunday I was feeling fairly confident leading two pack ponies, the weather was glorious, we found perfect back roads and I wasn’t particularly concerned that I had no plan for a place to stop for the night. We were riding beside pastures and post oaks and the graze in the bar ditches had plenty of green patches which delighted the ponies. It was day 5 in a row for the ponies and somewhere in here we’d need to take a rest day but they still felt fresh from our 2 1/2 week break over the holidays and since heavy rains and flooding were predicted for Tuesday I wanted to make as much progress as possible before that broke. In the afternoon a car passed me, then a few minutes later came back by – a woman leaned out “Are you lost?” This was S, who invited me back to her place, warning me that she smoked cigarettes and drank beer and that her place didn’t smell very good since she’d had a fire on Christmas day when she’d poured gasoline in the fireplace thinking it was Diesel. When she warned me that all her linens had been picked up to be dry-cleaned to get the fire smell out I assured her that I had my own bedroll. It was a good night (and a great stew) except for her chihuahua, named Medicare, who took an instant dislike to me and didn’t stop barking at me the whole time – even the next morning when coffee was ready before 6am.

That night led to arrangements for Monday night and I had general directions and T’s ‘phone number (who’d called ahead for me) and it was shaping up into another lovely day. A sand road (the ponies were loving that) and good graze and even better weather. We were making excellent time and I called T at 1:15pm saying we were on the home stretch. He said that we were within a mile and 1/2 and offered to come out and lead us in but since that distance would still take us a half hour I declined. The ponies saw some particularly lush grass along the road so I decided to let them stop for one last graze. We were all relaxed, ponies grazing, Rhydr enjoying the scenery, no traffic on the road, nothing out of the ordinary when suddenly Luna Jack threw up her head and bolted past Jesse on his left. Since her rope was in my right hand it caught him from behind and suddenly all three ponies were at a full gallop. My reins had been at full length to let Mr. James graze – I was caught totally off guard and off balance and within 3 strides, down I went. I landed hard on my right hip and hit the right side of my head – watching my herd running full tilt over the hill and across the road, gear flying off as they went.

At first I didn’t even realize I was hurt. I grabbed my cell ‘phone out of the pocket of my new (to me) duster and called T, telling him what had just happened and asking him to try and intercept from that end and then started after them, gathering gear off the road as I went. A man stopped and asked if he could help. He’d seen the ponies head down a dead end dirt road so at least they were off the highway. We’d put a few bags into his vehicle when T arrived in his truck. Transfer of gear and thank you and good-bye to the man who’d stopped to help. We found Jesse and Finehorn together up the side road and caught them, unsaddling Finehorn since the saddle was more under her than on top of her by that point. Luna Jack emerged from the woods behind us looking more than a little freaked out, the new Wizard’s cloak a bit the worse for wear but both of the main pack bags still aboard and intact. I led Jesse and Finehorn up the road as she tentatively approached us and got the rest of the gear off of the ponies and into the truck with T’s help. They were all a little wide-eyed and I was starting to realize that I was pretty banged up.

Things get a little hazy in memory, but soon T was leading Luna up the road towards the pasture and I was following with Jesse and Finehorn, hanging onto Finehorn’s abundant mane to steady myself and breathing through the pain of each step. Then I simply couldn’t walk any more. I told T I needed to stop and leaned on Jesse’s whithers, trying to catch my breath but it was no good. My body was done walking. T called his mom to come with the truck and I lowered myself down to the grass on the side of the road. The ponies grazed around me as we waited. When the truck arrived I grabbed hold of Finehorn’s mane and she literally dragged me up to my feet and over to the truck. Mighty Pony – every step slow and careful. We were maybe 1/4 mile from the driveway at that point and T brought the ponies the rest of the way in and got them settled in the pasture. I had to borrow a cane from my hostess to get out of the truck.

It wasn’t a comfortable night, but T had brought me a walker so I could get myself to the loo and H, my hostess, was gracious and did her best to take care of me. She wasn’t accustomed to letting strangers into her home (living alone at 83) so this was a stretch for her and I so much appreciated her hospitality. The next day the rain had started in earnest by the time L&N arrived with a trailer to transport the ponies and me to their place in Montgomery. By the time I got out of the truck 2 hours later I was pretty incompetent. I barely got into the house with the help of L’s arm and a cane and they got me to a bed by putting me in an office chair and wheeling it through the house. By this morning I was able to use the cane in a fairly conventional manner and even make it to the breakfast table under my own steam so I’m improving rapidly! Thank you to everybody who is praying and sending healing energy my way. This has been a pretty scary (and sore) few days.

