Outward Bound

Horse adventures!  I've been doing more and more with Ber and Gio as the weather clears up. Giovanna is trotting regularly, though we are still working on the balance thing. Ber is really coming into his own as a trail horse.  He loves to go adventuring, and actually gives a little crow hop if he thinks we are headed out but I turn him around!  Never ridden a horse that was so pleased to be out in the big world. It is very, very fun. 

Berhwood and I went to Clam Beach on Monday, May 23rd.  It was a slightly overcast day, not too warm or cold, with a brisk wind.   Stuart came, and he brought his gloves and hat, because of the wind. We set out with the goal of getting to Clam Beach, but I wasn't sure how far we'd actually get.    Stuart was kind enough to record this first trip to the beach with his camera.   Here is the ride.   If you click on the photos, you get much larger ones.  Enjoy!

Coming down Dow's Prairie Rd.  We just passed the new and scary mail boxes.

At the crossroads at the bottom of Dow's Prairie Rd.  He had no problem with the stop sign or painted lines.

Walking on the road next to the freeway.  Lots of traffic.  He didn't bat an eyelash.

Wow!  A fully loaded logging truck.   Ber said "Huh, so that's a logging truck."

Crossing the bridge over the freeway.   Ber was very cool about it, but I thought caution was a good idea.

Back on board after the bridge.  Check out Trinidad Head in the distance.

Stopping along the Clam Beach frontage rd.  I am so crooked.
I blame the seat in my Jetta which is collapsed on the right side..

The trail down to the beach.  Ber is checking out the sign.  No horses?   That means no horses off of the trail, in the dunes, to protect the Snowy Plover nesting sites.  This is my favorite picture of the day.

Walking down the path to the beach.

Oh, a very scary big log buried in the sand.  It could jump up and get us!  Stuart had to come and stand on it before he would walk past.  And when we passed it on our way back, he still didn't trust that it was just a log.

Surrounded by Lupine.

Love this shot.

First sight of the ocean.

Sand is a bit deep, and there is SO much to look at!  The sand is too deep to get across. Wind has been blowing it into soft pillowy dunes.    Ber was afraid he was going to get sucked in.  I hopped off, checked it out, an decided to turn around.

Checking out the mom and two kids in the dunes.

Walking back through the dunes on the trail.

Back on the frontage road.   Another great shot of the Head.

Riding across the bridge.

Seeing our second loaded logging truck.

I sure hope we're going slow enough to navigate this turn up ahead...

Red sports car?  No biggie.  Seen one vehicle, you've seen them all.

Walking down the long long driveway to the pasture.

Ber cantered up the grassy knoll, and then walked down.

Well deserved water play back home.

If you have Quicktime installed, here's a link to video Stuart shot. Bridge crossing, the deep sand, meeting the 2nd logging truck, and cantering up the hill.   http://www.sgibson.com/BerhwoodBeach/BeachMovieBerhwood.MOV