Wonderful weekend and thank god for 4WD and

trailer brake control boxes with a manual function -more on that later.

Wonderful ride, some years its hot at this ride but the weather was really pleasant most of the day. Drove over 11 miles of very rutted gravel/dirt road to get there this year, so the people who drove in on thursday and rode on friday had some fun driving. I paired up with a gal on a grey horse, we were the tail end but riding a nice moderate pace --except the last few miles of the 2nd loop she noticed her horse felt funky intermediately. Vet noticed at the check and told her if he didn't get any worse she'd complete, and checked things out, finding no tendon tenderness but a sore bit on his RF heel bulb.

So we walked the last 11 mile loop. She led her guy about 1/2 the ride. I got off for a few downhills and once just to stretch my legs but I'm not that much of a hike. Started raining about our last 15 minutes on trail, I pulled my rump rug open for Shade and put on my rain jacket. Its not a super-dooper one and had soaked through by the time we vetted and I got Shade back to the trailer, unsaddled her and got the rain sheets on her and Grey. So I switched to a dry shirt, jacket and my oilskin to walk back for awards. Shade was standing hunched looking sorry; but I told her I'd got her blanketed and hay available and I was taking care of myself for half an hour or so.

Supper was yummy ribs, pasta salad, chocolate cupcakes... I chose a chair for my completion. The rain was pretty much done and Shade was munching contentedly when I walked back to the trailer. I was dragging tired, gave them plenty of hay, turned up my thermometer to kick the furnace on and warmed up from getting damp and chilled. Ah bliss, The road gets slick when wet but dries quickly so I was really happy I had planned to do the poker ride and leave mid afternoon.

Sunday I rode Grey in the 11 mile poker ride. $25 to PAWS rescue and $5 for the pot to enter it. It was his test ride to see if he is sound after his tendon injury 21 months ago. We rode a pretty moderate pace but there was enough hills and rocky to give his leg a test. I won the poker hand! Funny - I looked at the cards after I pulled them out of the paper sack --KQ279 --hand them to the RM and comment just like if I were playing for serious I drew a handful of nothing, not even a pair and she glances and says -thats not nothing you have a flush. I hadn't even registered they were all hearts. I bought some rythym beads since I had unexpected $ burning a hole in my pocket, and will donate the rest to Lost Fantasy rescue (Sarah). Well I put them on Shade to try them out right away and noticed there is a little cross on the necklace too so I told Shade I'd leave it on her to watch over her on the drive.

In camp the slick mud had dried up and the road is good but I'm looking at building clouds and keep reminding myself to PACK up and GO before it rains again. This is only my 4th trip with the Big Long Gooseneck -aka BAT so I don't want to experience slick mud roads. Ah packing the gooseneck is so easy -- open propane valve when I get there and close it to prep to go. I locked in my hubs and put the blue beast in 4WD to be prepared. First few miles I was going, wow great road, all the ruts from friday are gone and this is nice. Was getting a spit of rain on the windshield and thinking good thing I left now. THEN we hit the spot that still kind of wet.

GULP, trailer got to weaving and I'm just going ooh ooh ooh. Well my or Shades guardian angel got things stopped, pickup is still on the road, trailer is ok, we were going really slow so the horses didn't get flung around. AND my angel whispered in my ear --squeeze the brake controller to brake just the trailer and bring it in line next time. So I stayed in LOW gear the rest of the way, and kept my hand near the controller most of rest of way to the highway. I did have to nip a few more trailer veers in the bud and used the box to brake only the trailer down the slick hills. Whew I was glad to see the highway when we got there.