Up on a Horse

The ranch has some beautiful horses, but they're all working horses, meaning that they can be a little feisty and aren't the docile retired animals that you usually find at trail rides. Seeing how that's the only type of horse I had been around before I moved out to the desert and got married, I've had a bit of a learning curve as I try to master riding a horse.

My sister-in-law Tana makes it look easy. She's a true cowgirl, and has no problem taking little Desert Boy for a ride. They both are loving it.

Desert Boy even looks like he knows what he's doing, holding on to the reins and looking around to search for cattle. Tana started riding before she could walk, so perhaps with Desert Boy starting early he will also make it look easy.

This is my nephew Tractor Buddy. When I look at him, I figure that this is what Desert Boy probably will look like in about eight years. 

And now it's my turn. Tana let me take a ride on her horse Jewel, a gentle horse who had just finished herding cattle and was feeling a little lethargic. Perfect for me, the neophyte. I love riding horses, as long as I feel in control. I feel in control when the horse is moving slowly--anything faster than a walk gets my heart pounding!

That dusty ground looks like a soft landing in case I do take a spill. I walk Jewel around in circles, and then...

...the world starts getting topsy-turvy. Oh no!

Just kidding, I wouldn't have actually been able to take a photo while I was falling off. That would take too much coordination. Here I am, just strolling along, pretending that I am a world-class horsewoman. 

Two Little Old Guys

We had a playdate at the park last week, and it was hilarious watching Desert Boy and his friend Little Stinker (hey, his mom chose the shirt, not me!). The whole time they were together they reminded me of two little old men. They don't have all their teeth, they don't speak clearly (in fact grunts are the most common form of communication), their balance is a little off and they stumble around a bit, and they are very opinionated! 

It didn't take too long for the two to get over the awkward bit, just one of those complicated guy handshakes. Is that built into the genes or what? Actually, I think they were just swiping at each other, but neither seemed to care.

After a bit of wandering around, they both sat down to talk. Wait a minute, old men don't simply talk to each other. So I guess they were chewing the fat, shooting the breeze, talking the hind legs off a mule. I hope they understood each other because I sure didn't!

Suddenly, there's a change. Little Stinker doesn't want Desert Boy to get up. Is he protecting him from something? Does he see a snack and want to get to it first? 

Aha, it's a cute girl! But after a few minutes they seem to lose interest. 

And they're off to play on something else...the bouncing horse. Little Stinker looks like he's giving Desert Boy advice.  Whatever he's saying, Desert Boy sure is paying attention.

After a little riding, they're ready to move on to the next thing. They don't stay in one place for much time. Nevertheless, it won't be too long before they both need a nap, just like old men. 

Desert Destination: Hampton Creek Trail

Every Monday we visit a desert destination.

I felt the need to go hiking, so I packed up Desert Boy and Henry and we headed to a nice mountain trail, Hampton Creek. We drove on a long gravel road to get to the trailhead, and upon arriving we saw that we would have the trail to ourselves. Desert Boy wasted no time checking out the informational sign.

With the backpack loaded, we started up the trail. Desert Boy quickly got distracted by the big boulders that block vehicles from the trail. 

A few steps further on he investigates what's been digging in the dirt. I can see that this is going to be a slow-paced hike. We have no real destination, so it doesn't matter. The Hampton Creek trail leads up to The Table, a high-elevation meadow renowned for its ancient bristlecone pines and herds of bighorn sheep. I figure we probably won't make it that far today, after all I only packed one meal.

Desert Boy observes Mama has a hiking pole and wants one for himself. He hikes with it for a few steps.

And then he decides it's more fun to use it to dig in the dirt. I need some exercise and want to feel my thigh muscles burn, so it's time for Desert Boy to go up in the backpack and we start making time going up the steep trail.

A short while later we pass the sign indicating that we're entering a wilderness area. High cliffs peek out from the surrounding forest, and it feels pretty wild, especially knowing that we're the only ones out there. We hike awhile, and although it's the Hampton Creek trail, the trail stays far away from the creek. Henry is getting thirsty (and Desert Boy is getting heavy), so I know that once we find some water, we'll take a break. Gradually our surroundings change from pinyon and juniper woodlands to ponderosa pine and aspen forest. More plants appear in the understory, including some that are still flowering. (I took 240 photos this particular day, so although this post is on the long side, I did show a little restraint. Some of the photos of the vegetation will appear in future posts.)

