Day Five - Farewell to Tahoe

It's day five and our last day of our vacation. Nick, Kyla, and I started our morning with a planned early hike to Eagle Lake in southwest Lake Tahoe, near Emerald Bay. We were up early and on the trail by 7:30. There's something to be said about enjoying your time with nature that early in the morning.

The hike was considered "moderate" in our trusty, dusty trail guide book but it was more like a Mother Nature's granite stair-step machine. Kyla had a surprising amount of gusto as she proceeded to leap up granite boulders and charge up the trail as though she had fully rested from the day before. Our little dog showed no sign of fatigue. Quite the contrary. She was full of sass as she grabbed the leash and pulled us up the trail. The bugs were in out full force and the granite steps were plentiful.

After about 45 minutes, we had reached Eagle Lake and decided to turn around. The sights were amazing as the shear granite mountains were mirrored perfectly in the placid lake. During our descent, we passed several hikers on their way up the trail. Kyla strategically picked the hikers she wanted to growl at and we had to debunk the myth that she was a Bernese Mountain Dog. The hike was perfect to get the blood going and loosen our stiff bodies from the Squaw Valley hike the day before.

We returned to our perfect little hotel room, showered, and packed the car for the long ride home. We hit the road at 10:30 and had a long drive ahead of us. We pushed through to Bishop and stopped at the famous Mahogany Smokehouse to fill orders for the parents and great deli sandwiches for us.

During the summer months, Caltrans closes or limits access to parts of HWY 395 to repair sections of the road damaged during the winter months, thanks to snow and ice. Our Friday trip home was no exception. At one point, we were stuck on HWY 395 with the engine turned off for over 25 minutes in the heat of the July sun. It was WONDERFUL!

We finally returned home at about 8:00 PM. Kyla was extra excited to be home because she hadn't gone potty the entire trip home (about 10 hours). Now starts the unpacking, endless laundry, and getting back to normal life. Overall, our vacation was amazing and just what we all needed. Our little family had a great time and our puppy was a champion. But after everything we packed into the past 5 days, Kyla looks like how we all feel...wiped!

Day Four - Our Granite Hike with a Billy Goat

Day Four of our Tahoe trip started with plans to take a good hike through the Sierra Nevada mountains near Olympic Village in Squaw Valley. We woke, packed our bags while sipping coffee, and headed out for the north end of the lake. We arrived at Squaw Valley around 10:45 and started our hike at 11:00 with our goal being to end up at Shirley Lake.

Our trusty-dusty trail guide book described the Shirley Lake Trail as "Moderate" difficulty at about 4 miles with a +1,325 feet elevation climb. We decided to bring our lunch with us along with food for Kyla and plenty of water. Good thing because we had no idea what we were in for.

The trail started to wind through beautiful pine forests with thick fern foliage. We soon encountered our first "granite climb" as we came across several granite boulders that we needed to climb up. Kyla soon became "luggage" as we picked her up (all 18 lbs of her) and carried her up the boulders. The bugs were plentiful and the forest kept us cool from the heat. We wound along the trail, marked only by small spraypainted markers of blue and pink on passing boulders. Kyla was a trooper and proudly blazed the trail for us with gusto.

After a ways into the trail, we came to a sheer cliff of granite we needed to climb. Our jaws dropped as we realized what we had just gotten ourselves into. We figured we'd have to carry Kyla through much of this steep asent but soon saw that we didn't bring our dog, but brought our mountain billy goat with us. Kyla lept, jumped, and crawled her way up the steepest of steep granite boulders, rocks, and cliffs. Nick and I were stuggling to keep up with her as she charged at her own quick pace. The few times we were forced to pick her up and carry her, it was clear she was angry with us for not allowing her to do it herself.

After several water stops and breaks, and a few hours on the trail, we reached our goal: Shirley Lake. The lake is actually set back in the mountains of Squaw Valley with the Shirley Lake Express chair lift at the edge of the lake. There wasn't much time to rest as we ate a quick lunch with the lovely mosquitos and kept on trudging along the trail.