Years ago my mom’s cat got hit by a car but she lived through it – barely. She dragged herself to a soft place in the laundry room and laid there for days, sleeping a lot and eating very little. After awhile she started to move around again and soon she was back to her usual obnoxious self. I’ve decided that what worked for Sarah cat will probably work for me as well. Today I’m feeling all over stiff and sore and it’s obvious that my body just wants to rest. The ponies are out grazing in the pouring rain (there’s a barn that they can go into but the Free Range Rodeo ponies are too tough for that!)

I’ll try and write more soon – and get some photos up. I’m incredibly grateful that the ponies and I are all in one piece. I haven’t gone through all the gear yet, but nothing seems to be terribly damaged. I’m grateful that this accident was just that, an accident. There were no vehicles on the road and this was nobody’s fault. I learned later that a man was hunting wild pigs a 1/2 mile up the road and Luna is terrified of pigs, so maybe that has something to do with why she spooked? Maybe I’ll decide to dismount when we stop to graze in the future, but probably not. I’m in awe of the way people have reached out to me at this difficult moment in the Journey – especially the Polocrosse crowd I was first introduced to back in Cedar Park and who have done so much to make the past week a good one – caring for the ponies and I like we’re part of their community. Blessings on your all!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Blue, calamity, east of austin, falling off, Herk's, kindness of strangers, polocrosse, ponying two, rain, three ponies | 9 Comments

Luna Jack’s Growing Up

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Sea G Rhydr

The second day I went to play with the ponies and the silks, I started out on Jesse James. But this time Finehorn did not want to be left out. She was getting much braver and taking cues from Jesse James. I could see her chewing on the idea that maybe a flying Gryph was not so bad after all….

Luna Jack was adamently watching and always sure to present herself close by with calm, questioning disposition. I interpreted this as a very sensible way of asking to be included and learn something new. Keeping in mind that she had never had a person on her back before in her life, I was very excited about the prospect of this experiment. And, as I had predicted, she handled it like a skilled and practiced expert. She seemed to enjoy the attention immensely, listening to my cues and movements with intent concentration.

In the midst of this, one can observe the two grumpy and sulking ponies in the periphery. They were certainly willing to express their disgruntled jealousy, and were certainly not keen on admitting to Luna Jack being accepted in as a comrade.

Sea and I will have to start coming up with more challenging puzzles and tricks for the intelligent and willing Luna Jack.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged aerial silks, Finehorn, first time on horse, Gryph, horse emotions, horses and silks, jealosy, Jesse James, luna jack, sulky ponies | 3 Comments

time to reflect

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Sea G Rhydr

It’s Christmas time and it seems like everybody I’m in contact with is frantically busy, stressed out and gnawing through a to-do list pages long; trying to get everything done and make everything perfect for the holidays. Gryph and I are emulating the ponies. We’re catching up on sleep and eating things that are tasty and nutritious. It’s nice to have a week to rest and reflect and remember some of the highlights of the past few months.

Like riding through Gordon, Texas and passing by the elementary school during recess -> The kids thronged the chain link fence, full of questions and admiration for the ponies. As we rode away I heard them yelling “California!” across the school yard with all the magic and promise that the word has held for various groups over the decades (gold rush, dust bowl, summer of love… ) Or that morning when Gryph did a brilliant impromptu soft shoe for a herd of fascinated kine to the song “Cows” (by The Seldom Herd) played on the iPod.

Walters, Oklahoma where we were offered a cabin behind the Cotton County Chiropractic Clinic. I’d mentioned that I was 13 years out on my tetanus shot and worried about ponying a pack horse with a sore arm. Well, the shot was delivered by the pasture where we put the ponies (and didn’t hurt a bit) and the next day Gryph and I got to enjoy hi-tech hydro-massage beds before getting adjusted! But here’s the amazing thing: Dr. Jeff Hickman is both a Chiropractor and a PA – and he’s the only doctor for miles around. He takes care of the people of his community, whether they have health insurance or not, whether they can afford the whole fee or not, because he can. In the midst of all the political debates about health insurance (and the reality of how impossible it is for so many of us to afford anything approaching a viable health care plan) it was so inspiring to learn about this clinic and the healing that’s happening there. Blessings on the CCCC!

