Cisco's Push Plus Miami and Meow

Just thought these were just silly enough to post! Enjoy!:)

So Cisco got a little camera shy b/c he was pushing me a lot more before we hit action. :)

While reading the Deathly Hollows for the 7th + time Miami and Meow distracted me.

Dads, Mr. No Shoulders and a Dunk

Leah and my weekend at Sawgrass with our dads was a hit!

Pulling up to Sawgrass Friday in the early evening we found Leah’s Dad, Herb, and Papa rockin’ on the front porch getting to know each other for the first time. They looked at us with puzzled expressions similar to the horses that met us at the gate… we were singing Glee’s “Bust Your Windows” at the top of our lungs and just realized our windows were rolled down! :)

After unloading our weekend groceries we went straight to work on our dinner plans (hamburgers, freedom fries, hot pepper corn and buffalo chicken dip). While the Glee singing concert continued in the kitchen the dads interrupted my solo of “Don’t Rain on My Parade” to work outside on the tractor and then to watch sports. Dinner was a big hit and we stayed up swapping horse stories until late with plans to sleep late the next morning.

Herb had coffee ready Saturday morning and then helped Papa with a yummy Sawgrass breakfast: homemade biscuits, sausage, eggs, and grits. It was perfect! Papa planned to watch Clint’s football practice so he headed out shortly after breakfast, leaving us with a full gorgeous Saturday of riding horses!

Leah and Comet

Me and Cisco

Herb riding Red and Leah riding Comet

The second ride of the day we started out on the East side of the property. Cisco was being quite a problem child so I had to remind him a few times who was on him! While riding through thick brush in an open field I saw a LONG black snake slither at the edge of Cisco’s hoof. Luckily Cisco didn’t see it but Mr. No Shoulders was on my mind for the rest of the trip!

Herb and Leah on the east side of the property.

Leah was getting a feel for how to get Comet in a Saddle Gait so we rode the horses pretty hard all day! Since it was so hot and the horses were good and foamy we decided to let them drink some water. We took a short cut to the back side of the Big Bass Lake and let them drink… I’m rarely this adventurous but I had told some stories about how I use to swim with the horses I grew up with so, along with the heat, I was inspired to find some shallow water and swim to the other side of a wall of trees. The shallow water was short lived because I was calf deep in water and I didn’t want my saddle to get soaking wet! So as Leah and I were guiding our horses back Herb was sinking… He hopped off Red and we were all a little panicky because it happened in such slow motion! Can there be quick sand in a lake?? When Red put his head to the side to blow bubbles out his nose I realized he was lying down!!! We had a good laugh and Herb rocked him until he stood up and walked him back to shore. Guess Red was really hot!

Herb and Red after his DUNK! :)

We finished our ride untacked the horses, washed them down and while Leah and I started dinner (hotdogs, chicken, freedom fries, and green beans), Herb went to the lake to fish. After our fabulous dinner we watched Young Guns and went to bed.

Sunday after Herb made us a yummy breakfast (biscuits, eggs, and grits) we were too sore to ride horses so we gassed up the Sidekick and went for a quick mud ride in the rain then off to Taco Casa to complete a fabulous weekend at Sawgrass!


Quotes of the weekend:
Mr. No Shoulders who is under the employment of Big Red!
I’m not that far from panic myself.
I just tell them that it’s Rachel’s fault I like country music!
Ride camel, ride…
You have to think… What is beyond me? Tennessee!
You can bid the mob good day!
It’s all fun and games until someone hits a tree!
It all tastes the same to me.
Summoning Grey with Wicked.
Too much information… Filter, filter, filter!
For such a rustic boyish weekend your dad had to listen to a whole lot of Wicked!

Black Jack Dies

I've been working with this stubborn horse for a little over a year and he died last week.

