Trailride weekend

This is the trailride weekend. My daughter and some of her friends from up in the hills decided to start an annual trailride last year. They wanted to correct the shortcomings of some other rides they had been on. Things like serving edible food and being friendly to the patrons, etc. I helped a bit at lunch on Sat. They rode to a hunting lodge, tied the horses under the trees and had b.b. hamburgers, homemade chili, dessert bars and ice tea and lemonade. The day was about 70 degrees, dry, sunny and well, perfect. The trails used had been worked to accommadate the several wagons that go to these events. At the camp that night, a local eatery and pub pulled out their LARGE smoker-grill and cooked chicken and fried catfish to perfection. The comments on the whole event, at last nights gathering, (as reported by my wife) ranged from great to "this is easily the best ride we've ever been to". Including most who said this was far and above AKSARBEN'S much heralded River City Round-up trailrides. Now the risk will be trying to keep a manageable number of people from here on out. Word of their success will spread like wildfire thru the horse community. Congratulations to my Daughter and her friends. Well done.
PS I stayed home to watch Nebraska play Texas Tech on TV last night. Turns out Nebraska didn't play.
P.S. Watch this space. I'll try to publish a couple of trailride and harvest pics.

A Story

I've always made my points with my children not by saying "don't do that", but rather by telling a story. For instance I wouldn't say "drive slow on the gravel". Rather I would relate a story about someone who got into the heavy gravel (piled along the side of every country road) and then how the squad had to load them up with a shovel. After the accident. As they grew older they would become irritated if I called too often. The conversations would end with... So Dad, why'd ya call. Oh I was just making sure you weren't laying upside down in a ditch. Now when I know they are driving somewhere, I'll ask, where are ya?? And of course the answer is, Laying upside down in a ditch. Or if I'm on the way to Lincoln they will call and ask where I am and I'll ask, why? Oh just making sure you weren't laying upside down in a ditch somewhere.
My eldest son has left his body shop in charge of our youngest son and went to Washington state on vacation. I called him today. I hesitated to call because I didn't know if he knew about Mt St Helens erupting or not. Or were they going to be close enough to care. Trying not to pry, I casually asked "are you going to be anywhere near Mr St Helens?. "Yeah Dad, we're on our way up there to camp right now. Near the rim. We're planning on taking a hike into that big hollow spot in the middle of the mountain."
For this branch of the clan, why say yes or no when you could tell a story.