In Silverton, after Finehorn tasted her first caramel apple at the boy scout’s bake sale I was escorted through town to my haven for the night by twin 13 year old girls who told me how much they loved living in that small town and how they hoped to marry and raise famies of their own there after college. This was my first stop after Tulia, TX and I was offered a day of rest in an unused apartment. I was telling my host about how well I’d been cared for by complete strangers when I was sick and in the emergency room and afterward and he said that they’d do that for total strangers but not for their neighbors. It was a real joy to be able to tell him that the Tulia Baptist Church hadn’t held services the Sunday before. They’d put an ad in the paper, offering their help to anyone in the community (Not just people from their church – Anybody!) and the members of the church were spending that Sunday cleaning out gutters, fixing fences, bringing meals and home made bread to shut-ins and the elderly, painting and raking and offering whatever other assistance people had asked for. How cool is that!?

One morning I’d spent an incredibly cold and windy night sheltered in an abandoned house and in the morning as I was packing up my bedroll I noticed that a tarantula had shared my blankets and gotten a bit squished and crumpled in the process. I apologized and set her in a safe place while I packed up for the days ride and had the amazing experience of watching her somehow unfold and sort of reinflate each leg in turn until, by the time I left the house she was back to her former shape and size and walking slowly across the floor. I really wish I’d gotten photos of that process!

We’ve been asked a few times if we’ve had any trouble with the law. I reply (truthfully) that no, we haven’t. In Jacksboro I was telling a woman about how Mesannie Wilkins had mentioned in The Last of the Saddle Tramps how frequently sheriffs had come out to escort her into town if it was getting dark, helping her to find a place for her horses for the night, even letting her sleep in the jail if it was cold (and feeding her) and how this was something that really seemed to have changed in the past 60 years. We can’t seem to get a sheriff or police officer to stop even when we want to ask directions! (When I was adopted by the 3 firemen in Alpine and asked them the secret to getting a cop to stop they suggested throwing a rock at the car!) With the notable exception of Officer Ray Mince back up in Dixon, CA we’ve been pretty much ignored by law enforcement types. Turns out that this woman’s nephew is a sheriff in Palo Pinto and through that whole county we had somebody looking out for us any time we needed it, including an escort over the narrow twisty approach to (and bridge over) the Brazos River and also down a particularly difficult steep hill with blind curves! Kudos and much thanks to Deputy Casey Armstrong.

Then there was the day that we were offered a rest stop for lunch that included a hot tub – and the packs were transported by truck so that the ponies could enjoy a rest that day as well. And the day that we were told to stop in at the little store at the 4 corners and get whatever we wanted – it was already covered. We had a delightful picnic on the front stoop of the Masonic Lodge next door and met 4 interesting characters sitting at the table in the back of the shop. Every time Gryph or I went into the store we were asked one question, from how old we were to if we were married to how we were related. I was asked where we’d started and when I replied “Northern California” one of the men, in a low slow voice mentioned that he had kin from there, but they’d all died. I was about to reply when the woman next to him remarked that California didn’t sound like all that healthy of a place. The man, deadpan, responded that they’d lived there a long, loooong time. His may have been the driest humor I’ve ever encountered.

The day Gryph hung the silks up for the first time from the rafters in the auction barn pens we were both really excited and when our host came to see if we needed anything we were trying to explain to him what we’d been doing. Finally we showed him some of the photographs (worth 1000 words) and later we overheard him on the ‘phone telling somebody about how she was all twisted around in some curtains and stripped down to barely nothing. The next day when Gryph went to practice she had a cowboy audience ranging in age from 5 to over 50! They didn’t want to try it themselves…

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged california, christmas stress, cotton county chiropractic, Mesannie Wilkins, palo pinto, sheriff, silverton, tarantula, tetanus, tulia | 6 Comments

One week before Christmas

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Sea G Rhydr

Saturday morning we had to leave the Hamilton, TX auction barn and find another place to stay. We walked up a driveway past many beautiful Boer goats and knocked on a door. The woman we spoke with was friendly but her pastures were full. She took us across the street and up the hill to another house and knocked on the door. There was room for three ponies and two women while we tried to figure out the next step. By Monday we had a horse haven arranged in Cedar Park, north of Austin – but no way to get there! I’ve spent the last two days making ‘phone calls, sending e-mails, asking everyone I can find or think of, trying to arrange for a trailer to carry us the 100 miles from here to there – and failing. It’s the holiday season and people are busy! We can cover the cost of gas and a bit, but nowhere near what the big professional shipping companies charge and I feel like I’m running out of options.