We didn't want to slide back down the granite boulders on the way back down the trail so we continued onward and upward to High Camp at Squaw Valley. High Camp is where the cable car drops off those "outdoor enthusiasts" that want to wander the mountains without breaking a sweat or taking off their flipflops (all while paying the $20 fee to ride the cable car to the top). The three of us zigzagged up the blue and black runs to finally reach the High Camp Loop. The last leg of our trek felt like the last mile of a marathon. It was painful to take each step as we made the steep asent up the mountain with our puppy still charging ahead.

When our trail leveled out at the High Camp Loop, we were ecstatic! By the time we reached the top, we had hiked over 2,000 vertical feet. All we could think about was cold water and the glorious ride down the face of the granite cliff in the cable car. Kyla was a little too popular at the High Camp area and Nick and I were quickly fending off kids from our kid-shy puppy. Apparently when you tell kids "She's afraid of little kids," that little kid interprets it as "Let me stick my face in your dog's nose and see what she does." And where are their parents?!

We loaded the cable car and started our decent. Now I should mention that the past few days have been filled with thunder and lightning storms in the afternoon. I officially experienced an all new fear when we were hanging precariously hundreds of feet above granite cliffs as lightning strikes between us and the nearest mountain peak (which was very close)! Mind you, Kyla, now passed out at our feet, attracted the comments of several passengers on what a good dog she is. When we finally stepped foot on solid ground, we were all elated.

Nick, Kyla, and I headed back to South Lake Tahoe for a few beers at the Brewery at Lake Tahoe. Cold beer never tasted so deserved! We enjoyed some reheated homecooked meals and glorious showers back at the hotel. We even cruised Heavenly Village with our energetic puppy to splurge on cookies from Nestle.

As our last full day comes to a close, I am sad to see our vacation wrapping up. Life has slowed down while we were here but our time here has also flown by. Tomorrow, we will get in one more hike and then pack up to make the long drive home. This has certainly turned out to be an amazing vacation!

Day Three - A Blog from the Dog

I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Kyla and I'm the 7-month-old puppy that belongs to my mom and dad, Lindsay and Nick. Mom's in the shower and dad's watching TV so I thought I'd take over the blog entry today and tell you my side of the story for today's happenings. Even without opposable thumbs, I'm very talented at writing a great story about our adventures.

Today started around 6:00 when mom and dad woke me up to sleep on the bed with them. I LOVE sleeping on the bed instead of my cramped crate. When mom and dad woke up at 6:30, I was still wanting to sleep. They seemed busy getting lunches and "things" together for our day. I slept and didn't feel like eating. I've been frustrating mom and dad a lot lately because of my shy bladder. I didn't feel like going potty this morning even though my mom was worried I'd pee in her car on the ride. They loaded me up and off we went to who knows were.

After a long drive, they took me out and fitted me for my lifejacket. I knew this couldn't be good. In no time, mom had me by the handle of my lifejacket and plopped me in the middle of an inflatable raft on a river mom and dad kept referring to as Truckee River. Soon we were off and floating down the river. I'll be honest. I thought it was fun hanging over the side of the raft and checking out the sites. Then, out of the blue, dad grabbed my handle and dunked me in the water! Soon I was swimming along the raft and the water was COLD! They didn't make me swim too long before pulling me back into the raft but it was a little scary (and fun).

We continued on, floating lazily down the river. Mom and dad even pulled the boat ashore and let me play in the shallow water. I enjoyed myself but didn't want them to catch on that I was actually having fun in the water. After all, I'm not a water dog! Now if I could only herd the ducklings floating down the river!

To tell you the truth, I was pretty scared at the end of the rafting trip. Mom and dad hit a major rapid and seriously got us stuck on a HUGE rock. They really weren't good at steering the raft. They finally got us unstuck but I was a little shaken up. Let's just say I was happy to be on solid ground when it was all over.

