Back in the saddle

Every time I visit my parents in California...

I hike trails... 

where I used to ride.

I enjoy this...

but today I decided to find myself a horse.

Oh, this is so much better!

Why didn't I think of this before?

The ghosts of Eaton Canyon Riding Club

Every morning I get up early and take one dog for a three mile walk. We go to the park and around the lake. It's a nice suburban walk, but nothing special.

I'm visiting my parents in California this week. They don't have a dog for me to walk, but I'm walking anyway. In truth, I love walking here. The neighborhood is beautiful, and Eaton Canyon is just a hop, skip and a jump away.

Some mornings I walk to the falls... 

but more often than not, I find myself at the former site of Eaton Canyon Riding Club. 

It's hard not to feel sad as I contemplate the emptiness. Where there is now a single ring...

there used to be an office and gift shop,

stabling for nearly one hundred horses,

Jennifer on Love N Stuff, 1980

one...

Barton with an unknown rider, 1986

two... 

Jennifer and Love N Stuff, 1980

three riding rings, 

Jennifer and Filly, 1982

multiple tack rooms, locker rooms... 

Cinnamon, 1983

and grooming areas,

Anna and Holly, 1980

a pair of wash stalls, 

Pasadena Star News, 1981

and two dinky little turn-outs.

Cinnamon, 1983

The current ring is big, but not that big.

How did all that stuff fit into this tiny acreage? It seems impossible to me. Perhaps ECRC was like the Tardis--bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. That is the only logical explanation.

Before I leave, I take a moment and try to locate a few of the most important landmarks. I think this is the site of Cinnamon's stall in the "C" Barn. Maybe.

It's been twenty seven years since my last ride at ECRC. Seems like forever. Seems like yesterday. The office and barns and rings and wash stalls may be gone, but they loom large in my memory. I will continue to visit their ghosts as long as I am in California.

Almost wordless Wednesday

I'd planned to spend this week hanging out with my kids, making tack and riding horses. Instead, I ended up buying a plane ticket and flying out to see my parents in California. Life is funny like that sometimes. It's been a good trip so far, but definitely not horsey, so today's almost wordless entry is filled with photos from last Saturday's visit to the Arapahoe County Fair and Rodeo. Enjoy!

Love the ones you're with

Five years ago today, I said goodbye to my beautiful Abbie.

We spent sixteen wonderful years together..

If you knew me during that time, you probably heard me refer to her as "perfect" and "the best dog ever." 

She was both those things.

Nowadays, I share my life with Darcy...

and Emma. 

They're good dogs, but neither one of them is perfect.

Darcy is needy, fragile,

incredibly loud...

and more than a little bit weird.

Emma is sneaky and suspicious, fearful of people...

and unpredictably aggressive towards other dogs.

She's also every bit as weird as Darcy.

I love them dearly, but they're definitely not perfect.

And that's okay. I don't need them to be perfect. In fact, I like them just the way they are.

They may not be "the best dogs ever," but they're the best dogs for me right now. They make me very happy, and I am  grateful to have them in my life.

Purdy pink sweethearts

The Arapahoe County Fair Rodeo opened with a performance by the Sweethearts of the West drill team.

So much pink! It's like a Tiffany Purdy explosion. 

Pink flags, pink boots, 

pink shirts, pink pads... 

even sparkley pink bridles! 

At first I was just taking pictures of the pink...

but then I realized one of the horses was pretty cool in his own right. 

I love this Appy's big spots...

but even more I love his eyes.

See? So cool! 

Goodbye, Sweethearts.

That was a Purdy awesome performance!