Back in the Saddle Again

Two Ebenezer Rides though my favorite places at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Texas Barry and I hauled the boys up to Ebenezer Friday afternoon, arriving around 1:00 PM.  We set up our camp.  LOL our air mattress popped a few cells and this is its last trip.  Kenny, Kellie and Randy were already there.  The LeAnns, James and Bev, Elizabeth and Esther, Kent and Melody arrived a little later.  Jamie from Houston was there.

We all ate together Friday evening.  Jamie rode down to the beach and slipped off of her horse and broke the bone above her toe.  Aaaaaccccckkk!!!!!!  that hurt!!!

The boys loaded in the Brenderup and ready to go

James on Hollywood, Barry on Sarge and Bev on Nicky

Barry on Sarge on the beach at Ebenezer

Sarge and Barry with Bella in the middle and Toby to the left

Riding the trails with Biscuit

Pretty Mushroom

The group

Biscuit on the trails

Kellie took this on the short ride we did together

RRR gang before riding out

Robin, Legato and LeAnn after their endurance ride!!!

Biscuit

Biscuit grabbed a snack

Kent, James, Beverly, Denise and Randy

Esther and Hershey

Randy, Kelly, Elizabeth, Beverly

Barry and Sarge

The next morning The LeAnns were up and saddled up and ready to go.  They went out first.  I got Biscuit saddled up and I didn't have any problems mounting and my leg wasn't hurting.  We waited til everyone was ready, Kenny said a prayer for our safety and off we went.  Biscuit was very tender over rocks but was ok on the trails.  He seems a little tentative for about 1/2 the ride but was good to go after that.  We saw some pretty flowers, trees, mushrooms and other flora and fauna.  We stopped and took a group picture which was nice. 

It was so good to be back in the saddle again after not being able to ride for 4 weeks.  Last weeks 1 mile ride didn't count!!!  My leg is better and wasn't hurting so that was encouraging!!!  We rode down the trails and came out on the road.  Kellie, Randy, Kent, Melody and I headed back towards the camp.  I didn't want to over do it for either Biscuit or myself.  We got to the trail head and Kellie and I went down another trail for awhile.  Biscuit was walking slow and tentative.  LOL Elan too!  They backed up at one point but Biscuit finally went.  We rode for a little more than 5 miles on that ride.  Barry arrived back just after I did.  I washed Biscuit off and he had dropped so I took that opportunity to search for a bean.  He let me with no fussing.  Lee Ann B had shown me on Rogue last week exactly what to do.  No been for the Biscuit!!!  He got several treats for being a good boy and put back in his pen.  He is HUGE.  LOL  he has really gained a lot of weight on his time off.

The LeAnns were still gone when we left to go eat at The Stump.  We had a good time.  We returned and they were still gone.  Around 2:30 or so we got a text/call that they were lost!  OMG.  They finally flagged down someone who told them what road they were on and Barry, Kenny, Kent and Randy hopped in Kenny's truck and Robin hauled her trailer.  They found them and hauled them back.  They were WAY WAY WAY on the other side.  LeAnn said the trails were gorgeous and was ready to show them to us tomorrow.  I was excited about that.

Later some of us saddled up for a late afternoon ride.  I wanted to go down my favorite trail but didn't know how to get there...I do know!!!  Esther led the way.  We went down the trail til we got to to little humps.  We went between the humps to the right and onto the area I like.  Down a STEEP incline that was only about 6 feet or so but it was STEEP.  Did I say it was STEEP?  We went around and we saw 3 deer...two spotted ones and a doe.  We came out on the road and went to the left.  It was thundering.  We kept going and came around by the road and spillway.  We started trotting as it was kicking up wind and thundering.  We trotted and then were cantering.  Biscuit was kinda all over the trail and other than getting excited once and tossing and throwing up his head, he was ok.

Bella kicked up a deer and was baying. I was holding on for dear life in case a deer bounded towards us.  Thank God that didn't happen.  We were trotting up the trail at a fast pace when Bella ran up behind Biscuit and he kicked out with a buck.  I didn't even come close to losing my seat but I yelled at Bella to get the heck away.  Kent hollered for her.  I was right behind James and we were cantering and I was trying to relax but I wasn't totally relaxed but I wasn't scared either.

We got to the front and it was thundering, sprinkling hard and the wind was blowing.  We came out of the woods and Biscuit had a mini meltdown - he jumped to the right and was throwing his head all over the place.  I pulled him up so we could cross the road safely.  He busted through the rail fence and I headed him for James and yelled at James to catch him.  LOL he was trying to unsaddle Hollywood.  God Bless James...he is an angel.  I got off of Biscuit and popped him on the shoulder yelling it is just rain!  Stop acting like an idiot.  I was leading him to my camp and he was trying to get in front of me and jumping around.  I stopped and backed him up about 20 feet telling him to BACK BACK BACK.  He settled down then.  I got to the camp and Barry had beat me back.  He had pealed off of the group and went another way.  I thought Kenny and someone else was with him because Elizabeth was behind me and said she couldn't see them.

Barry helped me get my gear off and by that time it was flat out raining.  My saddle was soaking wet!!!  OMG it was FUN!!!  I wasn't scared with the galloping and Biscuit was good until the very end - he just got his motor running!!

We all got together and had a great dinner together.  I made shish kabobs and we all ate together.  The LeAnn's had gone to town and were not there.  I eventually dried out.  I went and took a shower and blow dried my hair.  We went to bed around 9:30 which was early.

We got up and the LeAnns were gone.  I said that was odd.  I said I hoped nothing had happened.  A little later we got the news that Lee Ann B's hubby had been in a motorcycle accident and was in ICU.  Someone pulled out in front of him.  It started sprinkling again and Barry and Randy went to town to see if they could get the maps the LeAnns had arranged to get from an older couple.

James and Bev saddled up and took off during a small break in the weather - it was sun shining.  Margaret arrived in her Cadillac.  She had got up, saddled up, loaded up and hauled almost to Hwy 225 and her trailer lost a spring to the axle.  Ronnie came and got the trailer and Cub and she came up for a short visit.  She was disappointed.

She visited and then left.  A short time later James and Bev came up at a fast clip and Bev said that 3 kids had been killed in Orange early in the morning and one was her son Kurt's best friend.  She was so upset.  They had been on the other side of the park about 3 miles away and they came back as fast as they could.  We all ran over and helped them pull their camp down and load up.

OMG it was so sad.  Two 17 year olds and a 16 year old...no seat belts.  My heart hurt for them.  The 16 year old was Kurt's best friend and was an only child.  I have been praying for them.

We loaded up and packed up and hauled home following Randy and Kellie.  We stopped at Buna for gasoline.  I shared a banana with Sarge...Biscuit didn't care for it and refused to eat it.  LOL  this weekend I gave him Vinegar and Salt chips and he didn't like those either - but Sarge did!!  LOL Sarge loves treats and will eat anything.  God love him...he is so cute!

I looked at my Garmin and I rode 8.8 miles this weekend for a total of 304.6 miles this year on trails.