At our break, Desert Boy wanted the juice box. He thinks it's really fun to drink out of a straw.

He's all business here, no giggles or laughs. He wants a drink!

After he's refreshed, it's time to wander around. Desert Boy finds one of his favorite attractions: something to climb. 

He struggles awhile to get up on this log. I figure he can eventually do it, so I leave him to find a way to ascend.

He tries several different techniques...

...and eventually finds one that works. He's happy.

And then he gets this look on his face, and I can only worry. What's next?

I should have guessed what's next--water. Henry had been happily traipsing in it, so Desert Boy followed and managed to get himself soaking wet. So after a bit of happy splashing in the moss-covered stream, I change his clothes and realize I don't have any extra socks or shoes. So it's probably time to head back down to the truck. 

On the way back, Desert Boy falls asleep leaning to one side, which doesn't make the backpack too comfortable. 

Nevertheless, we make it back to the trailhead, content with our little adventure and ready to go looking for the next one.

So if you'd like a quiet mountain hike, Hampton Creek is a good place to go. The trail just gets more beautiful as you get higher, although the trail is steep and crosses the creek in several locations. It's good for both day hikes and backpacking.

Desert Boy Rides a Horse with Uncle Dave

The other afternoon Desert Boy had the chance to go for a horse ride with Uncle Dave. Uncle Dave has tons of experience riding horses and is the perfect teacher. He introduced Desert Boy to his horse, Shelley, and taught Desert Boy how to pet her nicely. Shelley seemed to like Desert Boy, so it was time to head over to one of the feed lot corrals (with soft manure rather than gravel in case of a fall).

Desert Boy had previously drenched his nice sneakers by stepping into a stream (on purpose), so he was riding barefoot. He was eager to get on and listened carefully to Uncle Dave's instructions.

Some of the feed lot pens have cows in them, so Desert Boy got a nice high view of them. Desert Boy can't quite say "Mooo," but he can say "Mmmm." The border collie following Shelley is Heidi, the trusty dog who knows how to move cattle much better than I ever will. (Henry stayed by me--he just goes up to the cows and barks and doesn't know how to do anything more than that.)

Desert Boy seemed right at home on the horse, and didn't want to stop riding. It won't be that long until he can start helping.

The view of mountains in the background and the cooler temperatures of a late summer afternoon made for a great experience. It's nice to know that Desert Boy has more interests than Vroom, vroom machines and climbing.

Desert Boy Climbs the Gate

Due to the fact that we live on a ranch, we have lots of gates around to keep cows where we want them. Desert Boy is in a climbing phase and has discovered that the gates are excellent places to practice his climbing skills.

Desert Boy starts climbing, and shows a remarkable amount of coordination.

The spacing between the bars increases with each step, making it more of a challenge for a short little kid.

Nevertheless, he makes it up higher and evaluates the top bar.

To my huge surprise, he shows some restraint and doesn't get himself stuck on top of the fence. He's good at climbing up, but not so good at coming back down.

Desert Boy spent about 10 minutes climbing up and down the gate. I just happened to capture this angelic expression. It makes him look so serene, doesn't it?

Check out the video below and you'll see that he's really a bundle of energy, energy I wish I could tap into!

Desert Boy Makes Music

Desert Boy sometimes has to entertain himself. This is the way he did it the other night.

Desert Boy Climbs the Chopper

Desert Boy doesn't need a playground, not when he has an array of farm equipment close at hand. One of his favorites is the chopper, where he has been developing his gross motor skills. He's 16 months old, but the huge machine doesn't faze him at all.

The first hurdle is just getting off the ground, where the first step is chest high. He looks up at all the other steps he will have to climb and plans his attack.

It doesn't take long to pull himself up. 

Then he prepares himself for the ladder. 

Daddy is close by. This is the first time he's seen Desert Boy climb the chopper ladder and he's not quite believing his eyes. 

Desert Boy has some good rock climbing moves that he's just found naturally. He seems to know that he should always have at least three points of contact.

He knows Mom is taking pictures and can't help but shoot a grin my way. What a ham.

He keeps climbing. And no, this is not a paid advertisement for John Deere. 

He knows he's close, and Dad is just itching to help him. Mom tells him no, the little tyke can do it on his own.

And with one more step,

he's up on the top platform. Success!

Finally Dad can catch up to him and take him inside for a little pretend driving. 

I'm hoping Desert Boy will limit his climbing to farm equipment; he's definitely keeping his parents in shape.