tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35475115704085746752024-03-13T09:25:17.327-04:00Zephyr's Wonderful Wanderings & WonderingsStories and musings by Zephyr's MomZephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-35540639029871753392012-09-07T19:22:00.004-04:002012-09-07T19:25:59.119-04:00The Trail, The Fall, and The Verdict
Zephyr and I did ~22 miles today, out-and-back on a trail that goes from our backyard to the General Store in the next town over. The
Exeter General Store is very very old... dates from back when there
were only two places for anyone in Exeter/Corinth to shop. You could
buy your groceries, fabric for clothes, and supplies to build a house
all in one place. Note the tie rings and Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14890716530525577347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-58678413130383440192012-08-21T21:24:00.002-04:002012-08-22T14:15:30.425-04:002012 Northeast Challenge 30
A couple months ago I heard on Facebook that the Northeast Challenge endurance ride was being revived after a 6 year hiatus. I looked on the map and found that it was only a couple hours away from my new home in Corinth, ME. My life is much more settled now than it has been for the last few years, my horse has some good miles on him this year, and I have a freelance job Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-14895575280188207352012-08-20T21:39:00.003-04:002012-08-21T21:28:47.501-04:00Quick Update!Hi there my Wanderful friends, it's been quite a while!! If you're wondering where I've been, a lot has happened since my last post! Divorce, three moves, and now two years later I've finally found a forever home for Zephyr and myself. We're still in rural Central Maine but we're in a different part now, maybe even a better area for trail riding. Zephyr loves his new daddyZephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-82526098380804796292010-10-21T15:51:00.000-04:002010-10-21T15:57:59.097-04:00Beach Trips – April 2010OK.  The more astute of my readers might notice that in this post Zephyr goes back and forth between wearing two different saddles, a borrowed Abetta-type and the new EZ-Fit Saddle.  That is because Melissa and I went to the beach twice in April, on the 4th and the 25th, and I have no memory of which pictures go with which trip, other than that the ones with the EZ-Fit Saddle are from Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-58434424524209981402010-10-21T14:40:00.000-04:002010-10-21T14:53:26.735-04:00I’m Still AliveSome of you have written to ask where I’ve been, and if Zephyr and I are ok.  We are, but we are going through a rough patch this year.  I’m in the middle of a divorce, and there are some complications that have made life extremely stressful.  Zephyr has pretty much been hanging out in the field since my last post… sometimes with various neighbors’ horses for company, and Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-4186397223871544482010-03-21T15:52:00.001-04:002010-03-21T15:52:11.923-04:00Second Day of SpringZephyr and I traveled to Hampden today to ride with some new friends.  It was very low-key, a walking-only ride of only a couple miles, but still fun to get out and meet some new people.  The new EZ-Fit Saddle was comfortable, I think I have the seat and the stirrups set right now. Afterwards, Howie (the host) took some pictures of Zephyr and I riding in his outdoor arena.  Here Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-36662639796051383422010-01-24T11:25:00.000-05:002010-01-25T11:27:02.982-05:00Second Test Ride in EZ-Fit SaddleOn Saturday, I tacked Zephyr up in the demo treeless EZ-Fit saddle that I have on loan from Wendy Jordan (email me for contact info) for our second and probably last demo ride.  I already knew that the foam panels don’t have enough angle (you can see this in the picture below), but I needed a few good long trots so I could tell whether it would be comfortable for me.  Our other ride wasZephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-60483831221523696282010-01-18T21:40:00.000-05:002010-01-18T22:50:06.147-05:00Demoing the EZ-Fit Treeless SaddleMy friend Gary and I hauled over to the Great Pond Mountain Wildlands yesterday for a nice long ride, thinking that the trails would be hard-packed from the snowmobiles.  Gary rode his horse Rocky over from his house a half-mile away, because I wasn’t sure my rig would make it up his driveway.  