Mom and dad then took me to Virginia City, an old ghost silver mining town that mom used to visit as a kid. We wondered the old wood sidewalk and checked out the old saloons. Apparently I'm quite cute because I attracted quite a lot of attention. If I only had a cookie for every person that said I was cute! Mom and dad had a beer at the Bucket of Blood Saloon. Apparently mom used to drink "Shirley Temples" there at the bar when she was young (whatever those are) and just had to have a beer now that she is an adult.

Now, I'm still shy to go potty in public and away from my potty box at home. When mom put me in the car in Virginia City, I couldn't contain myself. After 18 hours of not going potty, I peed in mom's car. She was so mad and I felt bad but I couldn't contain myself. Oops! It's OK though because I know she still loves me.

Mom, dad, and I headed back to the hotel and then we ended up at Stateline Brewery by Heavenly Village. Apparently tonight there is some guy named "Kenny Chesney" performing a concert at Harvey's Casino. Well, this guy must bring out the wackos and goofies because we watched all kinds of people walk by, stumbling, falling, and talking really weird (all with drinks in their hands). And they all seemed to be wearing ugly cowboy boots and bad cowboy hats. I so don't understand humans sometimes!

So now I'm relaxin' back in the hotel with mom and dad. I've had a busy day but I'm still playing with my magic reindeer. Mom's getting out of the shower so I'd better get going. I'm having a great time on my vacation and loving the time with my parents. I think I'm the luckiest dog on earth!!!

Day Two - Our Opposite Island

Day Two of our Tahoe vacation started out with a well-deserved sleep-in to recharge from the early morning yesterday. After showers, coffee, and packed lunch for the 3 of us, we set out for Emerald Bay for a hike to the Vikingsholm Mansion. Our trail guide book said "Dogs on leashes OK" but every sign we passed read "NO DOGS" in bold print. We chose to ignore the signs and weren't questioned even once by the several forest rangers we passed on the trail. If you look like you belong, no one bothers you. Plus, everyone loves Kyla. We've lost count at the number of people that tell us how cute she looks. We're proud parents!

We decided to continue along the Rubicon Trail that led along the Emerald Bay and wound through the trees, waterfalls, and bushes. The sights were amazing! We laughed as enormous trees that fell across the trail were carved out to still allow access along the trail. Kyla was great and led the way as we walked about 5 or 6 miles through God's beautiful land. We even made the short trek up to Eagle Falls and saw the beautiful sights from all the snow run-off cascading down the mountain and into the lake.

We were all tired after our hike so after a great lunch, we continued along the highway to see what the towns on the west side of the lake had to offer. After we drove far enough, we just decided to drive all the way around the lake. It was during this drive that Nick said to me that Lake Tahoe is like an "opposite island." With each town we passed through, we kept comparing them to the small towns in Kauai. And just like Kauai, you drive along the highway with water on one side, mountains on the other, and not too many ways to get lost. It's all just opposite than Kauai but still the same concept.

Since we're in one area that you can be in the mountains one minute and the beach the next, we decided to end up at Kiva Beach in southwest Lake Tahoe since it allows dogs. Kyla had a great time venturing into the water and it wasn't too cold on the toes. Just sitting on the beach and watching the thunderstorm roll in over the mountains and across the lake was breathtaking.

Nick and I thought the only way to properly end the day would be with a few good beers. We stopped at The Brewery of South Lake Tahoe and had a few beers and shrimp on the patio with Kyla resting at our feet. It was perfect!

After our easy dinner, we thought we would crate Kyla in the hotel room, walk into the South Lake Tahoe Village around Heavenly Resort, and enjoy some window shopping. We were only gone about an hour and a half and returned to Kyla obsessively barking from our room, two shady looking guys trying to get into our door, and a man yelling at us because our dog has been "barking for four and a half hours." We were mortified as we had a message from the office about complaints about our lovely barking dog. Looks like Kyla is sticking with us the rest of the trip.

Tomorrow is river rafting down Truckee River and visiting Virginia City. I can't wait to see how Kyla does with her life jacket on in the raft.

