Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Caballos del Sol

Arizona wildflowers ~ Interesting how they bud pink and bloom white.
Wow! What a week. I could probably get a month's worth o' mileage out of the happenings of The Vacation. But, since it was compressed into 6 short days perhaps I'll try to compress it here, as well.

I'm reluctantly coming back to reality after a week long vacation with our horses at an event called the Caballos del Sol benefit trail ride. It benefits horse organizations. But, mostly it just benefits horse lovers like me who get to saddle up and disappear from reality for awhile.

More Arizona Wildflowers (I don't know the names ~ do you?)
Gracie
Ever experienced that feeling of dread at the end of a super-fantabulous vacation?

On the last day of a blissful week, not connected to voice mail, email or any other aspect of the workaday world...   

I petted sweet Gracie and kind of wished this week would never end.

That I could really and truly just ride off into the sunset.

Karen and her Mustang, Red. That's Al in the background: 75 years young.
Toward a 5 star spa, of course, because one week of camping is plenty of hardship for this lazy butt. My hard-working horse could benefit from a massage, too.

This was my 3rd year on the Caballos del Sol trail ride. And, good luck finding out anything about it. There's no website. No contact info. Half the people submitting applications get turned away.

That Rental RV in the foreground was mine, all mine. (For the week. :)
It's a super secret horse affair. A tiny postcard shows up around Christmas time hinting at the location.

Come March, we're given directions to a private ranch somewhere in Arizona, where we set up an RV city and ride the Apache Wilderness. Each morning, heading out on a new trail, prettier than the one the day before.


We laughed non-stop for 5 fab days.

Then we packed up the horses and reluctantly headed back to civilization. Where the second I reached a cellphone service area my poor little gadget practically exploded... with hundreds of emails, cranky voice mails plus a few texts that made me absolutely batty:

Text #1: I need a place to stay ~ can I spend the summer with you? (Huh???)
Text #2: Your dog has been barking for 2 solid days! (Whaa??)
Text #3: I borrowed your car. Man! It's fast! (The nerve.)
Text #4: I think something is broken; there's water gushing all over your basement. (Argh.)

At which point I turned off the phone. Sigh.

"I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once." ~ Jennifer Unlimited




* Caballos del Sol = Horses of the Sun

10 comments:

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

So, that's where you were. lol!

I'm glad you had a great time. :)
Nice to see sweet Gracie. Was Splendor included in the working vacation, too?
When are you coming back down to New Mexico?

~Lisa

Lona said...

It must have been nice Kate to just get away from everything and soak in the country side. It sounds like you had a wonderful time.My backside would never stand it. LOL! I am ashamed to say that with that older fella riding the trails.LOL! The trails must be so beautiful.

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

And I forgot to ask...why do some people get turned away if this a benefit ride?

~Lisa

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Lisa!
Al rode Splendor one day. She seemed to enjoy herself as the temperatures were perfect and there were plentiful streams for her to get a drink.

The ride is capped at 140 people. They turned 70 more away this year. But, you have connections with Dacodah so he could probably get you in... :))

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hey Lona!
My backside was pretty sore, too. And, my knees. And... well, pretty much everything. Al's got the beat. He's been riding with this group for 18 years. And, he YODELS while he's riding with us! He's a hoot. :D

Snowcatcher said...

Your Arizona wildflower looks a little like our Colorado loco weed (drives the cows crazy, I hear).

I hope you didn't really have a water heater event, and did the person who borrowed the car bring it back?!? :)

Gardening in a Sandbox said...

Looks like you had lots of company on your ride. I am glad you had a great time. V

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

I did have water heater 'event' and why do those things always have to happen on a Sunday when there are rush charges involved?

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Melospiza said...

What an adventure--I love the idea of finding out the location by postcard. I need more things in my life like that.