Hello All!
I have not had a chance to blog at all this summer so here is a quick update:
We (me, husband, 2 cats, 1 Curly mare Dusty) left San Diego in April for the BIG MOVE back home to Alaska where I grew up. We loaded up our 16ft. stock trailer with our belongings in the front 1/2 and Dusty in the back 1/2, headed to Montana where we stayed to visit family for almost one month. In May we left Montana to make the 8 day trek through Canada. Dusty trailered perfectly and we made it safely to Chickaloon Alaska on May 21st! Dusty LOVES Alaska so much more than California. She is in her element and has become such a fun trail horse. We live on 200 acres and all of it backs up to public access trails so we have been having fun to say the least. I have to ride alone so I don't have any photos of us riding, but I do have some around the "ranch". Dusty's first moose encounter went well....she basically stood completely still staring the moose down while he did the same thing back to her it was quite funny. Seeing moose out here is practically a daily ordeal, bears are a monthly ordeal. Although we have a black bear with a cub that won't leave the area I have yet to see it face to face when Dusty is with me (plenty of times without her) so I don't know how she will respond when she finally sees it. My biggest project right now is getting her "gun broke" since we don't leave the front porch without a gun strapped on (or I usually carry bear grade pepper spray) because there really are quite a few bears around and we are in DENSE brush ("neighbors" saw a 700lb grizzly the same day I was 2 hours out on the trail alone!) here. She has done great just being loose in her pasture when we target practice out back with the 44, but I am buying a loud cap gun so I don't have to waste ammo or risk the an accident and still progressively get closer to her while shooting. I am confident she will get used to it quickly. My dad had the sawmill (big, LOUD, sawmill that turns our trees into logs for building) set up in her pasture when we first got here and not only did she not care about the noise or huge logs but she wanted to hang out right next to it and "help". Hopefully I will be able to update with riding pictures and also with her progress on the gun training etc.
Happy Trails
The background in your pictures is so beautiful. I am so glad that you are able to do more trial riding now. I am so jealous. Now I know where Takoda gets his gentle and curious disposition from. Can't wait to see more picture and good luck with the shooting pratices.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely positively incredible. Everytime I see mountains like that, my eyes tear up! It's crazy...so majestic...beautiful and I am always in awe. AND the fact that you get to look at those mountains all day long, wow!!! I can't imagine having to wear a gun every time I stepped off my porch - you are a brave girl! Dusty is stunning and you are so blessed to have her with you. Where abouts in Alaska is this? My husband lived in Fairbanks when he was young going to school..had a moose chase him while cc sking! He said he couldn't talk for several hours afterwards. =] Thank you SOOO much for sharing this with all of us Courtney. It was awesome!!! Please share more, will you?
ReplyDeleteCourtney, I second what Denise said! Your scenery is breathtaking! I would like to visit Alaska some day. My husband would pack up and move their in an instant but I say, 1. I am cold enough in Maine already and 2. I prefer black bears to grizzly bears and 3. I prefer my moose in smaller quantities, thank you.;) I am so glad you posted this; what a moving adventure you have had! Dusty is beautiful and sounds like she and you are a match made in heaven.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pictures!
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