Terri on Horseback with the Crazy Horse, Dakota

Normally, we don't let rookies ride Dakota (aka "Crazy Horse), but they bonded during an initial grooming session:





I turned my back to take some pictures of Gary's first riding lesson, and the next thing I know, Maggie is leading Terri on Dakota toward me.





OK, I think she's enjoying this:



Well...at least she's staying on:



They even did the "keyhole":



So...what was the secret? Terri's special grooming technique, or the fact that Dakota was following his favorite person? Inquiring minds want to know...



Maybe it's the special helmet:



Or...maybe Dakota has just mellowed:



It could just be Terri's gentle nature, or maybe she's a "horse whisperer". Whatever happened, I just hope she enjoyed the ride.

Newsflash! Gary Takes Riding Lesson!!!

No, the world is not coming to an end. Hell has not frozen over. Wonders truly never cease...Gary has taken his first official riding lesson with our trainer-extraordinaire, Johanna Lange.

On his last elk hunt, Gary was asked if he'd go on horseback. Such is the impetus for this momentous event...here's the mount-up:



Learning to queue with his legs (your basic turning commands):



Oh, and how to "whoah" and the emergency stop:


Was it fun? Will he go on to lesson #2? Will he be hooked on riding? Stay tuned...for the next installment of "As Gary Learns to Ride".

Terri & "The Guzzler"

So...Gary and Terri used to work together at Oracle and Tenfold. Terri is still with Oracle, but has spent the winter being a snow-bird. She bought an RV (affectionately nicknamed, "The Guzzler"), rented out part of her house and taken a tour of the southern states. Her traveling companions are her dog, Jackie, and cat, Kiki-Wiki. How cool is that?



During the week, she holes up in her RV and works. At night, she hangs out with friends or family. Sometimes, she drives to her next destination. She'll drive for a few hours then park at a Walmart, truckstop, Camping World, or Cabela's for overnight.

For the last couple of weeks, she's been "camped out" at our lake cabin. We have learned so much about the RV life and had so much fun cooking, hiking, riding and hanging out.

We hate to see Terri and her entourage go, but look forward to her return next Spring (or whenever the Guzzler shows up)!

Learning to Canter

Mags and I went out to the ranch this afternoon to ride and take some pictures of a new colt. Unfortunately, the colt was not in his stall so I turned Mags loose with my camera. Here are a few of her photos:









Today, Mags gave me a mini-lesson on cantering. I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. At least...it doesn't scare me so much any more!

Hiking Ike

This morning, we took Terri and her dog, Jackie, to Eisenhower State Park for a hike.

The redbuds were blooming!



This path has some great bluffs (and caving banks)!





Here's the happy campers, er...I mean hikers!

Touring Schroeder Ranch in Gainesville, TX

Our friend, Terri Robson, is visiting us on her winter tour. She's bought an RV and spent the winter visiting friends and family. On Friday, we went over to Gainesville to get a tour of Schroeder Ranch from our friend, Jeanne Schneiter who is the office manager. Schroeder Ranch is home of Lena Sparks, Blazin' Hot and other beautiful horses. They have an amazing breeding program.

Below is a picture of Terri while we were waiting for Jeanne. This is in front of the office:



Jeanne told us that this longhorn was a family pet and wandered the grounds at will. Unfortunately, he passed away at the ripe old age of 4 from a heart attack. Now he keeps an eye on the place from the office permanently.



Jeanne gave us a tour of the barns. We saw all the high dollar horses that hadn't been picked up yet from the sale the previous weekend:



Here's the main sire, Lena Sparks. Check out his mane and tail.




Maggie fell in love with Moon, who is 99% wolf:



There were lots of new foals for us to play with since we visited at the tail end of breeding season.



One of the dogs grabbed the treat bag out of the feed room. Maggie spotted him and ratted him out. Jeanne gave out bits to the hungry crew:



This is a cute little colt:



Look at the tiger-striped legs on this mare! Have you ever seen anything like this?



This set were my favorite. Love the flea-bitten gray mare! Jeanne told us that the foal would turn gray, too.



Do these two look alike or what?!!



At the end of the tour, Jeanne gave us each a hat.



We had such a good time! Mags and I can't wait to go back and watch the Schroeders train and ride.

Fireplace with New Screen

On Saturday, March 14th, our friendly neighborhood deliveryman showed up with our new screen for the new fireplace:



Here's the new screen:



And the total package:



Now, we're hoping for some cool weather so we can use it!

Whoo-ee! What a Week! Hotsos Symposium 2009

Wow! That about sums it up. Hotsos Symposium 2009 was a whirlwind of a week, but what a great week it was!!! We got to see lots of old friends and make some new ones. Rhonda Boswell outdid herself this year. The Sym ran without a hitch, and the Omni team treated us very well. Thought I'd share a few moments with you this weekend.

Gary welcomed all with wide, open arms:



Mags hangs with her heartthrob, Captain Jack Sparrow, at the Buccaneer's Bash:



My own Captain Greybeard duels with Master Mike Humphrey:



And...here's the pic of the whole Greybeard family:



My t-shirt reads "First Mate", and Maggie's is true to her nature, "I'm disinclined to acquiesce with your request".

More pictures from the Hotsos Symposium and Buccaneer's Bash can be found at: Hotsos portal.

Pre-Symposium Weekend

So...what happens when you invite a few world-class Oracle experts to your lakehouse? You get Jerry Carlisle on horseback:



And James Thomson holding Dakota:



And Maggie (not an Oracle expert, but an equine specialist) butting heads with her favorite boy:



And Stephan Haisley strutting his stuff:



And Gary proving he can stay on a horse:



What do Oracle cowboys do after a hard day's ride?




Relax, of course!