Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012 - Travel Day to Brother Jeff’s House

Once again set the alarm early. Rain came in during the night, so everything was wet when we started getting up. Easy send-off though, with the horses in a corral and no satellite dish. Grabbed breakfast at Dunkin Donuts (after two miles of washboard road again), a quick stop at Royal Battery in Palm Bay to pick up two Trojan batteries for the new RV, arriving at Brother Jeff’s by 12:30. There was a bulldozer blocking the driveway, he was in the process of putting up a large sign over the entrance to his abode, and the bulldozer was, in essence, his means of reaching heights capable of putting in the sign. He moved it so we could come in, and we quickly got the horses settled into one of his paddocks, and set the RV in a place that would make it easy to make the transition to the new RV. We left shortly thereafter, setting bug bombs off in order to take care of a bunch of ladybugs that had been with us since South Carolina, as well as anything we might have picked up along the way, and drove to the RV dealer to finally see our new unit in person. It was almost everything we had hoped for, with just a few difficulties we’ll have to figure out how to overcome. Spent several hours there going over what modifications would need to be made, then headed back home to find a short but strong rainstorm had stopped work on the sign. We soon got in, though, aired out the RV and relaxed the rest of the evening, content we would all get a good night’s sleep tonight, knowing we had a plan for the next few weeks!

Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 - Travel Day to Tiger Bay WMA

Set the alarm for a little later this morning, as our trip is a lot shorter today. Out of camp by 8:00 anyway, though, as Hubby hadn’t bothered to put up the satellite dish, and everything else was stored last night. Stopped for breakfast at Denny’s along the beltway, then a straight shot down to the Tiger Bay Wildlife Area, stopping at a gas station to pick up water, because apparently they only have a hand pump there, and to top off with fuel. Then, my Google Maps app on my smartphone failed me. It tried to take us onto a very minor forest road that had a locked gate on it. I should have looked a little more closely at the map, but I knew there was a south entrance that seemed to have more facilities around it, so we detoured back to the freeway, south an exit, than REALLY got lost as my navigator tried to first take us through a middle school, then through a correctional institution, both of which were the dead end at the end of their respective roads. Finally I pulled up the map of the park I had downloaded, and that wasn’t too helpful either, because the name of the roads seemed to be mostly different. I finally found one in common and set out sights from there, finally finding the entrance to the park. Unfortunately, it was four miles from there to the campground, two of which were so wash-boardy we had to travel at about 5 mph just to keep from shaking our teeth out. The last few miles were better, and I confirmed with the office that the road, did, in fact, lead to the north road we had originally planned on coming in on, apparently we just didn’t go far enough west to find it. In any event, we finally arrived at the campground, which was actually quite a quaint little place, with lots of huge trees, new wooden corrals at every site, hitching posts, mounting blocks, the whole shebang. The trails looked typically Florida as we came in, lots of squash palms, sand and a few taller palms, along with the live oaks, but mostly like narrow forest roads. Our plan had been to stay two nights, riding tomorrow before moving further south, because we had ordered two special batteries for the new RV which we had to pick up on the way down, and they were supposed to arrive tomorrow. I decided to call to see what time they would be in, thinking maybe if it was early enough we could actually finish the trip tomorrow, and lo and behold, the batteries had ALREADY arrived! That made the decision, we would save riding here until another time, and get out good and early tomorrow so we could progress this plot. Since we had full tanks of gas, no highline since the horses were lounging around in corrals, and no satellite dish, we knew we could get out in a hurry in the morning and make good time. Having made that decision, I spent the rest of the afternoon settling some banking issues and researching for cabinet-makers for the remodeling we were set to do in the new RV. A relaxing afternoon, despite the little directional snafu earlier. Had a nice dinner and settled down for the night.

