We are going to be driving back north across the border in a few days and I don't have even one moment of doubt that we will be safe. It's really a shame that the drug problems have gotten so bad that people are worried about traveling down into Mexico. We see none of the trouble.

Maybe it is time to legalize marijuana.

The dreaded cell phone pictures again.

Gary and Bella went out in the desert for a ride with friendly Larry on Rubio. My girl was quite pooped after cantering in circles and then walking with her buddies. So much stimulation.
I didn't take another picture of how lovely she was after rolling in the poop pile after being unsaddled.

I've been up in California for 2 weeks and today was my first day back out to see Bella. Gary worked with her a few times while I was gone and showed me what they have been doing. He has her really understanding leg pressure and moving off the leg. Also, the canter is coming along.

Gary is a retired trainer. He got lonesome for horseflesh while down here for the winter. He'll be gone in a few weeks.

I couldn't have been more fortunate. He is soft and light with Bella. A perfectly wonderful man and she is an amazing little horse.

Our Sundial

Our mountains can almost tell the time of day/time of year with their shadows on our bay.

Barn Puppies @ 4 Weeks

This beauty has already been chosen.


These two dolls are still up for grabs.


And then there's Dot.


You can see why we call her that.



I'm not taking a puppy. Nope. Really. Nada. But I wish my neighbor would decide she needs to take Dot home.
I'm going to take her out to the barn this week sometime and just put Dot in her hands. If she gets one whiff of that puppy smell I think she'll be a goner.

Does she look like an Arab yet?

My friend, the retired Arab trainer, was willing to teach Bella to collect herself. I think she looks like her Andalusian side of the family.

With our limited facilities and no, (zero, zip) tack stores we can improvise fairly well.

Cabalgata=Cavalcade



There was a horse get-together today, or maybe better to say a cowboy get-together on horseback. They met up at 8am, rode a few miles before stopping for breakfast and cervezas, and then rode on some more. They should be done before nightfall.

The horses were all pretty well mannered as they paraded by us. One friend refilled her soft-sided cooler with fresh beer that we handed over.

Could be some of Bella's relatives.

Thursday Haiku

Pelicans swirling
Like clouds over schooling fish
Dive-bombing, full throats

Full Moon Monday Morning Sunrise

The sunrises are heading north again, over the hills, on the other side of the palm trees, and the water turns to copper for only a few minutes as the colorful clouds are reflected on the smooth sea.

Finger over the cell phone lens.

Still it is us out on a "real" trail ride.

I was pretty happy with Bella and she was almost as happy with me. We want to do more of this kind of riding.

Sandy and Brent rode with me.

It was 80 degrees this morning before noon.

There just doesn't have to be drama.

Awful Cell Phone Pictures of Cute Week Old Mexican Barn Puppies

4 boys, 4 girls. Little piggies are growing like ticks and about to open their eyes.

Nope, I'm not going take one home but I am already partial to Dot, the cute little black and white female with the prominent dot on her forehead.

Bella had her first set of shoes tapped on gently by Hoel. He is the only shoer who has handled Bella and there was no drama. I'm going out this morning when it gets light to see if she still is standing on all 4 feet. After he was done and paid ($25 and I bought the shoes and nails in the US a few weeks ago) she seemed rooted in the same spot. I'm not sure about that. Hoel got a little sweaty since it was warm but Bella didn't. Ho Hum.

Hoel has cut and scraped Bella's feet for 3 years. Most of this was just the some old stuff to her.

Sonora, the oldest dog at the farm, knows to hang around for nice new horse hoof clippings.

Twinville over at Laughing Ocra Ranch was making me laugh with her Obama poster art. So, I had to try too.

Thank you for entertaining me and giving me a fun project to play with.

That woman is so energetic that she makes my head spin.

I awoke in the middle of the night last night to rearrange Floyd who had taken over my pillow and had tucked his paws in my hair. I became aware of an excited and happy overall feeling.

THE OBAMA'S HAVE ARRIVED!

This means so much to our country and individually we have our dreams of how these next few years will play out.

THE OBAMA FAMILY SPENT THE NIGHT IN THE WHITE HOUSE!

For the first time in 4 or 6 or 8 years I don't feel the need to run away. Now I can go back to the US proudly as a citizen who belongs in that group of millions at the capitol mall.

Oh, and also, as a little more excitement on my way back to sleep, I remembered my short trail-ride yesterday on Bella. She was a champ with a good steady pace once we were truly away from the barnyard. At one turn up the road she flattened her ears at her mother who was ahead of us. I suppose that meant she didn't want to go that way but her four little legs went anyway. Also, she must get shod before we go out again due to sore feet by the time we got home.

Bella's 6th LessonAll 4 legs planted squarely.
Bella's jog is very nice to sit.

She has gotten more and more interested in trotting. I got 2 steps of a canter but she just worried about breaking into it with me on board. I'm noticing that if we try something in one lesson, by the next lesson she will probably do it beautifully. I'm not hammering new ideas into her but just trying stuff. Her "back up" is coming along and her turn around on the rail is softer.

Karen took these pictures for me. I have been really good about wearing my helmet during these practice sessions but neglected it this time. When I tried to mount Bella, she was quite interested in going over to Karen and didn't stand still. I set her up again and she understood this time that walking off is not acceptable.

At the end of this lesson I asked her to back through the gate and then we left the barnyard and rode out to my car to unsaddle. It's all good!

Bella and Roman

Bella is giving Roman "horse signs" that he needs to move-on. Ears back, teeth, snaking neck. Scares me, but macho Roman couldn't care less. I've even seen Bella flash the stink-eye at him if he dare to get close to her bucket. Speaking of teeth, she has a new incisor (right on schedule.)
I think Bella secretly likes Roman's soft fur but wants to make him think she's the boss.

I quietly slipped onto Bella's bare back yesterday. It was heavenly. We walked slowly around the arena and I quietly slipped back off. I hugged her neck and slowly got to the ground. Her only interest in this event was to turn around and sniff my leg, then she walked on gently. Our lessons are going forward so nicely.

Floyd didn't want to talk about it.

Quinceanera for Christmas

We had the amazing opportunity to go to a real quinceanera over the Christmas week. We had about one week to prepare and a few days to make reservations. I'm a pretty good travel agent and map reader and so had towns picked out and dates decided.

We left home on Christmas Eve and headed down to Mazatlan. Driving into that city on that very afternoon seemed like such a great choice and we were both very excited to have gotten there. Two days later we headed down to Morelia, into new territory for us. The drive was perfectly beautiful, and then the city of Morelia was beyond our dreams. Pulling into the city center felt like being somewhere in Italy.

The quinceanera was near Morelia, in a very small village with hardly a name or a street sign. It did have a lovely church in the center of town. We certainly looked out of place but never felt that way. Some of those pictures from my last post are of us all walking from the church as the Mariachis serenaded the young woman on the way to the party. What a lovely experience.

After 2 days in Morelia we headed up to San Miguel de Allende for an overnight. Another beautiful city which we will try to return to when we aren't in the middle of a whirlwind trip. Then one night outside of Guadalajara where we shopped for talavera and felt spoiled at our Bed and Breakfast.

At last we headed back to Mazatlan for one more overnight before driving on home.


Jewels for sale by the Mazatlan bay.

Fruit for sale by the Mazatlan bay.

Mazatlan before sunset.

Guards in San Miguel de Allende.

Carved door in San Miguel de Allende.

Road Trip Squared
2200 miles in 7 days

more to come