Paso_Fino_Friends

The event was set up for everybody to arrive at Rose's farm on Saturday.

We all arrived at various times Saturday (David, Fran and I at 1 a.m. after attending a wedding) and we all camped in Rose's yard. On the morning of the ride, Rose's parents hosted a yummy pre-ride breakfast on their deck. Coffee, tea and OJ … muffins, banana loaf, fritters, homemade squares, you name it … but we didn't sit and chat much that morning as the sky was blue, the sun was shining and we were all anxious to get to the Blackfoot.

What amazing trails they have at the Blackfoot! As you can see in the photos below, they're broad. No motorized vehicles are allowed, and they’re brush hogged 3-4 times a year. There's something like 78 miles of groomed trail through the forest and around the little pothole lakes and marshes. Wildlife galore. Everybody loved the place.

We rode a 4-mile loop in the morning. It was glorious – sun, slight breeze, good company and a serenity you don’t find every day -- and all the horses behaved beautifully. Then we stopped for a lunch (provided by Rose and her parents) back at the staging area. After lunch they took off to do the afternoon loop. I felt pretty good but decided I really shouldn't push it (as I usually do -- and wind up hurting myself), so my husband, David, took over and rode the afternoon loop. (So glad I did that as he's not ridden in years and really enjoyed the scenery and the peace and quiet of the Blackfoot. Maybe I'll be able to get him out there with me again!)

While they rode the afternoon loop Fran slept on the side of a hill and The Divine Miss Em stood and dozed beside her.

After the ride we had a barbecue dinner on the deck at Rose's parents place. (They live on Rose's quarter section.) What a grand time! David ran off and bought a bunch of beer so we all sat around on the deck and drank beer 'til dinner was ready. The horse talk flowed. We must have compared everything from the best bloodlines to the best bits! Everybody got along famously.

By the way, the weather was superb for this event. Not too hot. A slight breeze while we rode, but none later in the evening. No rain. No clouds. Bright moon. Perfect.

Dinner was fabulous. Tender pork skewered and barbecued, mushroom rice, cooked carrots, caesar salad and assorted desserts. We talked and laughed on that deck 'til the sun went down.

At sundown we moved over to the camping area and started a bonfire. What a hoot! We giggled and laughed, joked and kidded. It was grand. At one point I reached into my jacket pocket and came out with ... a bra? At first I thought I must have someone else's coat on! Well, the giggling got going in earnest at that point and Alex was sure we should burn the bra to let the world know that when you ride a Paso you don't need no stinkin' bra! I put the bra away and went back to my glass of wine, but Alex would not let up! (Nag, nag, nag, Alex! *grin*) So, after a little more wine, as you can see below, we burned that sucker to a lot of hooting and hollering! (We also have a promise from Alex that next year he'll bring an extra pair of gaunch to burn so people will know that a hot little chili pepper Paso like his mare might scare the sh** out of some folks, but the riding is safe! Or something like that. *grin*)

All in all, we had a blast.

Monday morning we congregated for another breakfast on Rose's parents' deck before loading up and taking off. More visiting, 'cuz by then we were all bosom buddies, *grin* and nobody wanted to leave. More horse talk ... and discussions on how to make this even better next year. There weren’t a lot of suggestions there because this year's event was perfect!

Everybody is up for a repeat performance! And everybody wants it to be at Rose's again because nobody could get over the trails at the Blackfoot. So many trails! So little time!

Mark your calendar, folks! Next year Western Canadian Paso Fino Friends will be meeting on the August long weekend at Rose's place … and you're all welcome. (Bras are optional. *grin*)