Monday, Nov. 12, 2012 - Travel Day to Cary SF

Got up with a very early alarm this morning, as we had a long drive today. Got delayed by my truck not starting again, though I couldn’t find anything that would account for the battery draining. Could just be The only problem with Mill Creek is that their dump (though it’s nice they have one) is under a full-blown sewer lid, and needs a crowbar and a lot of muscle to lift off enough to use. That done, though, we headed out with empty tanks shortly after 8:00, picked up breakfast at a Wendy’s in a truck stop a few miles down I-95 (love their pannini and breakfast potatoes!), took a diversion to Rincon, GA for the Walmart and Tractor Supply, one more stop for fuel before crossing the Florida border, where we had to stop at the Ag stop, as always. Our papers were in order, but another older gentleman was having to work around a problem with the paperwork on one of his horses, or rather, a friend’s horse whom he had agreed to transport. He left about when we did, but I got the impression he’s been there quite a while. On their way to Pompano with several trotters. Anyway, we arrived by 3:00, it took us no time at all to set up as this is a usual stopping place for us these days, got everyone fed and got to bed early, which we all needed after such an early morning start!

Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012 - Second Ride Day

Took another, shorter ride today on the Yellow Trail, also known as the Governer’s Trail, which makes a nice 10.5 mile loop back in the Palmetto Trail. We stopped at a kiosk area and just lazed around there for a while, letting the horses graze, giving us some quality time together without being on their back. Looped back on the Blue Connector, though we missed an intersection we managed to find our way back again, which took us back to the Yellow Trail again for a perfect romp home. Lots and LOTS of cantering and trotting today, even swinging around trees in the forest at a pace we don’t usually enjoy. Fantastic day once again, really enjoy it here! Got back by 4:00, then spent the next hour putting things away for our departure tomorrow. A good night sleep and we’ll be on our way to Florida to pick up our new home!

Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012 - Rest and Sit in Sun and Read Day

We were so worn out from yesterday, we actually decided to do nothing today, something I haven’t enforced on myself in a long time. Though I did get a few computer things done in the morning, by mid-day I was pulling out my lounge chair with my Kindle and finishing off a book I started almost two weeks ago (and whose loan period was just about to run out, thus the rush to finish it). Sitting in the sun seemed like a luxury I haven’t enjoyed for ages, and it was most welcome. Felt much more relaxed by the end of the day. Met some of the neighbors, an ever-fluctuating group of very nice ladies who live locally and were most intrigued by Hubby’s and my adventures. Really enjoyed the day, a nice change from the hectic pace we’ve been keeping lately, and the one we’re destined to undertake once we get to Florida and the new RV!

Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 - Ride Day in Manchester SF

Had a wonderful ride today. We couldn’t remember if all the footing here was sand or if there were some gravel roads, so we put boots on the horses just in case. It turned out to be surplus to requirement, as, indeed, there was only sand and dirt footing, which was perfect. It was also perfect because there were many great places to trot and canter, and the horses seemed to thoroughly enjoy it, especially after some of the rougher terrain we’d seen in recent weeks. We headed out the Palmetto Trail, which transverses all of South Carolina, and which was the only one "officially" open during the week. Apparently, most trails are considered closed on every day except Sunday, in order to prevent conflicts with hunters (who apparently rule the other six days), but rumor has it that as long as you wear your blaze orange and go out in the middle of the day (as opposed to morning or late afternoon). We eventually had to loop back, so we took the Red Trail to do that, and it was a beautiful section of the forest. A lot of this forest has been clear cut, and so it isn’t very pretty, but some sections like this are really gorgeous. We made one wrong turn on an intersection that was poorly marked, but the good news is that there’s one road that goes right down the middle of the forest, so as long as you know which side you’re on, you can always find it. We headed in that direction and soon found our way back. The ride actually ended up being quite a bit longer than we had anticipated (over 15 miles), and the horses were just about done in by the time we got back, but it was fabulous, with perfect weather, perfect footing, perfect horses! Got everyone settled in with extra rations, then relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012 - Travel Day to Mill Creek Horse Camp

A chilly morning with lots of frost around when we pulled out around 9:00, but it’s a fairly short trip so we weren’t too worried about getting out early. A quick stop to pick up breakfast at BK, then on to Mill Creek Horse Camp, which sits at the edge of the Manchester State Forest. We’ve been here before, so it was easy to find a spot and get set up. Though it’s a pretty wide open field, there wasn’t much grass, so even though we put them on their anchors, they were looking for hay pretty quick. We got the highline set up and got them on there, then proceeded with the rest of the setup, which was pretty quick, too. Spent the rest of the day doing office work and bookkeeping, with barely a good enough cell phone signal to occasionally check my email, before settling down for the evening.

Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 - Drizzly Day

Woke up to rain and drizzle and cold this morning. I had hoped the weather might be nice enough to take a quick ride today, but not so. It had gotten cold during the night, and we were glad the we had put the winter blankets on the horses last night, and we put them out on the grass again this morning. The rest of the day was mostly working on the computer, setting up a long overdue mailing list with Constant Contact, among other things, before spending the evening split between watching a quirky Australian movie and getting caught up on my long overdue blog.

Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012 - Shopping and Vet Day

Our vet appointment was for 11:00, so we had everyone packed up and ready to go by 10:30. Sorry to say, that although we headed out on time, Google Maps on my smartphone really missed the mark on this one, leaving us a good 3-4 miles away from the actual location. In fact, the address it took us to was the Civic Center, which was a very busy polling place today. We called the vet and got someone on the phone who walked us through the rest of the way, and for the next 90 minutes or so, everyone got their appropriate shots and treatments. The Animal Care Center had a very laid back attitude, very friendly, but almost to the point of being less than fully professional, but I assumed she was just so distracted because of the recent death of her ex-husband. Whatever, everything got done, though a lot less than usual (no worm check in the stool, no blood test for heartworm?), but we got the health certificates for the horses, which was the most important thing. Then we headed over to the next town for ice cream, shopping, liquor, and some time finalizing details on the new RV. Got back to camp just before the sun went down, so early these days now that we’re into winter. Settled down once again, for a somewhat more relaxed evening.

Monday, Nov. 5, 2012 - RV Decision Day

We had originally planned on taking all the animals into a vet for their annuals today (which after last year, I had finally managed to get everyone on the same schedule), but the vet I had selected had had a death in her family and preferred to wait until tomorrow, which turned out to be fine with us, as we were on the brink of making a decision about the new RV trailer. I had been discussing the two units, in Florida and Texas, with both sales guys, and after many hours of emails, phone calls, and discussions with Hubby, we decided the answer was the Florida one, partly because of convenience, but mostly because it really had more features that we liked better than the Texas one. We negotiated terms, and set the wheels in motion. It means a lot of work over the next few weeks, but at least we’ll have something to show for it soon! We had considered heading straight to Florida and being there by Friday, but word came down that some of the parts for the retrofit would have to be ordered, and would take a week to get there and several days to install, so we could take a somewhat more leisurely journey south, though not too leisurely, as it’s getting too darn cold up here! Had a more relaxing evening, having finally made the decision that had been plaguing us for months. Yeah!

Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012 - PERFECT Ride Day from Fell Hunt Camp in Sumter National Forest

Spent the first part of the day making phone calls and sending emails after two trailers we had found, one in Nacodoches, TX and the other, coincidentally, in Palm Beach County, Florida, where we were headed to my brother’s house anyway! The Texas one is a 2013, the one in Florida a 2012, but still new. Neither had everything we wanted, but both would do the job if necessary. After I started everything in motion, we headed out to saddle up the horses in perfect weather. Not knowing what the trails were like, we booted up the horses just in case. I spent a few more minutes rasping Clio’s hooves just to make sure the boots fit well enough, and they slipped on beautifully. She didn’t seem to mind them the other day, and they certainly had a workout on those rocks, so I guess these will work out fine for Hubby and Clio. Anyway, since the clocks changed last night and our bodies are still on circadian time rather than government time, we got out about 11:30, crossing the road and heading out the trail that would take us to the lake. Seems we’ve been taking a lot of trails to lakes lately. The footing was the best we’ve done in a while, with dirt, sand and pine needles, but very few roots. The trail started out on the edge of a field, then quickly ducked into the woods, mostly deciduous with some pine stands along the way. The trail was well-marked for the most part, though there was a time or two that we were uncertain because of trails that were out there but not on the map. We managed to find our way to the lake, which was also the overflow campground we had heard about, and it was a lovely spot. The biggest problem with this area of the forest is that the loops are REALLY long, with the shortest being about 12 miles and the longest being about 25. Fine if you have a gaited horse, a bit rougher with horses like ours. Anyway, the trail was linear for us, out to the lake and back, and there were only a few opportunities to trot, except the great field at the beginning and the end, so we had a lovely gallop across that to finish off the trip. Full length ended up being about 10.8 miles, and a lovely ride it was, under sunny skies at 70 degrees, good footing and no worries, it was just the kind of day we live for on the trail!

Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 - Travel Day to Fell Hunt Horse Camp in South Carolina

 Hubby and I first discussed the possibility of moving over to the overflow area to spend the rest of the weekend here, but after the rockiness of the trails yesterday, and the fact the weather was getting colder than we like, we decided to head south as soon as possible. We also wanted to walk through an RV with a floorplan we were interested in that happened to be on the way, so we headed out to Sumter National Forest to Fell Hunt Camp. I had already spoken to the office about the likelihood of there being room here for us, especially considering it being the hunting season., but we reassured there would probably be plenty of room, and if not, there was another campground about a mile away that would work as an overflow. We stopped at Sonnys RV to walk through a 2010 Open Range 337. We didn’t want one that old, but we did want to get a feel for the layout, as they hadn’t changed much over the years, and from the floorplan, it seemed to satisfy our needs. It’s hard to know for sure, though, until you get a chance to walk through one, which we took our time to do. We liked it, and unless there’s a small miracle with the custom builders, it’s probably the kind we’ll end up with, though a newer one. We continued our journey until we reached Fell Hunt, and was gratified that there was plenty of room for us, with both sites in the woods and out in an open field. We decided the field would be best, so we can get a satellite dish. There were numerous water spigots around, which made things easier, and we quickly got the horses out on the grass with their anchors before finally putting them on the highline for the night. It didn’t take us too long to get settled again, and we enjoyed a relaxing evening. Good news, there a good cell phone signal here, which means I can also get on the internet, a perk that allows me to pursue our new trailer.

Friday, Nov. 2, 2012 - Rocky Ride Day from Cane Brake Camp

 Weather was fine this morning, though a bit cool at first. Had to spend some time rasping Clio’s hooves so that her new boots would fit her properly, but once that was done they slipped right on. Saddled up and headed out on a trail with a couple of loop options that led to the lake, recognizing that this will likely be the only chance we get to ride. While it was a lovely stretch of woods, the trails turned out to be MUCH rockier than we had hoped, and there was enough climbing and descending that eventually I could tell the horses were a bit frustrated with the footing. We did manage to get down to the lake, and only had a couple of missteps, because there were a few trails that turned off in unexpected places, and we didn’t realize it until the blazes disappeared, even though very often the trail didn’t change much between when we were on the trail and when we weren’t. Once, the turnoff was halfway up a hill we galloped up, so naturally we didn’t notice at first. Fortunately we didn’t let ourselves get too far before turning around, so it ended up being a pretty nice six and a half mile ride, though most of the time the footing was less than what we normally like. There was a nice field near the end of the ride where we were able to get another good canter in, but most of the ride was walking on rocks, not our favorite. Either we picked the rockiest trails out here, or we’re missing out on the reason why so many people seem to flock here. The campground had filled up while we were gone, with most campsites now filled, and people milling everywhere. As night descended, the place took on a party atmosphere, with lots of bonfires, music and conversation abounding. We tucked into the RV and watched movies all evening.

Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012 - Errands and Problem Solving

Spent a little time in the morning trying to set up the satellite dish, Hubby finally had to give up because there were too many trees in the way. Several messages and emails came in late yesterday about the trailer design, plus we still had shopping to do that we missed yesterday, so I spent most of the day running around or sitting in the parking lot of Walmart on the computer. Made a little progress, but not as much as I would have liked. Got back around 4:00, helped Hubby with the chores before settling in for the evening.