different summer

This has been a different summer for us, we have not been able to make it back out on the trail since our trip up north in June. Weeks flew past and we were unable to even find a window of time to visit our horses, let alone ride. Resulting in a lack of horse posts.

After our June trip, we decided to board Koda & Nemo at our trainers until we can figure out a new/modified living situation closer to home. Cierra remains in training, so our three horses spend their days turned out together, and evenings stalled next to each other. Altho we really miss having them at the home family farm, they are happy & relaxed and enjoying a regular routine.

Cierra, Koda, Nemo (L-R)

 
Our lives slowed down around the fourth of July, and we finally rode not once but twice that holiday weekend!! 
 

Brad & Nemo

We have since enjoyed weekly Sunday rides in the large outdoor arena. Just me & Koda, and Brad & Nemo ~ it's been absolutely wonderful!!
 

Riding Koda

Sunday Stills ~ The Color Red

A couple red flowers from my gardens:

Red Waterlily
This lily has an different center, it's waxy yellow. The outer petals fade into more of a fuschia color.
Can you see the green bug?

My favorite fragrant Red Daylily "Charles Johnston"

Enjoy seeing red on other Sunday Still entries.

Sunday Stills ~ Yellow Flowers

Yellow blooms from my gardens in July:

Waterlily

Calla Lily

Portulaca

Asiatic Lily

Enjoy other Sunday Stills yellow flowers.

seeing green

Green. The color of nature. Among other things, green symbolizes growth, hope, harmony and freshness. It has great healing power, and is the most restful color for the human eye. With the generous rains we've had, we headed north and found an abundance of green to find respite in...

surrounded in green

...we left behind another frenzied start to the work week, and headed north to pick Koda & Nemo up for our first trail ride of the season. Our trainer sent us off with good wishes, as she patted the horses and told Koda to be a good boy. I assured her, he would be. The antics Koda conjured up in previous weeks, had all but disappeared. His training, and our weekly rides, have taken a turn and gone really well. I believe his antics in general are part of his personality, and will likely reappear when least expected. My hope is with consistency, knowledge and confidence, it will be to a much lesser degree - if at all. I am more then happy to say, Koda didn't act up on either of our two trail rides. His behavior was as close to perfect as I've ever seen. He didn't back/shy/refuse in his silly way, not even once!! 

It's hard to describe what a difference it makes to ride a horse that listens. Someone to work through what nature tosses your way. Together, instead of disregarding your safety and his, as partners. This trip was the best both Nemo & Koda have behaved up north.  A sign our boys are growing up.

Koda will likely always need more reminders then the average horse. That doesn't bother me, it's the battles that do. I am so thankful we had none. We experienced quiet rides, and didn't encounter but a couple squirrels. Only two separate ATV's passed us on the multi-use trail. I wasn't sure how Koda would react with the movement coming up behind him. I made sure he saw them, but felt nothing from him. As in years past, both horses took the ATV's in stride.

I didn't take any pictures of our first ride. Not really knowing what to expect from my horse, I left my camera in the cabin to give my full attention to the ride. Amazing how the rain made the familiar paths sooo lush, and different. Fond memories of past rides on horseback, and snowmobile, flooded my thoughts. It was wonderful to be back in the north woods! The fresh smells, the endless paths, the remoteness of it all. One of my favorite places to just be.

We rode up to the "lookout", or maybe that was the "other lookout" we stumbled upon last Fall?? Not much is marked, you can call it what you want. Since us humans were not in agreement, we agreed to just disagree. Doesn't really matter which lookout it was anyways, it was too wet to be rock riding. Needless to say we didn't ride all the way up on top of the cliff, but Koda sure wanted to. He likes rock riding (me too). We headed back towards the ranch, our first ride of the season was a success!

Koda & Nemo stay right outside our cabin, it's one of the things we enjoy most about our trips up north. We truly love having our boys so close by! Enjoying camp fires, many nickers and snuggles, and just being together with our horses. 

We traveled some new trails, on our favored second day of riding. It was fun discovering abandoned cross country ski trails, maneuvering water logged mud slick hills and valleys, and riding over, under and around, many countless trees! No photos of the tricky stuff, just know it was remote, lush, beautiful, and downright fun!!

riding in the pines

giant lush ferns were everywhere

taking a break at an intersection

Even with a month of being ridden at the trainers consistently, our boys who are in decent shape, were tuckered out at the end of both rides. We thought about squeezing one last shorter ride in before heading back home, but returned from breakfast to find both boys laying down in the sand sound asleep. It was time to make the long trip home. 

entering one of many Y intersections

There is much to be grateful for, spending precious time with those you love, engulfed by peaceful lush greenery and carried away by the soft shuffle of sauntering horses...