Papa got Black Jack with Red about two years ago. Black Jack had a great disposition except that he spooked easily and balked occasionally, which is why no one but me enjoyed riding him. I loved working on his gait!! The last time I rode him was 2 months ago and he could go from a saddle gait to a lope back to a saddle gait like changing gears in a car, fabulous! I'm really going to miss him! :'(

Jared riding Cisco and Me on Black Jack

Ed's First Sawgrass Adventure

It was a cold February night when Ed agreed to attend our randomly, last minute, Sawgrass venture... After a quick Taco Casa run (mild combination burrito with sour cream, a small messy nachos and a large Dew) we arrive at Sawgrass around late thirty.

The game room was freezing so after several attempts we got a roaring fire.

Sweet success!

Jared and I challenged Ed and Codie to a game of Rook... we played until extremely late forty five and slept late the next morning.

Ed and Jared freezing playing cards...oops, I got a peek of Ed's cards (shhhh)

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Ed did so well on his first ride... we went pretty fast the majority of the time!

Ed riding Cisco, Codie riding Gray and Jared riding Comet (I'm taking the pic riding BlackJack)

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Pics of us riding:

Cisco rubbing on Ed telling him to take his bridle off! :)

What a fun relaxing trip! Can't wait for the next one!!

My Tree :(

My favorite tree at Sawgrass was killed during a storm at the begining of the summer. :(

Guess we'll have to find another place to spread my ashes one day!

Here is a video I've posted before with my tree in all it's glory at the end! :)

Gramps and Will's Fishing Day at SawGrass

Early Saturday morning Tom took Will to SawGrass for a fun fishing day! Will had so much fun that he talked about how he caught fish and rode a horse for the rest of the day.

Will catching a fish.

Tom and Will meeting Whiskey

Will was brave enough to get on Whiskey with Gramps's help! :)

Will was so proud of all the fish they caught.

Tom (Gramps) and Will, the best fishermen! :)

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Father's Day coming soon.

SawGrass 2009 - SaturNIGHT

SaturNIGHT was full of good eating, games and laughter.
See pics of our fun night!

Hal and Justin gave their wives presents! :)

Jessa saying "Word Up!"

Shaun and Ashley

Whitney and Justin

Maghan, baby Craig, and Hal

Me and Jared

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The guys gangster pose.

Shaun, Paul, Hal, Mike, Jared, John, and Justin

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The Girl's have more gangster in our pose.

Me, Lori, Jessa, Whitney, Maghan, Ashley and Sarah

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Mike trying to decide if he wants to eat the craw fish he caught...

He ate the head... and said it tasted fishy. :)

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Shaun, Hal and Jared grilling our burgers.

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This is Maggie the stray cat that hung around SawGrass for our weekend.

The guys playing poker.

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The girls played Mexican Train all weekend.

Silly CG shots.

Serious CG shots.

What a fun weekend at SawGrass!! :)

SawGrass 2009 - SaturDAY

Saturday morning we had our breakfast casseroles, played games and snacked until it got good and hot outside to ride horses and lay out in the sun. :)

The guys went fishing. Here's Hal modeling his waders, what a country boy!

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Jared helped us saddle up for our ride!

Cisco was being impatient!

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Sarah and Paul watching us tack the horses. (Paul will have to ride next time.)

John and Lori getting friendly with BlackJack... he was messing with Whiskey while he was being saddled up.
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Pictures of our ride.

Sarah riding Comet

Lori riding Whiskey and Whitney riding Cisco

Me talking while I'm riding Gray

Cisco kept eating on the go

The monument The groups reaction to the monument, (see past post, Until...)

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pretty pic

Lori riding Whiskey
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You know the expression "Pee like a race horse"?

Well, moments before we were back at the lodge Whiskey decides to do his "business" and poor Sarah didn't know what he was doing... this is her reaction after I told her. :)

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Comet giving Cisco some love.

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The guys took the new SideKick and Mike and Jessa's car out fishing and skeet shooting...

... a little muddy. :)

Maghan, Jessa and Ashley laid out in the sun while we rode horses.

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SawGrass 2009 - SaturNIGHT next. :)