I was talking with my Mom last night about faith and trust in the context of “seek and ye shall find”, “ask and it shall be given” – and how this Journey has been such an amazing experience of everything we’ve needed being provided just as we’ve needed it – but there’s also the matter of asking and seeking… She reminded me of Joseph, with a donkey and a very pregnant Mary, going door to door, knocking and asking – “Is there room in the Inn? Can we stop here for the night?” I feel for the man! With every ‘phone call I’m feeling more and more like a nuisance. The timing is inconvenient to say the least and it’s hard to be continually dependent on the kindness of strangers in a world where we’re all supposed to be self-sufficient (and have a vehicle!)

Gryph and I are feeling incredibly grateful that we’ve been offered a place where we can hole up and hide for Christmas; a blessed relief from the necessity of knocking on doors over the holiday season when people are wrapped up in their family traditions and celebrations. We’ve also been offered a good pasture situation for the ponies nearby. We’re all currently safe and sound and comfortable, humans and horses alike. The swelling in Luna Jack’s leg is much improved and it’s looking very likely that she’ll be ready to roll by the New Year. We have so very much to be thankful for, and yet where is my focus? I’m stewing and worrying and feeling weighed down with the responsibility of figuring things out and making things happen and keeping it all under control. Haven’t I learned anything in the past year!?

There has to be a balance here somewhere. One of the things my Dad drilled into us growing up was: “Who built the ark for Noah?” (The answer was obvious – his kids! -> just kidding Dad.) It does kind of put a new spin on the verse “faith without works is dead.” I can have all the faith in the world that a way down to Cedar Park will be provided, but if I don’t make the ‘phone calls and rattle the bushes, how will anybody know that I need help? On the other hand, now that I’ve spent two days doing everything that I know to do, why can’t I “let go and let God” and just wait in peaceful acceptance of the situation, Knowing that everything we need will be provided at the perfect time? When do I just let it all go and take a walk outside? How about now?

OK – real time here – and I am Not kidding you! I finished writing that last paragraph, went and found Gryph who was feeding and watering the ponies and we went for a walk, down the road to The Dutchman for a loaf of fresh homemade bread. They were sold out for the day so we got some crackers and cheese – and ice cream cones for the walk home. We had just started making dinner when the ‘phone rang. “Call Bob. Here’s his number. He’ll run you down there.” So I did, and he will, tomorrow morning. Blessings on Bob, and on Marilyn, who didn’t give up! Besides, who knows how things work behind the scenes; maybe all this stress and process was necessary just so that I’d write this blog post and somebody I’ll never meet could read it when they’re in a similar situation…

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ask and seek, Christmas, faith, healing, horse transport, Joseph and Mary, knocking on doors, Noah, take a walk, trailering | 1 Comment

Bumps in the Road

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Sea G Rhydr

I spent much of today working on a blog post and waiting for the vet. This is not that blog post. The vet finally arrived at 6:30pm and we learned that Luna Jack has suffered (in human terms) a sprained ankle. He said she should move as little as possible until the swelling goes down (several days at least) and it could be weeks before she’s ready to carry a pack again. If we push her now it could mean the end of the Journey for her and we love her too much to let that happen. The road shoulders have been nice and wide lately but the actual footing has been rough and lumpy, difficult walking for hoof and boot alike.

We’re at the Hamilton Auction Barn and loads of cattle, sheep and goats will be coming in this weekend for the sales on Monday and Tuesday. We find out tomorrow morning if we can stay the weekend but we certainly need to be out by Monday morning latest. What to do? One lesson I’ve learned is that I need to be honest about what’s going on in the hard times as well as the good times and trust people to understand and love us anyway.

