Last week I tagged along with Dave to a CLE in Scottsdale, AZ. While Dave was stuck in a windowless, fluroescent lighted room all day...i ventured out to Tonto Forest to ride horses in the desert. I have to say it was one of my favorite rides ever. The cacti (dave swears this is the plural for cactus) and flowers were breathtaking. And the smell in the air...it was so light and clean...i want a ranch in AZ! The first day out we rode along the rim of nearby mountains. I saw numerous birds and new plantlife but perhaps the most exciting discovery was the rattlesnake that had coiled itself under a shrub along the trail. I was able to get a close up look at him while he rattled and stuck his tongue out at me...it was awesome! I later found out that my horse that day, Rock and Roll, has been bitten by snakes SIX times! Apparently, horses can be treated pretty easily...good thing.
After my ride on Thursday, Dave and I drove back down to this little town on the reserve so that I could show Dave some nature and he could catch a breath of the amazing desert air. While we were driving down we saw a couple of coyotes run across the road in front of us (did i mention Dave got us a convertable?:) . I love animals, nature and the landscape of AZ. Yes, I still want to be a cowgirl!
Friday the conference continued...and so did my horseback riding adventure. This time I rode into a canyon on Nudge. She was a great mare...quick step, alert (always looking around for any beasts that might eat us...including the ever present quail), spunky...great horse. Again, another fun day for me. Later that afternoon we drove to Sedona...a beautiful town--what I like to refer to as the "Bar Harbor" of AZ...but worth seeing nevertheless! We took a Jeep tour of the red rocks. It was fun to get out and see more of the ever changing landscape. Where I had been hot all day riding horses...the elevation was dramactically different in Sedona and we were freezing...i love that!
Saturday was Dave's favorite day as we tipped back a few beers and hotdogs at the Cubs spring training game. It was great to see the old favorites as well as the new prospects... There is always hope.
This was a great trip for me in so many ways. February proved to be a hard month as I battled kidney stones, a little surgery, and the worst cold (sinus, ear infection) i have ever had. I was not being the mom i wanted to be and found myself desparate for a break and time away with Dave. Although Dave was busy most of the time it was challenging and fun to get away by myself and ask, "What do i want to do today?" Horseback riding was first on the list. It was indeed odd to find myself alone and with nothing to do for a few days but i quickly "found myself" and managed to have a great time!
