More news from St. Joe

[imgoneriding@earthlink.net]

Just now crawling into bed. What a long day!  We went up to the ride 
meeting at 7 a.m. this morning at Old Macdonald's Farm.  That worked out 
pretty well, you've never seen so many laptops and Garmin GPS's in one 
place before.  It works pretty easily if the Duck downloads the waypoints 
directly from his computer to each individual GPS.  Nobody seems to have 
been able to make the conversion thru a PC quite yet.  I did it, but it was 
labor intensive and not worth the effort since the alternative is so easy.

Then we spent a couple of hours at the vet with a friends sick 
dog.  Stopped by a hardware store, got something to eat.  The best onion 
rings ever at Sonic Burger, a drive-in.  Of course, we had to be totally 
weird and go inside to order, they thought we were loons.  You're supposed 
to stay in your vehicle to order.  Ohhhhh.  Okay. <G>

Then we came back and I got Bud to let me into his office to use his phone 
line and got some photos uploaded and emails sent.  We also put the 
waypoints from my GPS onto the Delorme map software so we could see the 
actual trail and where the crews will go all of next week on the 
ride.   Figured out who is hauling whose horses where, and who gets to crew.

The clouds parted briefly, oh did I forget to mention that the weather has 
turned?  It poured rain (and I mean poured) all morning up at Old 
Macdonald's. Rigs were sinking, and word has it that they still 
are....anyways, when the clouds parted and it cleared up briefly I longed 
both horses, and fed them some more beet pulp.  Have I mentioned that they 
are actually eating it, even with fat pak in it?   I think Weaver has 
gained weight, I had a hard time buckling the straps on his rain gear <g>.

Boy, that rain gear (and the bug sheets) are sure handy things to 
have.  The horses are not real happy right now, as it's been pouring on 
them for quite some time.  They are covered all but their heads, so are 
hanging those down and pouting.  I guess it's better than being bitten by 
the bugs.  When we come in the trailer each night we get to use the fly 
swatter and try to kill as many mosquitos as we can. They are as big as 
horse flies so it's easy.  Others are busy plucking ticks out of themselves 
and their dogs.

Since the sun hasn't come out I've had the luxury of using a cold 
sunshower.   Boy isn't that a treat.  Yessireeeeeee, am I lucky or what?

Then while a couple of others went to the dinner and ball tonight we 
decided we had to go to Wal Mart.  So off we went, navigating about St. Joe 
as if we knew where we were going.  Which we didn't but we went right to it 
nevertheless, and even found our way back.  Even tho it's flat, it's dark 
and cloudy and rainy and we have no real idea where the hell we are.  Dave 
needed to get some mud boots, he tried to get some at home but they never 
had his size.....and I got more carrots, OHMYGAWD, carrots are like $.50 a 
pound here.  Jeeezus, we'll go broke just feeding Weaver his daily 
allotment of carrots.  He'll complain if he gets his carrot rations cut 
back, what am I gonna do?  Guess we'll keep eating bagels and peanut butter.

It is supposed to clear up by Tuesday, and get up to 80 degrees.  It'll be 
humid too, since everything is so wet from the rain.  We're trying to 
figure out what to do with the horses feet.  They've been standing in wet 
grass or mud for days now, and their heels are soft.  So I gotta figure 
this one out.  We absolutely have to have easyboots on for the start, since 
we are unloading on pavement.

It's raining harder now.  Rocky keeps trying to scratch his butt on the 
bucket holders on the side of the trailer.  He rocks the whole 
trailer.  Okay, I lied earlier.  It's raining even HARDER now.  Gawd, it 
hasn't rained this much in Nevada in 7 years!!  It is comforting to know 
that the Missouri river is on one side and a lake on the other.  :+D

Dave just reminded me that our trailer is powered by solar.  Oh 
goody.  Well, maybe the sun will come out tomorrow.  That damn horse is 
shaking the trailer again.  Good grief, am I going to get any sleep?

Is that hail I hear?

And that bright light?  Lightening, oh yeah........

Should I even mention the smell of two wet dogs and a weeks worth of 
laundry?  Boy, it's hard to swat mosquitos in the dark!

I know you are all just really jealous that you aren't here right 
now!!!!!!   rofl

k

P.S.  it's raining even harder now, and more lightening, and 
thunder!   Dogs are scared.  If it clears long enough I'll get more photos 
of everybody tomorrow!  Still haven't seen Trilby?