Home on the Ridge

Home Again!!!   Ber and Gio moved in to their new pasture on Wednesday!!!    

It is Saturday, and I am grateful  to be home, working on pear butter, catching up on computer stuff, and generally enjoying not cleaning pens and smelling like ammonia and manure.    Ber and Gio stepped out of the trailer and settled right in, like they belonged there.  Big hug of gratitude for Jay's help. He's becoming quite the horse hand. Could not have loaded them, unloaded them, and introduced them to their new home without his patient, focused hand.  :)

Gio and Ber's  new friend, Dancer, is very happy to have a herd again, too. She's in her 20's, and she has been alone for about a year.   She's stiff, and the moving around is doing her good. 

I'm enjoying riding  my bike there every day. It's about 32 minutes there, and 26 minutes back, thanks to the big hill at the end, climbing up to the pasture. I didn't realize how much the road climbed until I was shifting down into low to haul the trailer and horses up!  Wow.   

We have miles of trails to explore around the lake, after we get settled in.  Here's a trail map if you want to see: http://www.mendotrails.org/downloads/Lake_mendo_trails.pdf

To share the celebration, here is a collection of pictures from moving day.

View up the pasture, happy grazing horses.

New Herd: Ber, Dancer, Gio.

Gio says Move!  Ber leaps up the hill.

Gio eats where Ber vacated from. Ber circles around....

Happy happy happy!!

Gio using her muscles!

Ber being all regal and looking at the lake...

Settling in.  Can almost see Lake Mendocino...

Hard working man taking a break in the shade.

Anderson Marsh

On Sunday, I traveled to Lake County to visit friends.   The day started out with a hike at Anderson Marsh with Nikki and Marta.  I was captivated by the visual beauty of the park.   So this post is mostly photos! 

  I was also delighted to find a healthy patch of blackberries.   I'd been seeking blackberries and thought I'd missed the season here in the hotter climate.   Every patch I'd found had shriveled up, mummified berries that had evaporated all juice.    This patch was growing right next to a channel full of water, so it still had fat juicy berries!   However, I did not bring anything to pick berries in, besides my small bucket.  Nikki and Marta donated water bottles and cups, I used my water bottle and picking bucket.    All told, I was able to get about 2 quarts of berries. Yay!!  My arms and legs are scratched to prove I actually picked them, too.  :)  Going to totally enjoy the blackberry crisp in my near future....

After berry picking, I stopped at Studebaker's in Kelseyville to have lunch with Susan and visit. Wonderful to catch up with everyone, and I look forward to my September visit.  :)