Waking thoughts

Early morning, two days to go..
Actually scared !!!
Some of the most important papers/items that I have been working on getting for months, may just arrive tomorrow.
On Saturday Im going to leave my beautiful home I love, the security I often need to come back to..and the dogs that love us sooo much and have no idea that we will come back in 4 months.
Can I cope with life on the road again? Daily home searching and making, un-making and repacking..
Negative things don't always come to mind unless they're pointed out to me.
How will I manage with the extra work load especially with my back?
- and inspite of the wonderful help from Gofundme and Jamie giving Mark a sitting down days work,  we are still setting off with minimal money.
Mark can ride but he can't walk! It seems ludicrous to think about leaving now!
But if we don't, we will miss the grass for the horses and the summer heat will become impossible.
Ommmmm comes to mind, best not to precieve ( my phone tells me that's not a word, but I beg to differ! )
Stay naive, up in the clouds, riding the wave, living in the now!
Positive things to note :
Mark will get better.
The hours in the saddle will be the easiest hours for us in the current circumstances, so keep on movin'...
Neurotic Niki and Hop along Cassidy T minus 48 hours and counting. .

Heroic or Stupid?!

He actually did it! Got on his horse and rode!

Tio pranced around our "short ride" like he was about to race in the Lobrasan Stakes! - Hardly walked a step & mostly sideways, ran Mark under trees and nearly backed off the cliff, infact he tried every trick in his book to go faster than a jog..
It was terrifying to watch,  but alls well that ends well..phew!
I think Tio could sense Marks fragility & bubbled up a bit under the unusually tense reins..oh plus! It was really windy!

Rayo was a dream, he's so well and fit now, as usual full of beans but I have noticed how much easier he is for me when I'm leading Lorna too.

So, big smiles on our faces (but a slightly puffy foot), bodes well for our departure a week tomorrow..fingers crossed.

How not to prepare for a 2000mile horse trek ..

 The intended here putting my best foot forward, but alas still with the aid of crutches... as a good friend of mine's grandad used to say "you can't always sometimes tell whats least expected most!"

 Its now almost 3 weeks since I fractured my heel in 3 places when i decided to dismount from a moving horse , whilst wearing cheap boot trainers that not only got stuck in the stirrup , causing me to land with all my weight on one foot , but also whose sole seems to be designed to increase the chances of said injury .

  So its been a time of pills n potions , and foot up , and today marks the first day i can stand up without crutches and I'm hoping to get on Tio tomorrow and be walking with one stick at the weekend . Then hit the trail the following weekend possibly via the fiesta de San Isidro in Cadiar , and get a wig on to get through Andalucia and Murcia (about 400km) before it gets any hotter (and drier) . I've been praying for rain obviously  but we've only had one days worth throughout my convalescence .

   The horses all look great and are on grass all day every day . Iris and Emil , the young adults of Lobrasan have been taking Tio out for me so he's still really fit and ready to go at the drop of a hat ...

    The Scoot Boots (boots for barefoot horses) are still stuck in Spanish customs, bearing in mind that Scoot Boots (from Australia) are sponsoring us, hence the boots aren't costing us anything, customs and excise are charging us import tax and VAT which in total means we've got to pay 50% tax on the retail value of the boots which were actually a gift. Big thanks to Scoot Boots and vice versa to the authorities.

     Now the good news, Luis and Melinda, part of the Spanish go fund me team, like our story so much that they have donated 1000€ to our go fund me account, so a huge thanks to you both and to our guardian angel.

      The saddle bags are finished and fantastic, Chiara Calegari has done us and Lorna (and herself) proud. Big thanks Chiara seamstress extraordinaire !
 
      So in effect we are still waiting for the Scoot Boots before we can go, meaning me and my left foot aren't holding us up; the System is. As Brother Culture would say "the only good system is a sound system" peace and love M.

       Heres a picture of my foot as of today , not bad eh .

Tragedy!

We have had a major set back! Tragically/annoyingly/most inconveniently, Mark has cracked his heel bone!!?!?
He instinctively (but stupidly) jumped from the horse rather than hit the tree and landed heavily on his heel..
Having jumped myself from my horse Rayo a few years ago as he galloped out of control on a cliff edge, knocking myself out and breaking a rib, we have now both learnt first hand that you are safer staying on !!
Coulda, shoulda, woulda,  dont change anything so we are doing everything in our power to facilitate a fast recovery.
Mark has a massive half boot, velcro strapped, stabilising thing that he reckons he'll fit in a stirrup as the show must go on.
But I  reality we can't leave on Sunday as planned.. we are gutted..

Super Saddlebags!

Another exciting progression is the making of our bespoke saddlebags! 
Here you can see how they are coming along - we had a test fitting at the weekend with all horsey friends looking on and helping decide on height, positioning etc..
Really handsome and super functional.
Made by our lovely neighbour Chiara, you know where to come for yours!

Yummy!

This is the kind of stuff we need to find on route! A lovely grass stop on our way back from Taffys after the Endurance race.
Me in the saddle again, back fine! & Rayo sounder than a pound!! 
Thank heavens.
Back home now with frantic final listing and doing!

The Raid

Hey friends! 
Sorry its all gone a bit iratic! Lots going on and up and down like a yo-yo!
The Raid, pronounced "Rayid" is the Spanish name for an endurance race...
Our friends put on this one annually so we always take part, always until now that is, just before the weekend I hurt my back - Nooooo! How now???
Then - after the weekend Rayo has suffered a blow, perhaps a kick to his pastern and is LAME! Never been lame in the 4 years he's been with us.
Now it's Wednesday,  we can feel lucky that both him and I are almost 100% again.. (100% in my case probably only something to aspire to).
So lucky Mark (even though he's only the groom) got to ride both horses in the event!!
Perfect fun for my cowboy.