We’ve got a good place for the humans to stay in Austin, TX from 20-27 December and a few leads on potential places for the equines to rest and graze. It’s possible that Luna Jack will be able to walk 10 miles a day down the road with no packs on by Monday and it’s also possible that she’ll need more rest time than that. We’re actively exploring options – and feeling a bit freaked out. Prayers, practical options, help transporting gear and/or ponies, a pasture near Austin or any other any other assistance would be very gratefully received as we try to do what’s best for the ponies and make it down to Austin somehow. (Help!)

ps – credit where credit is due – I learned today that Will Rogers is the source of the Man Cave Wisdom I posted earlier.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Austin, bad footing, Hamilton Auction barn, hard times, help, Journey, lame horse, luna jack, rest to heal | 2 Comments

Words of Wisdom from the Man Cave

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Sea G Rhydr

(explaining why Free Range Rodeo cowgirls don’t wear spurs… )

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged cowgirls, Hollis, man cave, spurs, squatting, words of wisdom | 2 Comments

Gryphon’s Golden Silks

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Sea G Rhydr

This was my first time rigging by myself, with my very own first pair of silks, and I did not die. I climbed up on the catwalk above the cow pens the ponies were staying in, balanced myself on the railing and figured out how to safely attach my nylon sling loop to the rusty but very strong metal rafter.

Finehorn seems to find this extremely funny. But the funny thing is, she also seems to be terrified of the silks. We have been experimenting with some basic vaulting routines bareback and that has been going great, but as soon as i was swinging above her and flying at her she wanted nothing to do with it.

So here I am trying to get Finehorn interested in standing still while i decend down onto her back, and the whole time Jesse James is standing there waiting for me to notice him. When I finally got around to trying him out for size he was delighted and really wanted to play….He ground his feet into the dirt and spread his stance and became very serious as if to say “I am a rock, I’m ready for you!”

Since then we have been trying some more complicated manouvers, such as shoulder tumbles and an assortment of things I think are great fun, but today he let me know he was getting bored. He wants to know when I will choreograph his part. I have searched around via the internet trying to find what’s out there in the ways of interactive horses and silks, and aside from someone riding in on a horse and then moving to the silks, or vice versa, theres not a bit of it being done! This makes me excited to push the boundaries on what can be done dancing together. I think we will come up with a really funny burlesque act!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged aerial silks, catwalk, Dublin auction barn, Finehorn, horses and silks, Jesse James burlesque, photos of aerial silks and horses, rigging | 5 Comments

Travelling Companions

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Sea G Rhydr

Three and a half years ago Gryph and I flew in to Dublin, Ireland to work-a-board a vessel ostensibly heading to Malaysia and our dreams of snorkeling Asia. We never even made it to the Bay of Biscay, the Captain being even less sea-worthy than his ship; instead, we fell through the rabbit hole of the (ex)HMS-Enterprise and into a year at Narrowwater Castle, wrapped up in my writing and Gryph’s painting and long walks through spongy fields and enchanted forests where we finally found the remains of the Folly Castle and wild garlic in abundance. It was a time of pubs and music and shape-shifting cameraderie, peat fires and Guinness Stout and whiskey made by Jamesons, ancient stone walls and rainy streets – we learned names for the different kinds of rain, the different flavors of wet days and wet nights and wet winds.

We had to look hard for resonances when we rode in to Dublin, Texas last Friday. We were met by a charming young reporter who had a voice like Guinness and who directed us to the rodeo arena behind the town park. The welcome sign had shamrocks and claimed Dublin as the Irish Capital of Texas – right above a sign forbidding alcoholic beverages. There is no Irish pub in Dublin, Texas. We discovered no castles, no ancient stone walls and no rain. Dublin is a very dry sort of place. We did, however, enjoy visits with a pair of sugar gliders who nested in a Crown Royal bag and two dogs named Bhakti and Krishna. The women at the post office had been expecting us and Gryph’s aerial silks were there as promised. We slept behind the chutes at the rodeo arena and were given the key to the ladies’ loo.

While chatting with the reporter he made comment on our close relationship and communication with the ponies. He said that they seemed more like pets. Gryph and I were talking later that evening and agreed that we don’t think of the ponies as pets at all. We think of them as our travelling companions and co-adventurers – with all of the responsibility and autonomy that that implies. We trust them with our lives and vice versa. When we turn them loose for the night in a pasture of several hundred acres we don’t worry about being able to find them in the morning; they’re right there waiting for us. Although it took us 2 hours to catch Luna Jack the first time, she answers to her name now and comes when we whistle. I really believe that these three ponies have chosen us and this Journey as much as we humans have chosen them. We’re all in this together – good days and bad, wind and rain and drought, grassy pastures and cluttered goat pens, hay barns, guest houses and tenting on the ground, boy scouts and traffic and stray dogs – it’s good to be travelling with friends.

