Rain Rain Rain

Well this last weekend was a big wash (pardon the pun) in regard to any riding. Unfortunately, Southern California has been hit with a series of heaby rainstorms (shades of 2005!) since last Friday- how convenient!

Because the advance notice of the impending storms, I took the opportunity to go out to the stable and blanket Max with his rainsheet. I'm glad I did. The rain arrived Friday afternoon and continued intermittantly until early this morning. There were alternating periods of heavy rain and no rain, which is good since there was a little time for the water to drain away.

Sunday I went to the stables to check up on Max and as usual, it was "Camp Swampy" as usual. Max was fine and was glad too see me (or at least glad at the prospect of more food). The arena was pretty waterlogged so I turned Max out but didn't make him run. After cleaning what I can of the stall, I then took Max for a walk along the track and allowed him to graze on some fresh grass.

I'll have to check up on Max either tonight or tommorow- it looks like most of the rain has ended so hopefully things will dry out at the stables and the weather is predicted to be clear for the weekend so hopefully we can hit the trails.

The Christmas Ride (Belated)

This is a bit belated since I only just got the pictures from my wife... :-). Just before Christmas Eve, my wife and I decided to go for a trail ride up the Doc Larsen Trail. It's been awhile (almost three years) since my wife had been up there so I decided that it was time. My wife rode Max and I rode another horse, Blue. Max is the perfect horse for her since he's very steady and has few issues on the trail (at least the Doc Larsen). Blue, as I've mentioned before, is probably the slowest horse on the planet and is probably even slower than Max (if such a thing is possible) BUT he's alway very steady and takes a laid-back approach to life.

These were the perfect trail companions and we followed the Doc Larsen to the Bathtub and then further up to the fireroad. We then followed the fireroads and made a loop that eventually took us back to the stables. The above pictures are "proof" that we were there and my wife was especially happy. She plans on returning soon on a regular basis and I hope that the recent rains won't prevent this.

New Year's Day

I spent this New Year's Day riding with some friends on the Doc Larsen Trail. The day was absolutely beautiful and there were six us. Unfortunately, Max struggled to keep up since his equine companions were either Standardbred or Arabs. Nevertheless, Max got into the spirit of the day and didn't get excited or buzzed up. In short, he was the perfect trail horse.

We went up to the bathtub and then rested. Afterwards, four of our party decided to go further and go home via the fireroad loop. One other person didn't want to take the longer way home because they weren't too sure about their horse's stamina (it's an Arabian but he doesn't get out too often) so I agreed to accompany her back down the way we had come. Also, I strong wind had begun to kick up so I think she was unsure about her horse's temperment.

This was a good training ride for Max because first, he had to deal with leaving the main "herd" plus have to deal with a faster horse while going home. Finally it was good for the other horse because he'd have to learn patience and good trail manners.

Overall, it was a nice ride and Max was a complete gentlemen and seemed to have a calming influence over the other horse. It's a good start to 2008!

And Now For Something Really Different...

And now for something really unique to start off 2008:

Here's a picture of Sean Connery from the movie Zardoz. Not one of Connery's better pictures (he probably REALLY needed to pay the electric bill that month), this is a science fiction movie dealing a post-apocalypic earth. Kind of a silly movie as amply demonstrated by the below picture and the following profound quote:

The gun is good. The penis is evil. The penis shoots seeds, and makes new life to poison the earth with a plague of men, as once it was. But the gun shoots death, and purifies the earth of the filth of brutals. Go forth... and kill!

I saw this "gem" of cinematic art some 30-plus years ago in college and I trust that I haven't missed much. Maybe for a laugh I'll go rent it.

For more on Zardoz, click HERE.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!!!!

Happy New Year 2008!

Well, it's been an exciting 2007 and as we leave it behind and greet 2008, I want to wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year. It's been a good year for me with many adventures for me and my four-legged companion Max and I hope for more good adventures in 2008.

P.S. Max doesn't drink Champagn on the advice of his veterinarian.