Day One - A LONG Drive

Our morning started off by sleeping through our alarm clock by 30 minutes and not getting up until 3:30. And by the way, when 3:30 AM is "sleeping in," we have a problem! We were on the road by 4:20 and headed for the beautiful Lake Tahoe by way of 395. After a few stops along the way (especially at Mahogany Smokehouse for the best jerky on earth), we ended up in Mammoth Lakes for lunch with my Aunt Laura and her long-time boyfriend Michael. The weather was wonderful and the air was fresh. Ahh, the mountains! We had a nice visit and hit the road after I bought a new Coach purse at the outlet (My name is Lindsay and I have a Coach purse addiction!)

We trudged on to Carson City and stopped to see my grandparents. My grandfather turns 90 in August so we celebrated an early birthday with him and my grandmother. Nick and I gave him channel-lock pliers and my parents gave him birthday cash. I'm proud to say he seemed happier with the simple pliers than the cash. Gotta love a simple man! The weather was a toasty 102 and Kyla finally got to romp in their grass backyard. She's been a trooper so far on this road trip.

We continued on to our final destination, South Lake Tahoe. We actually totally scored with our hotel. Upon check-in with Kyla, they gave us a "doggy goody bag" with portable water bowl, leash, and dog treats. Our room is perfect with a mini kitchen and spacious living area. We had our home-cooked meal of pasta and a few drinks to work out the driving kinks. We're heading our now for a walk with Kyla along the main road crossing the boarder from California to Nevada.

As of now, our fun trip antics include:

Kyla smelled the cows of Norco through our car vent system well before we could smell them.

Driving through the desert is NOT very entertaining.

Gretta GPS is getting used to "Recalculating" when we drive.

Kyla is finally learning to go potty away from her potty box.

"Traffic" in South Lake Tahoe has nothing on Los Angeles or Orange County.

And "hot weather" is nothing compared to Temecula or even back home!

Tomorrow we plan on hiking and exploring the wonderful Lake Tahoe. The drive was long but we are finally here and going to enjoy every minute of our vacation.

One month...

...and Danny has been retired to pasture at Endar.

...and he has more and more bites from his pasture bully everyday.

...and he's lost more weight.

...and he still whinnies to his friends everytime I take him out of his pasture.

...and it keeps getting hotter in Temecula.

...and I still haven't ridden another horse.

...and he still has one damn shoe on.

...and I've visited him every weekend.

...and I seem to be finding things to fill my afternoons formerly spent at the barn.

...and I still miss him everyday.

One month...and he seems to be enjoying himself.

Gettin' Ready for Lake Tahoe

Nick and I took a while to decide on our summer vacation this year. We looked into camping at June Lake, relaxing in Las Vegas, or something completely different. We finally decided on a trip to Lake Tahoe. We're heading up 395 on Monday morning, stopping in Mammoth to see my Aunt Laura, stopping in Carson City, NV to see my grandparents, and ending up in South Lake Tahoe till Friday.

I searched high and low for a suitable hotel/condo/vacation home that wouldn't tap out our entire savings account, have bugs, and allow pets. We decided early on in our planning that we wanted to take our four-legged child, Kyla, with us on vacation. I found an awesome hotel right by Heavenly Resort that offers kitchenettes and allows dogs for a very small fee.

And so the planning has begun. If you know me, I'm a total "list person." I have lists for different stores we need to get supplies (Costco, Walmart, and the grocery store), items for Kyla, things for me, and odds and ends you just can't forget. Our goal is to take almost all our food to cut down on additional costs and help us be a bit more self sufficient. Imagine cooking all your meals on Sunday for the next 5 days of the week. It's a lot of work!

I've started searching the trail guide book I picked up and flagged different trails around Lake Tahoe for us to venture on. We're looking forward to becoming one with nature through hiking, canoeing, possibility some fishing, swimming in the lake, and enjoying each others company. I can't wait to show Kyla the sites of Lake Tahoe and possibly turn this into a Henry Family Tradition.

But first, I need to go make another list.......

