Indian Creek 2007

Do I start with the beginning of the trip? Or the end of the trip that involved the police? Hmm... a dilemna for sure!

Guess I will start at the beginning. Friday morning, we packed up to head to Indian Creek, a farm our friend Cheri's parents own in the Ozarks of Missouri. I intended to take Gyro for Lorna to ride, but she had other ideas. For the first time since I have owned her, she ran from me! Long enough that I quit her ass and took Haida Girl instead since she clearly wanted to go. I planned to give Lorna the option of her or Radar to ride. Amy B was riding Twister like last year.

Amy B (not the college/Los Angeles one, a different one) followed us to Columbia, where we met Jodi and caravaned on to our destination. We had so much food loaded up in the trailer, you would think we were leaving civilization for months.

The last 12 miles to the farm is treacherous. It was kind of fun to scare Lorna on those crazy roads and narrow passages that look like deer paths, over cattle guards and through creeks to get where we were going. I am sure she thought I was going to kill us both and the horses too. It is like a roller coaster. It scared me too the first time I went, but Lorna had never been there before, so I got to act brave.

We arrived, unloaded, and put the horses into a barn so beautiful, they were terrified of it. Well not Twist, he is confident he deserves such things.

This is HG wondering just what kind of fancy stall this is....not so much like home! Radar was most freaked out by the sound of his shoes on the river rock base in the stalls. We got them settled, and headed up to the house--which requires transport in a little truckie thing.

Upon our arrival, the chairs were up around the fire pit, and a fire was starting for us. We visited and relaxed and had a few cold beers, then Jodi made pizza on the grill, which is REALLY good. Cason's parents watched the end of the Cardinals game and chatted with us some...it was very relaxing. We spent the rest of the night laughing around the fire.

We did go back down to feed the horses at some point, which is something to behold with Cason driving the little midget truck and us piled in the back of it --I swear she tried to roll us out of there at least once. And later tells us that the sides of the little truckie bed are collapsible----guess she was not too worried about us rolling down the hills like basketballs.

No injuries occurred until post-feeding though, when Lorna fell in a hole and tore up her knee. It swelled up pretty big. She was of course the only one not drinking beer, so at least no one has to endure an injury compliments of Miller Lite or Corona. Then again, we might not have felt it!

Bedtime was around midnite--Cheri made it to 11:15, which is way late for her. I even read a new book for a while.

We were up early for a big breakfast and were saddled up by 9 am. That is how many hours before I normally get up? But I heard them talking about my beautiful gold ostrich breast collar I ordered and had to get to defend it to them. They just have no taste, that is all there is to it.

You know how horses live to make a fool out of you? That must have been the agenda for them, as they were all wound for sound. We were not out three minutes when HG threw her first buck ever--it hardly counted, as it was just a little pop, but it scared the hell out of Lorna who was nervous anyway and her knee hurt. Next, Twist spooked from some quail and gave thought to bucking, but I yelled at him, and he stopped dead with his four feet all together, on his tip toes, getting ready to let loose. Twist never spooks, and he does not buck to be an ass--if he does it, there is a reason. And it is pretty lame when he does. Amy psyched herself through it though, which was good for her, and he was perfect the rest of the day.

We rode about 2.5 hours. It was not just my horses acting silly. Jodi brought Cash as he would be the most relaxing ride. By the time mine settled down, he got fired up. He jigged and danced the whole day, and Cheri and I had a great time teasing Jodi about "training on him". We had some good advice for her, as you can imagine--Cheri threatened to beat someone who needed it, by telling them they have not been beat, til she has beat them. I believe it too! She had lots of gems like that, which kept us laughing the whole time.

Jodi put Cash through his paces trying to get him lined out, which was fun to watch even though she never did let Cheri beat him. She has amazing control over him and just rode him. Plus, I always enjoy making fun of people! Especially when they are good sports like she is. She gets me, so is fun to play with.

The only other incident was Radar falling down a hill, slipping in gravel. He went chest first down a few feet, while I tried not to take my own header. I was against that, since it was all rcok and there appeared to be nowhere soft to land, so I stayed on (like I had anything to do with it). He got righted from that by scrambling and ended up running through the woods--well running is not a fair description, he was just trying to regain his footing. He absolutely did NOT run off with me--and any reasonable horse would have. Just as he was getting his shit together, he fell off a little ledge (three or four feet) into a dry creekbed/ravine. I don't think that any horse I have ever ridden could have shown more heart and guts than this baby did throughout this episode.

He NEVER went all the way down, he never hurt me and he never freaked. We ultimately came out of the ravine through the trees and into a clearing, where we made some interesting discoveries. He had done all this with his one-ear headstall off of his ear, falling down the back of his neck but with the bit still in his mouth. The reins were both on the right side, my saddle was back about 6 inches, and he had a good sized tree running down his belly, sticking out between his front legs. I cackled like I needed to be institutionalized..adrenaline makes me ignorant.

The rest of that morning was uneventful- it is so relaxing to ride there, with Gerald telling us stories and showing us cool stuff. We stopped for lunch, and I actually got to sneak off for a nap. Gerald was obviously not feeling well, which scared everyone. We rode a short ride in the afternoon, after taking Gerald's horse away from him so he would rest instead of push himself too hard when he clearly was ill. All the horses were perfectly normal then. This photo shows one of the many cool things scattered around the property---a screened in picnic area on the side of a spring fed creek. There are even canoes for playing.

We finally know what Radar is not comfy with... camels. He did not do anything except turn around to ignore him, and stand up real big with huge eyes...but it was clear he was not interested in that at all. He was worse when he saw him Sunday morning, when I was leading him to the trailer, which suggests he was really terrified but afraid to act it when I was on him the first time he saw him. I would like him to get over it, but since it does not come up very often, I guess it is okay.

The evening was just as good as the night before. Cheri's high school friend Jerri came out, she was hysterical. Gerald made the best steaks and these amazing french fries, I could have eaten all night. We went back to play with the camel, and show him to Lorna who had not met him yet. He is such a hoot.

Sunday morning, we were up early to pack and come home. We are all very worried about Gerald, who even passed on church, which I suspect never happens for him. Fortunately he is having some blood tests done today, as he suspects Lyme's disease.He needs to get lined out as he has a month long pheasnat hunting trip on the schedule for later this week.

Lorna and I headed back to MtV with only this one little interrruption. I blew a trailer tire on I-270 outside of St Louis---conveniently, I had gotten a new spare right before we left. I must have had a vision. MODOT changed it and did not even charge us! And we had a hot young cop who did not ask for any of the paperwork like registration, etc, that evidently is not in the truck and reminds me that my car plates just expired as well.

More pics are coming, of the trophy room and the house, witch are amazing. No matter what I post though, I cannot do it justice...this place is like heaven on earth, so relaxing and peaceful, with the most wonderful people. Somehow it feels like home (way better actually).