Where the heck??????

Ok - where the heck have I been.....busy as crap !!! Crap is pretty busy...LOL
Now to recap: Went to Tennessee to ride horses in October.....great, great trip...only had one meltdown. Every once in while, I just seem to get very nervous riding. I cry, act like a baby, just pretty much have a come-apart. I rode fine on Friday - no problems....we rode at the Smokey Mountain Institute - which is pretty hard riding, but I was fine. Jag started acting like a butt on the way back down the mountain so Bear traded horses with me and I rode Chance. We swapped back after about 30 minutes and he had gotten him back in line with his spurs. I ride in spurs also, but I don't use them like Bear does. But all was well....I enjoyed the ride, the beer, the company of my friends, Janet, Jim, Teri, Butch, Herb, Krystal and of course "my" Bear. We went back to the gorgeous cabin, drank bloody mary's and had a great night in the hottub. Got up Sat morning and I felt it coming on. I cried before we even got down to the barn. I just felt sick in my stomach thinking I had to get on my horse. I think this happens just because I have had so many accidents. Even though none of them were really bad.....they still happened. Anywhoo.....we got tacked up and I started drinking beer thinking it might make my aprehensions go away. We started up the blacktop (45 minutes) towards the trail to ride into Cades Cove. I cried and cried.....Bear was more understanding than normal and really really helped me get through it. I probably was cooky for about 2 hours, but got better and was really fine by lunchtime, and really enjoyed the ride. We got back and enjoyed the hottub more - went to bed, got up the next morning, packed and went home. Boy the horses were sure glad to be home.......they just rolled and rolled......thinking they were saying "Glad those big booties are off my back".....LOL

I was sure thinking we would be home for a while, but no Bear decided we would go to Stinkin Jims in Mississippi the next weekend. So we loaded up on Friday morning and headed out. Great ride, great trails.....Janet, Jim, Butch and Teri and Bear and I went with the club. Had about 30 riders. We cooked chili one night and had a shrimp boil the next. Really really good time.

For Thanksgiving we planned to go back to KC Ranch in Double Springs, Alabama. If you have never been - go there.....it is our most favorite place to go. Ken and Carol are great and have a fantastic place there. We went down on Thursday morning, did not ride on Thurs - just set up camp and enjoyed the campfire. We got up on Fri and rode pretty much all day. Man oh man it was cold.....Had chili on Friday night that I cooked with deer and elk meat and it was good. Got up Sat and rode again.....a little bit warmer, but the rain was coming. We rode for about 3-4 hours and the rain came. Thank goodness I brought my new rain coat that Teri and Butch gave me.....it is a cool little backpack that converts into a rain coat. We got back to camp and ate in the dining hall and prepared for the Ala/Aub game. Our big rival game. Of course - 5 years in a row now the Auburn Tigers beat Alabama ..... WAR EAGLE !!!!!!
Got up Sunday morning - packed up and came home.....

Well, well, well - I caught you all up pretty fast......greatest part of all of this is not one accident for me.....I did not come off one time.....and Jag had a couple of little fits....he gets so excited when he cannot see his precious Chance.....buddy sour horse !!!! I am getting better and better with my confidence.....Janet helps me so much - teaching me how to sit better in my seat....it is hard because when you are nervous you tend to lean forward and in order to get your horse to gait better and be more comfortable you need to sit back.

Will try to be a better blogger and not wait so long to post - holidays are coming up and I do not have my tree up, have not bought one gift.....eeeeeekkkkkkk!!!!!!

Planning a riding trip to Circle E in Belvidere, TN from Dec 26th to Jan 1st......Very excited as we have never been there and everyone says it is so much fun......will keep you all posted on what goes on before then......especially my CRAZY family at Christmas.......

love ya - mean it !!
J