Last spring, after Gryph had headed up to Boulder to pursue her circus dreams and Finehorn was injured, I was feeling like a failure, alone and scared and ashamed. It was hard to blog honestly about what was happening and as I look back now on what I wrote then I’m amazed at the happy face I was putting on the situation. The daily updates were a trifle more forthcoming but it still required some reading between the lines. Into my abyss came an e-mail from a woman I’d never met. Katie Cooper was back in Tucson, AZ with an injured mule after an attempted solo ride across Texas. Her e-mail was encouraging and honest and an offer of friendship with someone who understood my heart because she’d been there herself. What an amazing gift! We e-mailed back and forth and I read her blog, belatedly realizing that she’d reached out to me pretty much as soon as she’d gotten home. You can find her blog at: www.muletriptalk.blogspot.com

Katie was the one who encouraged (and pushed and cajoled) me to get in touch with the Long Riders’ Guild and apply for membership. (She refers to herself as a “Short Rider” but she’s done a Lot more research into this realm than I ever have.) As we’ve communicated over the past 7 months we’ve become friends and it seems strange that we’ve yet to meet in person. That seems likely to change in the near future. Her mule, Butch Henry, has fully recovered and we’ve been talking about the idea of joining forces in Austin, Texas and riding eastward together for an undetermined amount of time after Gryph returns to California. I’m really excited about this possibility and looking forward to having Katie and Butch Henry as travelling companions for however long our paths converge. The only major obstacle to the plan is Katie’s cat, Pita, who needs to find a good home for the duration. Putting her up on Craig’s list or in a shelter are Not options, but if anybody has a way of helping house Pita, please get in touch with Katie via her website (where you’ll also find photos).

This brings us to the topic of current travel plans and our idea of bringing in the New Year in Austin, Texas. The ideal situation for the 3 ponies (and one mule!) is a pasture with grass to eat and water to drink where they can take a week off and just be equines. There are also three women who will be seeking shelter of some sort, ideally with access to town, music, art, a grocery store and a ladies loo. If anyone is looking for a last minute holiday house-sitter we’d love to oblige and are open to just about any possiblity.

Saturday morning we turned the wrong way in our attempt to leave Dublin. We got better directions and turned around, only to be stopped by a USPS delivery truck. There was one more letter waiting for us at the Post Office. The woman driving the truck offered to run back and bring it to us if we’d wait at the end of the road. The wait was short and it was fun to have mail delivered to us on horseback! Getting lost must have been essential to some sort of cosmic timing because in town we were stopped by a man who asked if we needed a place to wait out the impending bad weather. We were welcome at the Dublin Livestock Auction barn where there was a small apartment with two beds and a shower! Heading that way we stopped at Chigger Ranch for BBQ brisquet sandwiches and met the man’s wife who made sure we knew the way. This afternoon when Gryph was practicing on her new silks for the first time we felt the wind change and the cold arrive. Grateful we are to have a haven (with wifi!) before riding out on Tuesday morning.

(more photos of Gryph on silks tomorrow… )

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged aerial silks, auction barn, Austin, chigger ranch, Dublin, equine companions, folly castle, Guinness, Katie Cooper, newspaper reporter | 2 Comments

Where have you been!?

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Sea G Rhydr

That’s what I wanted to ask my laptop when it was finally back in my hands. And yesterday, when I was howling to Gryph, “How do I catch up on 2 1/2 months of this Journey? What do people want to know!?” I thought that perhaps an answer to the ‘where?’ question might be a logical place to start. I’ve been in Texas and Oklahoma and back to Texas. I’ve been in schools and grain silos and guest rooms and wheat fields and rodeo grounds and spare apartments and stock pens and trailers and hot tubs and BBQ joints, a hospital and a country club, bachelor pads and barns. I’ve slept in my tent and in the Turkey Hotel, an airplane hangar and a man cave, an abandoned vet clinic and a concession stand that hadn’t been used (or swept out – I was sweeping up dead birds!) in 9 years. I’ve been in wind like you wouldn’t believe and flat country and hill country and a terrible drought that’s been going on and on and on.