Lindsay's First Black Sea Bass

Nick, my dad, and I finally had the opportunity to take the Great Escape (dad's boat) out on the water to do a little fishing this summer. The morning came early. I'm talking 3:30 in the holiest of mornings to be on the road by 4:15. I'm sad to say we were actually early for our departure. Now you would think no one on God's green (and blue) earth would be up at that hour. Ya, not so much! The launch ramp at Dana Point Harbor was lined with other fisherman, waiting for the opportunity to get out on the water and beat their counterparts to "the best spot." After we were loaded up with anchovies and sardines for bait, we hit it and were cruising down to south San Clemente and San Mateo to try our hand (and our luck) at our big goal...White Sea Bass.

Now here's a little explanation of how I fish. I bnever been seasick. That's not to say I always feel hunky-dory on the rolling ocean either. So I've found my best way to counteract any queasiness is to eat. I'm talking carbo-loading, full belly at all times, eating of protein bars, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips, ham and turkey sandwich, and pretzels...covered in chocolate, of course. So while Nick and Dad rigged rods and got lines into the water to entice the White Sea Bass, I munched away.

Nick was officially the one to catch first fish. It wasn't your typical fish and certainly not a keeper. He caught a Sea Urchin. It was a first for him so he can check it off his "To Be Caught" list. My dad then noticed one of his rods taking off so he grabbed it, realized he hooked a fish, set the hook, and as I yelled "Dibbs!", he handed the rod to me. The sucker was big and fighting hard. I started reeling and then felt a pop as the fish completely bit through the line and got away. When I brought the line all the way up, my dad said that based on the frayed line, it was likely a White Sea Bass or a shark. My dad said Sea Bass are extremely difficult to set the hook on and are very finicky fish so I was happy to at least try to reel it in.

So I went back to sitting and waiting. Soon, my rod started taking off and I grabbed it, set the hook myself, and started reeling. When I felt a dull pull, I told my dad that I thought my stupid bait got my line stuck in the thick kelp and handed my rod to my dad so he could untangle the line. He took one feel of the rod and said, "Lindsay, you have a fish!" So I took over again and started reeling. It wasn't too much of a fight but it was just heavy. It took less than a minute to get it to the surface but I couldn't tell what I caught. My dad took one look and yelled, "Lindsay, you caught a Black Sea Bass!!!" And the sucker was 20 lbs!

Here's your quick lesson on Black Sea Bass. They were highly over fished and are now illegal to keep in US waters. My little 20 lb guy was on the smaller side of how big they can get - 600 lbs. Apparently you can catch and keep them in Mexican waters but charter boats going out of San Diego have size restrictions on Black Sea Bass to ensure their posterity.

I knew some of this when I found out exactly what I caught so I kept saying, "Be careful with him" as my dad took the hook out and Nick snapped a few pictures. After posing with my prize, we released him back into his home to be a great game fish for someone else to catch and bring a smile to their face. High fives all around. It was a great feeling.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to catch any other big fish. We found ourselves getting into a Calico Bass fish-off. Nick and my dad both got 3 while I got 2. Nick also caught a spiny Sculpin. The day was beautiful with bright blue skies and warm weather. It was great spending the day on the water with my two favorite men. And after we cleaned the boat at home, a cold beer never tasted so good...

War Wounds and Whinnies

It's Saturday and that means another trek out to Temecula to visit Danny. Again it was my mom, Kyla, and I, and again, it was toasty out there. I found out just how hot it was when poor Kyla started whining and doing the Hot Potato dance in the parking lot of our lunch destination. Today's lesson: No Temecula asphalt for puppy. Check!

When we got to Endar and I pulled Danny out of his pasture, I noticed he was quite different this time. Last week he was calm and reserve with two bite marks. This time he was bright eyed and war wounded. He's lost one front shoe and worn down the hoof while the other hoof still has the shoe and his toe is extra long. The only way I can relate the visual is a woman walking barefoot with one foot and sporting a platform sandal on the other foot. He has quite a few more battle scars and war wounds, predominately on his rear end. I figure this means one of two things: He's standing his ground more and poorly defending himself against his pasture bully OR the poor guy just isn't getting away fast enough from Jaws.

