Trail Ride Update for Week of 7/2/03 to 7/6/03
Total Miles to Date: 282 miles
With each week as summer progresses it becomes necessary to get started earlier in the mornings. My mornings begin at 4:30 am and end at dark. Unless you've done something like this before, it's hard to believe that the days are that long.... especially when I'm only riding 15-20 miles per day. People say intelligent things like " well.... when you're through with your miles, how do you spend the rest of the day?" My reply is "oh just sit in the air conditioning and eat shrimp and bon bon." If I splain it, you wouldn't understand. So much fer dat.
Wed July 7 -Day 16
MIles: 17
Ridin by 7:00 am from where I left off the week before. The Cheater horse is rested and anxious to get on the road..... not. Well he's rested anyway. We start south of Zephyr, Texas and at noon eat lunch at a roadside park... draw a crowd and more questions. The one I get most often: " Why you doin dis?" My reply has become standard and usually leaves the individual wanting to ask no more questions. "I have no drivers licenses and wanted to go to Abilene and see my daughter." End of questioning. It's a long hot day and we pull into Brownwood around 5:00 pm and hook up with Wendell & Welda Williams. Me and the horses spend the next several days with this hospitable couple. Little did I know that this would be the only night I spend with them and get to bed by 10:00 pm .
Thurs July 3 -Day 17
Miles: 16
Ride the back roads all the way from Williams house to Bangs on Hwy 84 today. Starts off cool but close to 100 by noon . This is quiet nice country and I'm enjoying the ride. Around noon a dog from some house I pass hooks up with me for the ride. The first hour is fun, second hour testy and by 3:00 he's beggin to quit. I am sure he would not find his way back to his house and so I urge him on. 30 minutes later he is not feeling well. The heat is taking its toll. The Henery horse is not impressed by this and is simply indifferent. He makes some snide remark as to the dog's ability to handle the heat and he too urges him on. By 4:00 pm our companion dog lays down in the grass and shortly succumbs to the rigors of the heat. After a short rest, I go over and suggest that we move on but he is a little too stove up..... real stove up..... real dead. Hernery looks at me and has that questioning look on his face. I reassure Henery and he suggest that we get outa Dodge. When Wendell picks us up in Bangs he remarks.. "Man, it's hot enough to kill a horse today." Henery thinks little of the remark and reminds me of the event many times before the ride is over. We go home and I help Wendell until 12:30 am that night on some little dumb project that he has.
Fri July 4
Miles: 0
OK. Got the day off. Gonna sit around the Williams spread and do that "nuttin" thang. No way.... Wendell has done something dumb again. We work all day and get to bed at 2:30 am the next morning. The help was cheap.
Sat July 5 -Day 18
Miles: 20
The horses and I gotta get away from Wendell and ride to get any rest. I'm operatin on 2 hours sleep but it beets following Wendell around. So off Henery horse and I go from Bangs down the back roads to where Wendell can't find us. It is cool, one of only two days the entire trip that is rainy and Henery feels like traveling. We stop at a deserted house for lunch. While there I get out of the rain under the front porch while Henery watches the gear. Henery is not impressed. The former owner and occupant comes along and scolds me for leaving my horse in the rain. Makes me put him up under the porch too. I do and Henery does. As I finish my lunch, rain water continuously drops from Henery down on me. Henery has that dumb grin on his face. Rain slacks off and we ride through Santa Anna and stop at the Cowboy Reunion Tent Camp on Hwy 84. This camp was established in the 1930's as a central revival tent meeting camp for varous preachers and groups. Still in use today with horse facilities and great friendly people. My uncle from Coleman picks me up and takes me back to Bangs.
Sun July 7 -Day 19
Miles: 8
Don't normally ride on Sunday but I've got to think about finishing the trip. The horses are really confused and protest loudly as they flip to see who has the honors. Cheater looses and so I saddle him up. We leave the Cowboy camp and head to Coleman. Cheater begins to limp a bit and I keep my eye on it. As we near Coleman, food and water, Cheater begins to limp a bit more. I become suspicious of his motives and speak to him about it. He assures me that he is in severe pain and needs to quit for the day. I look at the hoof which he points out and sure enough it is the same hoof that we have had to care for the entire trip and his rope burn is a bit red infectious looking. Cheat shrugs his shoulders and we decide to call it a day. I tie Cheat up to a tree 282 miles from the house. Cheater says "thanky." Back to Brownwood and we break camp for the trip back home for the week. After the horses got together, I heard a bit of snickering goin on and was a little suspicious all the way home. Them horses'll do that you know.
Boy I hate it When they's laughin at me.
Saddle Bum Bob