Friday

Well...we washed the inside and outside of the trailer today, actually Tom Smith did it with his power washer and since it is Arizona, the inside dried out quickly and Bobe built my office.  Awesome!!!  Will put pics of it on here tomorrow.  We are pooped out from getting settled.  We love our camping spot.  We have a huge cactus and a tree for shade and christmas lights all along the hedge row behind us.  It is just lovely here.  Was 30 degrees when we woke up and in a short time I was in a t-shirt.  The horses are resting up and getting new shoes on Tuesday with Vicky.  We saw Joan and Lowell off this morning to start their winter snow-birding in Laughlin with Kim.  Wish you guys a great winter and Merry Christmas!

Thursday

Yesterday we made it from Amarillo, TX all the way to Deming, NM.  We stayed at a fantastic place last night callled Lazy Sue Ranch.  Great accomodations for the horses and us and cheap too!  The horses have been blanketed since Monday and are warm in the trailer.  It was 17 degrees this morning but our pipes finally thawed out yesterday and we got showers last night!!!  YIPPEE.  Even the dogs were glad of that.  We left at 7:30am and have 248 miles to make it to Dorly's.  We just crossed the continental divide and are headed for Lordsburg where we hope to find breakfast.   It has been a long trip and we will be glad to get there!

Still in Amarillo

Here are the snow dogs in Amarillo.  I can't think of one witty thing to say tonight about MaryJean wearing this sweatshirt so you'll have to think up your own witticisms regarding wimpy hound dogs wearing their people's clothes.  I will say though that if MaryJean could talk she would have selected this one because of the peace sign.

Our Digs here in amarillo.  We were in the truck waiting to pull out to go to breakfast this morning and there was a 1 foot snow bank in front of the truck and the gentleman who owns the place came up to the window and wanted to know if we wanted him to "plow us out" before we left since there was a huge snowbank in front of us.  We both looked at him with a blank expression, told him we had 4 wheel drive and it never occured to us we wouldn't be able to drive thru it.  "We're from Michigan don't you know, this IS NOTHIN'" ........Then we drove through it and left for breakfast... Wimpy Amarilloins...

Let it snow...let it snow...let it snow...OKAY ENOUGH ALREADY

WE ARE HOLED UP IN AMARILLO, TX TODAY.  HAD TO PULL OVER SINCE IT IS 15 DEGREES AND A BLIZZARD OUT!  WE SAW TWO FLIPPED OVER TRAVEL TRAILERS, OUR RIG TOOK A LITTLE SKID AND STARTED LOOKING FOR SHELTER.  WE ARE  SAFE AND WARM AT A NICE HORSE MOTEL 4 MILES WEST OF AMARILLO.  THE HORSES ARE TUCKED INTO A NICE WARM BARN AND WE ARE WARM  WITH 2 ELECTRIC HEATERS BLAZING AND THE GAS FURNACE TOO!  WILL TRY TO GET A PICTURE ON HERE LATER OF WHERE WE ARE.

Cruising through Oklahoma

It is sunny finally and 45 degrees out.  We are 58 miles from our destination in Oklahoma city and it is 4pm.  Yesterday we stayed in Bourbon, Missouri, yes I had some while there.  We arrived there about 8pm in the rain and were greeted by two lovely young british people who are staying with our hostess in a "Work-Away" program where people come here and work off their room and board.  Lady and the Tramp spent the night in a small corral with an attached shed.  Since it rained all night we were all glad for the shed.  When I greeted them this morning they were mud from head to hoof.  Good thing they had the shed.  I spent some time mucking out their wallowing pen and when I went back to get them to load into the trailer one of them (Lady) left me a nice pile inside the perfectly clean shed.  Nice.  Then while I was sliding around in the mud putting Lady's halter on, The Tramp left another load for me.  For some reason i left my muck boots at home and now my cowboy boots are gooped up with slippery black mud.  EEEWWWWW.  Had to hose off before getting in the truck.  Right after leaving this fine place while pulling up a huge hill, the truck did this weird thing.  It felt like the trailer came off it since it jerked so hard.  Scared the bejeezes out of me but it was fine and didn't do it again.  Terry said it burped while trying to shift.  Who knows.  Wow, diesel here is $3.79.  How scary is that that we are excited about $3.79.  Pray for us to make it safe and Terry's belly to hold together since the took the tape off the incision.

On the road again...we just can't wait to get on the road again...

Okay, no I haven't died...I just took a few months off of blogging.  We have been a mite busy since August.  Went to Mackinac Island, Waterloo Horse Camp, Rode the 500 mile Michigan shore-to-shore double cross, camped and rode at southern Indiana, went to Massachusetts for Equine Affaire, stopped in at Vermont to ride some Icelandics, Hosted deer hunting camp, Terry went to UP with Pop, Went to PA for my Aunt Jean's funeral, Hosted Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving for the Swearengin's, went to the Emergency room with Terry, had Appendicitis surgery then finally on the road for Tucson.  Wheew!

Day 9, Michigan Shore to shore

Oh my gosh, we made it to the shore!!!  Only had to ride about 9 miles and it is a beatiful ride straight into downtown Empire.  You can stop in town, tie your horse up to the fire hydrant and get ice cream, how fun is that???

 Lowell & Tom

Nugene and Bobe

The Tramp

Cool lady with a nice appy mule

Here comes Morgan and her Granny! She made it!!

 That is one proud Granny in the background.  Check out the pink cowboy boots!

 Lady and the Tramp

Morgan getting her first trophy from our trail boss Theresa.