Rocky, Gary’s 6yo foundation QH gelding, hasn’t been on a slant-load trailer since Gary Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-63828539343420661082009-12-31T18:57:00.000-05:002010-01-20T18:57:21.227-05:00Tips from an Amateur Hoof TrimmerA few weeks ago I received a set of Grips and a set of studded Gloves to test in snow and ice here in the frozen Northeast.  Since that first successful test, we've had an odd combination of near-50's rainy weather and near-0° windstorms!  Not only that, I sold my saddle and don't have another one yet.  Zephyr is so full of energy right now that I don't dare ride bareback... he Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-3646949985889380502009-12-15T19:10:00.000-05:002010-01-20T19:11:12.119-05:00First Test of Studded Hoof BootsWe got our first snow a couple of weeks ago, and another storm a few days later followed by rain, so we've got about 4" of snow laying on the ground... some of which covers ice but you can't tell until you hit it!  I thought yesterday's sunny 34° weather would make a perfect day to test the set of studded Easyboot Gloves that arrived last week. I had to tie to the telephone Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-67064302295320537592009-11-24T17:17:00.001-05:002009-11-24T19:20:02.227-05:00Weed, Boots, and NipsOn Sunday November 22, I was scheduled to ride at the Wildlands with my friends Kerry, Gary, and Kathy.  Kathy was going to borrow Gary’s Quarter-pony, Peyton, again.  They first met two weeks ago on an impromptu neighborhood ride, and got along very well!  Peyton blew away all our expectations and earned the nickname “The Trail Assassin” with his steady demeanor and easy gaits. Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-30323977797921384342009-10-12T16:51:00.000-04:002009-10-12T17:53:14.553-04:00Lost? Nah. I just don’t know how far it is!This ride actually took place on Saturday September 26, and it’s taken me this long to write it up! My friend and fellow MMESAR member, Melissa, brought her TWH mare over so she could ride with Zephyr and me.  She thought she knew what she was getting into, but maybe she should have talked with my friend Kerry first. First things first… I booted Zephyr on the front feet, and left him Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-16713870883363017512009-10-11T18:36:00.000-04:002009-10-12T10:41:40.734-04:00Ride/Walk on the Wild Side!The first annual “Walk on the Wild Side” walk/bike/ride-a-thon at the Great Pond Mountain Wildlands was a huge success! My neighbor Mary and I staffed the Mile Four “aid station” and had a lot of fun with our theme of Maple Syrup.  I cooked all day Saturday… Maple-Mustard Chicken, Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Spiced Maple Sauce, New Orleans Maple Coleslaw, Maple Glazed Pumpkin Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-62136076063557411712009-09-20T20:54:00.000-04:002009-09-29T21:22:29.901-04:00Great Pond Mountain WildlandsOn Sunday September 20, Jill and I went to get the boys from the field.  They were as far from the gate as they could get!  Six acres can take a while to cross, when laid out in an L.  Look carefully, they’re both here: Jill and Ellen hauled their horses over to the Great Pond Mountain Wildlands.  Zephyr and I hitched a ride with Jill.  She bought a pair of Fuzzy LogicZephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-42734451277580580132009-09-19T19:13:00.000-04:002009-09-30T12:48:11.421-04:00The Stone HouseOn Saturday the 19th, several fellow members of the Mid-Maine Equestrian Search and Rescue (MMESAR) unit visited me for a weekend of pleasure riding.  Jill and Ellen were scheduled to arrive Friday after I got home from work.  Ellen arrived first and we got her Arab mare set up in one half of the paddock in the front yard. Shortly after dark, Jill arrived and we settled her Paint Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-58683953748813521982009-09-14T07:53:00.000-04:002010-01-19T12:49:46.094-05:00Oh, lucky me!On Saturday morning I gave Zephyr another fresh trim, with extra attention paid to getting his toes as short as I could. That afternoon we had a great ride with my neighbor Laurie and her gelding Chief.  We rode out on the snowmobile trails behind her house, with Zephyr barefoot so I could see how he was feeling about his fresh trim.  