Catching up

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

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It’s been a busy time for me lately. I started this post a couple of weeks ago and now two Thursdays have passed, so time to finish it and get it posted!

I am thrilled to have found a wonderful group of women to ride with. A weekend get together had been in the works for quite some time and it finally happened last month. Amy Jo arranged for us to meet up with Megan and Romina for a weekend of riding and visiting. We all stayed at Romina’s and rode two days in really wonderful settings.

Saturday, we rode out from Romina’s around dormant cropland, through huge open fields and around acres of Christmas trees. The views were incredible and expansive. I felt like I could see the curve of the earth fall away around me.

Paisano did well, riding with the two mares and one gelding. We had ridden together before, but in the more familiar setting of Tired Dog Ranch. On our arrival, we tried Paisano in a pasture with Cornelius and Diamond. After maybe twenty minutes of sparring with no one really settling down, I moved Paisano to a small paddock out back. He was totally fine hanging out on his own, so there he stayed for the weekend. He enjoyed riding out with them, but sharing living space was not quite so cozy.

After a wonderful dinner Saturday evening, provided by Romina, and very nice, restful sleep, we trailered to Silver Falls State Park for our Sunday ride. Even at noon, it was jacket temperature under the trees. We unloaded, tacked up and headed out for a loop of about eight miles. The only disappointment to the day was finding out that none of the horse trails go by any of the falls so prominently displayed on the park website.

The scenery was beautiful none the less. There had been some rain, which made the trails slick in some areas. At one point, we all dismounted and led our horses. Paisano was wearing his Easyboot Bares. They don’t have the greatest traction, so he was practically skiing through the slick clay. He took it all pretty calmly. I was just glad that I was not astride! I will look forward to returning in the dry summer months.

It’s a real treat to ride in new and interesting locations. This sort of experience is why I have been wanting the freedom of having my own, well trained, easy going horses. The last few years of green horses, organizing and gathering gear, trailer, etc. have all been worth it, as we are here! Now that’s something to be thankful for!

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Take a few minutes today to create your own Thankful Thursday.

How:

Sit back and consider what you have to be thankful for. Listing three to five things is nice, but one will do.

Post about gratitude on your blog. If you don’t have your own blog, go ahead and write about what you are thankful for in the comments here instead.

If you blog, please link back here or leave a comment.

Feel free to tag other bloggers, if you like to do that, but it’s not necessary. This is not a meme that obligates you to do anything, but look for gratitude. Oh, and link back, and comment, that’s all I ask.

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Visit these other blogs that often participate in Thankful Thursday:

Tired Dog Ranch

Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch

Earth Dancer Spanish Mustangs

From the Horse’s Back

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