As my mom and I walked Danny and Kyla to the barn, Danny's gimpy walk was overshadowed when he started whinnying to the horses in the other pastures. No, I take that back. He wasn't whinnying. He was SCREAMING!!! So much so that the groom pulling some of the training horses out of their pastures and into the barn couldn't even control his rearing and spooking horse that Danny was "helping" behave in a lovely manner. I truly felt sorry for the groom as the horse gave him a hell of a time on the long journey back to the barn.

As usual, I hosed Danny off and quickly realized he has a lovely new scent. I like to call it "Eau de Nasty, Stinky Pasture Horse." It's somewhere between a sweaty horse and a dirty, wet dog. After a lengthy shower, I went to groom Danny and discovered your friendly neighborhood Praying Mantis on his shoulder. That was a first for me but I guess everyone needs to hitch a ride to somewhere.

Our walk with Danny was cut short due in part to his "flat tire" (AKA one shoe) and since the grooms fed dinner early. It's not like at Rancho when you can keep your horse out during feeding time without a care in the world. Now if I was to keep him away from his precious dinner, it will quickly be devoured by the extra fat pasture bully. So my mom and I sat under the tree in the grass by the pasture, watching Danny graze and playing with Kyla.

So I've found that each visit to see Danny is more different than the last. I hope he continues to enjoy his new retired life and I pray he moves up in the rankings among his pasture mates. But all I really want is for Danny to still recognize me when I walk up to the pasture and whistle for him. I want the spunky, wild boy that's a lovebug one minute and a complete booger the next. I want Danny to stay Danny. Only time will tell...

I Think We Killed the "Red Dog"

Since having moved Danny over an hour away from home and not having another horse to ride, I find myself with much more time on my hands in the afternoons after work. Most people would head home, put their feet up, and relax till their spouse was home. Well, I've never been one to relax mid-day with too much on my mind. So I vowed to start Kyla on a walking regime to ready both of us for the hikes we plan to take in the mountains around Lake Tahoe at the end of July.
Yesterday, I decided to meet up with my mom to walk part of the Dana Point Marina and into Doheny Park. I've run this route several times and it's even part of the Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot as the first 3 miles of our 6.2 mile run. The walk is flat, paved, and either on a walkway through the campground or through the parking area along the beach. My mom brought Karra (AKA "The Red Dog") to allow her some daily exercise and to play with her best friend, Kyla. The dogs were more than excited for this walk, tugging at their leashes and bounding along the path.
We started on our walk, talking about work, the all-important last episode of The Bachelorette, and the happenings of life. The day was BEAUTIFUL and the air was a mix of sand, salt, and the various smells of people's BBQs as you passed by. We opted to turn around before the 1.5-mile marker and start our brisk walk back. Sure enough by now, my mom is virtually dragging Karra by her choke-chain, tongue almost dragging on the ground. Apparently Karra's svelte 80 lbs is somewhat out of shape - go figure! We had to take a brief break to allow her to cool down, catch her breath, and not look like she was going to die. I honestly thought she was breathing so hard she would give herself heat stroke.
We eventually started back on our walk. Kyla was stellar the whole time, wanting to do more like the puppy she is. Even back in my mom's car, Kyla sat on poor Karra's head trying to get her to play on the drive back to my apartment while Karra gasped for air. Karra recovered but it looks as though we've learned a very important lesson: The Big Red Dog needs baby steps!

USA's Birthday!

Its my turn to tell you all about our weekend...I suggest buckling up since this is my first opportunity to blog about our activities. Lindsay has done a terrific job the past week sharing our stories and she has asked that I give it a try, so here goes.

We celebrated our nation's birthday with a full day of fun and family. The 4th of July started off with a lazy morning around the apartment (I speak for myself when I say that our morning was lazy...Lindsay proceeded to workout for an hour!). After some chores and some time with our feet up, we packed up for a day away from the house. We packed up Kyla and headed over to the Patterson home to soak up some sun and play around the pool with the dogs. Kyla got to try out her new life jacket (hilarious) and Lindsay spent most of the afternoon laying out (she has a rather interesting sunburn/tan that closely resembles a rare rash, haha!).