Sadly, he wasn’t very comfortable on pavement or Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-10805203450127242152009-09-10T10:31:00.001-04:002009-09-10T10:31:04.344-04:00Lost? Nah. We just don’t know where we are.A good friend came over to pre-ride the trail for next weekend’s pleasure ride with my mounted search and rescue unit (MMESAR).  Kerry got to my house 20 minutes early so she unloaded her Ara-loosa into the front paddock, then enjoyed a cup of coffee while I scarfed down the omelet and bacon that my husband had prepared.  After she got the nickel tour of my house, we were off to the Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-82075064964173717502009-08-30T22:38:00.000-04:002009-09-03T10:33:49.436-04:00Latest Conditioning RidesI've got some catching up to do!  Here are some pictures from a ride earlier in August.  I took Zephyr out barefoot, thinking he’d do fine, but the local trails are just SOOO rocky.  We had to walk most of the way.  I vowed not to go on those trails again without Gloves!             Last night, I did a fresh ‘mini trim’ in Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-21665616626688672702009-08-20T20:36:00.000-04:002009-08-21T15:03:59.140-04:00Refitting Gloves/Glue-OnsOn Sunday 8/16, I was horrified to see damage and bruising on the hairless part of the skin on Zephyr’s heels on his hind feet.  I couldn’t take pictures that night, but this is what they looked like the next morning.  I applied Equine Relief as soon as I saw the damage, and it looked SOOO much better in the morning!  Instead of raw soft skin, it looked like a nice dry/hard frog.&#Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-72794682691072583392009-08-15T11:27:00.000-04:002009-08-21T11:48:06.660-04:00I thought this was supposed to be a SCENIC railroad?My husband and I went for a ride on a local “scenic railroad”, accompanied by my new coworker Debbie and her husband Kevin.  We started with lunch at Ralph’s Cafe right around the corner... yummy! Excellent food, excellent atmosphere, and good prices.  That was honestly the best part of the day! When we arrived at the historic railroad station, this is what we saw.  The engine Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-68988618477883188472009-08-14T12:40:00.001-04:002009-08-14T12:40:22.373-04:00Trim PhotosI trimmed Zephyr’s hooves before riding last Sunday; these pictures are from after I got back.                         Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-83927994504965006252009-08-14T12:31:00.001-04:002009-08-14T12:31:54.110-04:00Pasture LivingZephyr has been enjoying his time in Gary’s cow field, just down the road from our house.  I’ve been leaving him out there unless we’re expecting heavy rain or a thunderstorm.  He has two other horses and 6-10 cows for company.  Every night, even if he’s going to stay out there, I bring grain for him and the other two horses.  They see my headlamp as I walk towards the field Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-7517131813033495262009-08-09T22:41:00.000-04:002009-08-14T12:43:40.911-04:00Western Maine Pioneer: July 25 – August 1, 2009Written on August 5: I’ve waited a few days, hoping inspiration would strike, but I’m just feeling BLAH about this one.  So here goes… short and sweet (for once). We left home around 8ish in the morning on Friday July 25.  I stopped along the way to have my Trailer Guy fix something on the awning.  He spent 20 minutes trying to get it just right, before settling for “it works” Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-64652429224441991902009-08-06T12:50:00.001-04:002009-08-06T12:50:36.253-04:00Healthcare “Reform” ** This was originally written as a response to a friend’s Facebook post, where she posted a video of Keith Olbermann taking some Republicans to task for being given campaign money by healthcare and health insurance companies.  My response was too long to put as a comment in Facebook, so here it is. And do you know for certain that no Dems have been given money by the healthcare industry?&#Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3547511570408574675.post-45618968408243321412009-07-26T19:44:00.001-04:002009-07-26T19:44:14.191-04:00Settling in for western maineSettling in for western maine pioneer. Got here sat pm, volunteered for fryeburg ctr today, glued front hoof boots on tonight.Zephyr's Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02606831100373338131noreply@blogger.com3