In the First Day

So the twelve of us arrived and settled in. I met my room mate for the week and we got our riding orientation. To answer some of the questions I have heard this week, "Yes" for the most part we rode the same horse all week.  The main difference was between some of the horses that are assigned to the trail rides are not equipped with the same skill level for work in the arena which came later in the week.   Anyone who has ridden "school horses" recognizes that trail/school horses are not chosen for their thinking ability.  The Wranglers really don't want to see creative riding out on the 2-4 hour rides, especially going up and down some of the hills. Now later back in the area, some of us traded models for some horses that had much more sensitive guidance systems :=).  The arena work was where we really got to ride.  The trails were more like long scenic tours without having the work of hiking and no one had to pick up poop.    We were a small group but rides where split into two groups so that there were never more than 6 of us at a time. The size made the rides much more personable.  Well that and the wranglers.

These two tents were the "Glamping" option. They were both up on platforms and had heaters and small refrigerators. The brown building in the middle housed the bathrooms and showers.  They were neat inside but when the temps dropped down to the 30's and 40's the ladies reported a chill once you crawled out from under the warm covers.  Sounds familiar to what RV'er experience on those extra cold mornings when we forget to roll the wheels south fast enough.

Some of the bling in the common area of the lodge.

The kitchen and dining area.  Terry, the chef, provided the best meals morning, noon and night.  Cocktails of some sort were offered most evenings and several of us kept the wine selection refilled at intervals.  I am used to traveling with folks that manage to make a couple of bottles of wine last several campfires.   This group "celebrated" with a little more gusto but more references to that later.   There were several evenings in the lodge after the staff left us unsupervised at 7pm that I thought back to the adventures of one of my WomenRV friends that involved an adult beverage, a campfire, dancing and a stool......   No ribs were broken and none of us were asked to leave the lodge, though we have questions if some of us will be allowed to return some other season.   We were told, yes, we would be invited back, but then young lady in the office hasn't had time to look through our photos that most of us shared with her so that she could compile a CD for all of us....

The pasture up by the road as you drive in.  This really does not look or feel like Ohio.

The tack barn and corral and run in area.

Looking back towards the lodge.  I know I posted some of these earlier but that was a week ago and this is a refresher.

The gang of twelve or at least that is what it started out to be.  As early as Sunday a few of the "campers" noticed a distinctive attitude of "Unhappy" and "Unfun" from one of the ladies that was soon just referred to as "Twelve." We pieced together some of the issues but in the end it left us all shaking our heads wondering what was she thinking.  She did quickly let out when I noticed her riding pants and boots and asked if she rode English....."Yes and I own six horses and show in dressage...."  

She left Wednesday morning of her own decision. (She had mentioned to me that her husband had thought she was crazy to want to come and as of the first day she had decided he was right.)  There were only small moments of drama, as when one of the ladies would introduce themselves or try to engage her in a conversation.   But the most obvious "tell" was that she avoided talking with us entirely. On the early trail rides she would cheerfully chat up the young wranglers but all she talked about were horses.....   As those of us that meet up with our RV's have experienced....there is a wonderful diversity in women with a sense of adventure......and the week was filled with all sorts of fun and laughter that had little to do with horses....   Twelve, sad to say was not wired to enjoy meeting new people.   I found out later from the head wrangler that the riders found Twelves' latching on to them rather strange....but they were great kids.   So we started out as twelve and ended the week as eleven.

Our first trail rides....

After dinner.....the campers often came up with some of their own activities.   Anything not having to do with horses we referred to as "Arts and Crafts"...... Even those activities of our own invention.   Here you see a serious conversation about "do rags".....that quickly turns into an opportunity....

"The Princess" was the best at Arts and Crafts....

Lorraine, who is experiencing the do-over, is from England originally by way of Cincinnati and now Florida.  Everything out of Lorraine's mouth reminded me anyway of the English PBS shows....she didn't miss many opportunities to make good observations.....(read that as funny stuff!)

So night fell on day one and we prepared for adventures of the coming day...rain or shine.   Might not get to that until tomorrow in Ohio.   I am sitting at the Minneapolis airport at the moment.