Thursday, February 11, 2010

Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010 - A Day at Big Foot Horse Camp, MS

Here's our new back yard today. I always like it best when we can see horses right outside our door! Here at Big Foot, there are a couple of folks in tents and cars, unfortunately they're camped in the area where the horse stalls and tie-ups are, so the only way to stay private (which is always our desire :-) is to be parked in an area where there are no pipe stalls. Frankly, that's fine with me, as a high-line gives the horses a lot more freedom to move around, even lay down when they want. I guess we shouldn't be surprised that the no-fee areas attact that sort, though there are other campgrounds nearby they could stay for free without interfering with the horse campers use of the area.

Way too cold to ride today, though a group came in this morning with four horses and riders who went out. I got the impression it was to check out a new saddle, there was a lot of fussing going on with one horse before they left. They weren't gone long, not much more than an hour, if that. They either took the shortest trail, or they turned around and came back. A couple of them had no gloves on, which is insanity in this cold and damp weather. The forecast is calling for rain/sleet/snow from this afternoon through tomorrow afternoon, so it looks like we won't be riding anytime soon. Very unusual weather for south Mississippi. The lady at the hay barn yesterday was saying how she used to work at a florist shop, and it was always so hot around Valentine's Day they had trouble keeping the flowers looking fresh! She couldn't believe they were forecasting snow. Strange winter this year!

Hubby went up to the nearby town of Wiggins to shop at the Wal-mart, also picked up a few other things we needed, and managed to track down a Forest Service office with a trail map. Seems they're hard to come by! I'll be scanning it and keeping it for posterity should anyone need it. Just email me at horsecampers@gmail.com, for this and any other trail map of the places we've been, I've been saving them all.

Will probably put the horses in the trailer tonight, it's too cold and wet for them to be comfortable outside. Did some bookkeeping today while Hubby was gone, but he's back now, so cocktails, dinner and a movie are next!