August Update

Thanks for reminding me to post something Edie...I didn't even realize it was August already and I hadn't posted. Actually I have been thinking of a lot of things that I should post...just haven't gotten around to it yet. So...I guess I will tell a little about our last week or so here. Last week, a group of people went out on a pack trip..actually two groups of people. One started two weeks ago and then they switched groups halfway through..the other group will be finished this Friday. Anyway..the neat thing about pack trips is that the guests get to just hike along with day packs and the horses carry the tents, gear, food, sleeping bags, stove, and whatever else is needed to set up camp. They move camp every day or two to a different site using the horses to pack the gear and the guests get to go on day hikes each day or move from site to site when it is time. The staff (wranglers) on the pack trips set up the tents and cook meals for the guests too..hot meals for breakfast and dinner...usually sandwiches for lunch. The trip started on Sunday two weeks ago and Steven and I helped get all the horses saddled and up the road to Car Wash Falls so they could be "packed." It was quite fun riding up the road and a string of five horses behind me and Steven with the same. I just watched as the guys spent most of the afternoon balancing out loads and getting the gear packed onto the horses. The trip headed out to Bridge Creek. Needless to say...there was also some "leg" work that needed to be done on the first few days of the trip and Steven was the one to help. He hiked into the camp...about 3 miles...the first day and then hiked another 6 miles to assist with setting up another type of camp called tent to tent for use later this season. Then, on Tuesday he helped pack and move the horses to another campsite area. He made it home around 9:00 Tuesday night. No worries though...he hiked back into Bridge Creek on Wednesday night to help with another move and this time brought a horse back out because they didn't need him anymore on Thursday. Even though the work was really hard and his days were long..I think he enjoyed spending time out in the mountains/woods with the horses and other wranglers. After such a long week...we ended up getting Saturday AND Sunday off this past weekend which was a real treat! On Saturday...we slept in and decided to go to the restaurant for breakfast. The french toast was so good!! In the morning we just did some work around the horse and Steven did the laundry...hard to believe..right? We went and visited our friends Jake and Dawn for the afternoon. They are building a house and so we saw that and talked for a bit. Our evening meal was grilling out at the baseball field after a 5 mile bike ride up the road. It was great to use Jake and Dawn's grill since we don't have one...chicken is so much better that way! After biking back down to the landing...we sat out on the deck and listened to life music for a while and talked with friends. A great Saturday full of relaxation time...which is why on Sunday..Steven felt as though we should do something "physical." It was kinda a mini-triathlon...or so I like to call it. We biked up the road to the kayak shed (1.5 miles) ...then kayaked across the lake to Weaver Point (10 minutes)...then hiked up Devore Creek and back down (2 hours). We made back to bakery just in time for lunch...BBQ pizza with freshly scooped ice cream for dessert! It was quite a fun day for sure. This week has been pretty typical so far...although it is getting warm again. Last week it was nice and cool in the evenings...around 50 degrees with the daytime temp around 70. Today it feels like we are getting close to 100 degrees. Still not nearly as hot as South Carolina though...that is for sure. I should go get back to work now...I do have some more fun stories from the last few weeks that I will try to get posted sometime soon! Thanks to everyone that sends emails and letters...we love those! Have a great Wednesday!