We packed up once again after playing at the Patterson's and headed to Costa Mesa to spend some time with the Smith's. Our late afternoon and evening was spent around the patio table enjoying conversation and bbq'd burgers, wieners, corn and dessert. One of the highlights of celebrating Independence day in Costa Mesa is the freedom to legally set off fireworks! We spent the better part of an hour lighting Hornets Nests, Dixie Delights, King Kongs, and Running Rebels (just to name a few). Just in case your wondering, we walked away with all of our fingers and thumbs in tact (hard to believe i know).

We wrapped up our day by making a stop at Ronda and Adam's before returning to the Patterson's to pick up our pooped puppy. We were told that Kyla enjoyed her first 4th of July immensely and she apparently loved the fireworks!

Sunday kicked off with another lazy morning before heading out to run some errands. We weren't quite sure what to do with ourselves after lunch since we didn't have set plans, so we stopped off at Blockbuster and rented a movie for a little matinee on the couch. Chicken was on the menu for dinner along with some grilled pineapple and couscous. We relaxed on the couch before calling it a night and a weekend. As always, we made the most of our time together after a busy week of work. Onto another week of work and a weekend of fun to wrap it up.

Danny's Happy in Pasture (I hope)...

My mom, Kyla, and I headed out to Temecula today to pay our first visit to Danny at his new home in Endar. We walked up to his pasture and couldn't even spy on him because he recognized us immediately and came over to say "Hello!" Well, this was short lived when his pasture-mates came over. He took off and refused to come to the fence. Based on the two bite marks on his shoulder and back, he's been put in his place and it's #4 of the four horses in his pasture. I had a good laugh when I realized one of his pasture-mates, a palomino, is actually a horse I used to train at Coto. Small world!

I got Danny out, groomed him, and hosed him off. It was only after I started sticking cookies and carrots in front of his nose that he started to act a little like himself. He's super quiet and acts a bit mad at me. We cruised the grounds under the watchful eye of those that board at Endar. From what I gather, it appears to be unusual for people to take their pasture horses out of the pasture. Whatever! He's still my horse and I'm going to give him the royal treatment.

When we put him back in the pasture, he had a new confidence about himself. His buddy, Dreamer, followed him around while Sunny and Mr. Nasty (the mean one of the herd) checked us out.

Other than a few marks, he looks good and seems to enjoy his ability to wander his pasture as he would like. I hope he doesn't stay the lowest of the group for too long but only time will tell. So we left Danny in his pasture, hoping and wishing he's happy...

Danny Made a New Friend!

When we dropped Danny off at Endar on Saturday, Marilyn, the barn manager at Endar, said he would stay in the Mare Motel till he settled into his new surroundings and then be introduced into his new pasture on Tuesday. She said she would call me Tuesday afternoon and give me an update on Danny's introduction to his new friends.

Well, Tuesday came and went and no call from Marilyn. I was dying to find out how my "little man" was doing as he made new friends on the playground. I prayed he picked the right fights and made the right friends so he doesn't end up as low-man on the totem pole or the outcast.

Around 2:00 this afternoon, I finally received the call I was waiting for. Marilyn reported that they put Danny into the pasture with 3 other geldings, he trotted around, found a bay gelding named Dreamer to make friends with, and that was it. I had somewhat warned Marilyn that Danny had a wild side to him so she was probably expecting a show. Needless to say, the scene was very anti-climactic. She checked on him 4 times before calling me and said he's just wandering the pasture with his new buddy, Dreamer. I had to stop myself from laughing when Marilyn said, "He's just such a quite horse. He's so calm." I thought maybe she was watching the wrong bay horse in the pasture.

So Danny is happy, has made a friend, and is settling nicely into his new retired life. I just can't wait to see his face light up when I finally get to see him on Friday.