Gryph has been back for a month and on some levels that’s still a novelty while on others it feels like she never left. She picked up a small book about stars and planets back in Altus, Oklahoma and we’ve put an incredible amount of mental energy into figuring out how and why we (and China!) always see the same face of the moon. Last night, after white wine and raspberries, we twirled about the floor of the Camp House we’re staying in until we finally got it. It turned out that the key to understanding lay in each of us taking a turn at being the moon and grokking how incredibly slowly the moon turns on its axis (one rotation a month – which is the same amount of time it takes for the moon to orbit the earth) and which (when you actually, physically sort it, 90 degrees at a time) leads to a situation where it really doesn’t matter which way the earth is facing as it rotates on its own axis once each day. We are also groping towards a visceral understanding of the reality that the sun doesn’t set – what we’re actually seeing is the horizon rising. In the morning it falls away so that we can once again see the sun. Lots of sun these days!

I’ve had the strange experience of having several people drive by, stop and insist that they had seen me on television – when I’d never yet been on television! I subsequently learned that one of the major TV stations had just done a piece on Bernice Ende, the Lady Long Rider from Montana. Since in the photos I’ve seen she’s riding a paint and leading a dun Fjord pack pony I can understand the confusion – but Bernice has been at this a Lot longer than I have (8 years and 17,000 miles!) and she rode North this year – up into Canada.  You can find her blog at: endeofthetrail.com if you’re curious. Somehow even stranger was the experience of actually being on television, viewing the segment in our host’s home that evening, and not recognizing myself. We were interviewed by two newspapers and a man from the TV all on the same morning and the whole next week we were stopped by people who already knew about us from the media exposure. We were even asked for autographs! A time consuming form of flattery? And are we becoming famous or infamous?

Entering the second year of the Journey allows for a bit of perspective. Last year at this time I don’t think “fun” would have been an adjective at the top of my list, although there were certainly moments that made everything worth doing. We were still struggling to find a way to actually Ride across the USA rather than one or both of us leading our mounts as we walked the roads wondering where we’d be able to stop for the night. We tried calling newspapers and were told that we weren’t news. We were doctoring leg wounds and waking up in dense clouds of freezing fog most mornings. We were stressed out and grumpy and trying to act braver and more confident than we were. Finehorn was still the fastest shrug-off in the West and we weren’t much further than San Francisco.

By this point things have pretty much smoothed out into a routine. I have the confidence of 13+ months and 5 states worth of dealing with whatever the Journey has tossed my way and realizing that most of it has been really, really good. I was slightly worried about how the trip would change with Gryph’s return but that’s been excellent as well. Finehorn has decided that she’d much rather have Gryph on her back than carry the packs and Gryph is riding with more confidence. In both Texas and Oklahoma we’ve been taken in and passed along, treated like family and spoiled rotten. The hospitality and generosity and warmth we’ve experienced in this part of the country has been epic. The weather is holding, life is good and we’re having fun!
P1030473
The other side of the coin is a deep and abiding exhaustion. This is not confined to the humans in the herd. A week or two ago I said to Gryph that I still wanted to finish the Journey, I just wanted a brand new body to do it in. A few days later I was wondering out loud why Jesse James seemed kind of sad and slow. Gryph reminded me that he probably wants a brand new body too! The Long Riders’ Guild recommends 2 days of rest out of 7. Early in the trip we didn’t tend to rest much. We were running from winter, rest stops weren’t offered very often and we were shy about asking. Often, what felt like a rest to us wasn’t a great situation from the perspective of the ponies and vice versa. It usually seemed easier to pack up and move on, and on, and on.

As the trip has progressed, I’ve thought about the link between ‘duration’ and the sort of ‘endurance’ needed to survive and even thrive on a two year adventure. I’ve accepted that both ponies and humans need quality down time in order to maintain good health and good attitudes. I’ve started taking people at their word when they ask if we need anything and if there Is something we need I’ll ask for it. The wonderful rest we’ve just enjoyed feels like a miracle of wish fulfillment! The ponies are reveling in a large pasture with their very own tank (that’s a man-made pond for you East Coasters) which Finehorn has been rolling in to the point of constant rumpled dampness. In the middle of the pasture is a house which Gryph and I have had to ourselves for 3 days, with visits from the ponies. We got fresh fruits and veggies during a grocery run to Mineral Wells and have been eating well! Tomorrow we’ll ride on, clean and rejuvenated, hoping to make it to the small town of Dublin, TX (where Dr. Pepper was invented) in time to pick up our General Delivery mail by Friday afternoon.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bernice Ende, Dublin, earth and moon, infamous, man cave, rest days, Sonic, Texas hospitality, two year Journey | 3 Comments