Strawberry Fields

Last week Chief and I went all over the farm.  The weather was pretty perfect so we took a good two hour trail ride.  Chief is a registered Paint Horse so we are members of the APHA and we participate in the Ride America program.  Since we started in 2008 (I think) we've got somewhere around 200 total hours.  So far this year with last week's ride we have 17 hours and 15 minutes.  That isn't too bad considering I work full time and also have school part time...  But I always want more time, maybe come July when I am done with school the hours will start racking up...  

This week we started out on the cow pasture trail.

This was the same trail we lost a shoe on, but there hasn't been much rain so it was less muddy and we made it out with all 4 shoes!  We continued on the cow pasture trail and Chief was feeling spunky.  There are some great places to canter on this trail, so we were letting loose.  As we came around a turn, I saw a new limb that was hanging over the side of the trail.  We were going pretty fast and I thought we could make it under and to the side of it... we didn't...  I clipped my knee on the branch that really didn't give.  Ouch!!  I said a few loud obscenities, but no one was around to hear.  I could feel my knee had been scraped up and I could tell it was going to bruise.  No need to roll up my jeans and inspect, just another war wound of being a rider.  We then headed back towards the creek trail but rather than go left we went right toward the Submarine trail.  I was just thinking about how lately Chief and I hadn't had any moments of where he refused to go forward.  I also realized it was because we hadn't taken a long trail in awhile.  So as we started to take the long way Chief began to refuse, but with a little encouragement from the whip, he walked right on.  Whew, no major fight today.  We then headed up the hill to the strawberry fields.  It is a little early in the season, but I thought it would be fun to go check them out and see how they are coming along.

Good news, the strawberries are coming in just fine.  I may have had to sample the product just to be sure :).  I can't wait for the Hughes family to start selling the big bushels of strawberries.  I love this time of year, fresh fruit and a little bit later fresh vegetables.  It is so much fun to buy your food right from the farmers that grew it.  I always buy from their stand right off of Highway 111.  But if you are in the area, the Hughes family is always at the Chattanooga Market on Sundays, go see them!  And the market starts tomorrow!

From here, we went down to the big pond.  I love that big pond.

It is so pretty down here and its nice and flat so there are a lot of great places to run.  So, we took a tour around the pond.

We then headed back up the hill towards the strawberry fields but took the Pumpkin Patch hill trail home.  Chief was tired at the end, but it was a great ride.  

Til next time!