After the Desert!

5-7-09 Thursday was a welcomed and well-needed day of rest. After doing a great job in the desert, Ali was ready to rest. He was less than enthusiastic and didn't even eat all of his grain. Fortunately, Ali got better as the day wore on. We spent the day at a bed and breakfast owned by Linda and Dewey Brown on the Fite Ranch in San Antonio, NM. Linda and Dewey were great hosts. You can get more information about their bed and breakfast at http://www.fiteranchbedandbreakfast.com/.
Thursday night we had a potluck dinner. I took my infamous tossed salad.


5-8-09 Friday was another rest day. Boredom set in for Ali and I, but disappeared for me when it was time for the crawfish boil. The Best of America by Horseback crew had Fed Ex fly in 50 pounds of fresh crawfish from Louisiana. Bobby Horton, a native of Mississippi, cooked the crawfish with potatoes, onions, corn on the cob, and sausage. It was delicious! We all ate until we we were stuffed.

5-9-09 Saturday we were back on the trail. Ali and I were both ready to go again. We started the day at 7:00 a.m. It was a cool 40 degrees with gusty winds up to 25 miles per hour. Brrrr! The horses were fresh but skiddish from the wind. Fortunately, the horses settled down fairly quickly, and we were able to finish just after noon. We rode over 18 miles on changing terrain. There was more grass, and it even had a green tinge. We've now ridden 255 miles. Ali had his best day so far. He found a perfect gait and didn't want to argue with me at all. The highpoint of the day was riding by the Trinity Site where the first atom bomb was exploded in 1945.

We stop three times each day on the trail to give the horses water. So far, we have not had any problems with getting hay or grain. I understand we have to have certified weed-free hay when we go into Colorado, or we could be fined as much as $7,000. The Best of America by Horseback organizers are working on the details to make sure we have the right hay in Colorado. My supply of peppermint candies for Ali are holding out. I carry some in a sack on the saddlehorn each day. Ali knows where they are and turns to get one each time we take a rest stop on the trail.

The riders get together every night to share stories, talk about our families, and get to know each other better. My daughter sent cross word puzzles, soduku puzzles and books to keep me busy, but I haven't had time to do any of them, yet. This is a wonderful experience! I am just amazed to be so lucky to have people to support me in doing this. I pinch myself daily to make sure it's not a dream!

Posted by: Dea