I'm back! After a warm, glorious vacation in sunny Florida I am home and ready to ride! Between beach trips I did actually get to go out on a trail ride with my sister last week. She trailered her two palominos up to Sebastian and we saddled up at the trailhead. I didn't expect to ride while there and hadn't packed riding clothes, so I rode in the one and only pair of jeans I had with me (I never ride in jeans!) and my niece's well-broken in Fatbaby cowboy boots along with a pair of socks I borrowed from my mom. (Thanks, guys---without you I would have been stuck with my swimsuit and flip-flops!) I also rode in her beautiful Western show saddle! Yep, nobody would have recognized me, but I was actually quite comfortable. Sweaty, but comfortable.

It was hot in the palmetto and pine woods. Sandy trails and sunny skies radiated the heat, but coming from our cold, wet spring, I thought it was great. In fact I was having a really fun time until my sister mentioned how nervous the canal we were riding along made her. She reminded me that alligators can move extremely fast when they want to. The fun factor dropped a few million points until we got away from the canal! You have to assume that any body of fresh water in Florida does have alligators.

I was glad to see my horses when I got home last night. They look good and rested and ready to get out and enjoy some serious saddle time! I drove up the canyon this evening to check the river level and the water is way too fast to safely cross on Riyah so we can't get to the Ponderosa trail just yet, so I am going to take her out in the morning to the Corral Road. At least it is in the canyon, but we won't have a raging river to cross!