Leia

[Minxiesmom]

I have been wishing I could have joined you. I would love to hear about it. The last I heard it was taking you forever to get through Seattle because of traffic. What'd you do? Where'd you stay? Who was there? Tell all!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

It was a very small group, only me and my parents and Susanne and Keith with Liz and her sons joining us on Saturday but it was a lot of fun regardless! The food was to DIE for and I think the horses all had as good a time as the people did. I know Kody didn't get his fill of driving on the beach and I feel bad for that but at least he got out and he got praised to the skies for being a good boy. Even Turbo was pretty well-behaved! We stayed at the Red Barn Arena with all the rodeo horses and some other mini folks so it was a fun mix of people and horses to be around. I'm working on getting the pictures off the camera so I can share a few.

More later, hopefully!

Leia

 

[Minxiesmom]

I had a friend up there on Long Beach over the weekend. I asked her if she saw the minis on the beach and she didn't. She said it was raining. Did that put a damper on it for you folks? Looking forward to the pictures.

 

[susanne]

Was she at a different Long Beach? The weather was beautiful Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, with blue skies and not much wind. It was warm Saturday and downright hot on Sunday. We left stuff outside overnight and it was no wetter than one would expect from the dew.

Great weather, great driving, great company, great food -- an all-around great time. Our group may have been small, but we had quality if not quantity.

I'm not certain if Patty West reads this forum, but she and a number of mini drivers were also there for their previously planned weekend. It was great to meet them!

BTW, Turbo's photos DO NOT do him justice. He is gorgeous, and so good for being a hormonally challenged young man! And though it was for just a short time, it was wonderful to see Kody do what he loves.

Keith and I took Mingus for an early morning beach drive on Sunday and had the beach almost entirely to ourselves. Nothing like trotting along at low tide as the sun burned through the morning fog, as I drank my latté and Mingus whinnied at the seagulls.

In addition to making friends with seagulls, Mingus discovered that it's great fun to trot in the water and splash your people, so long as that fearful, horse-eating foam doesn't come too close!

Once the crowds came out on the beach, we had numerous people ask where they could rent a horse and cart! Mingus was a good ambassador and starred in a number of photos and videos taken up and down Long Beach. Too bad we'll never see them...

We have another beach drive coming up in early September. Hopefully anyone who is interested can join us.

We also plan on organizing some inland drives this fall or next summer. I'm checking into the gorgeous vineyards in Oregon's Tualatin Valley to see what we can arrange.

Keith and I recently explored L.L. Stubb Stewart State Park, an equestrian-friendly park with horse camping and miles of trails, including a 3.5 mile segment of an incredibly beautiful rails-to-trails path.

So many places to drive, so little time!

 

[Minxiesmom]

Maybe my friend was on the East Coast and forgot to tell me that part??? Although, she did mention Astoria, so one would assume that she was on the Left Coast. Mystery! I'll have to find out!

Your potential driving spots sound wonderful. Hopefully, one day I can get up there to drive with you folks. When we drove at the vinyard down here, we were quite the hit, plus it was a wonderful, beautiful drive!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Was she at a different Long Beach? The weather was beautiful Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, with blue skies and not much wind. It was warm Saturday and downright hot on Sunday.

I think there must have been three Long Beaches- one where it rained, one where it was lovely with no wind all three days, and the one I was on where the wind blew endlessly all Saturday, scattering paper plates and freezing stud colts where they stood! The sun was nice and warm but the wind was so cold and so strong most of us wore coats when in the shade and Turbo didn't stop pacing all day long. I realized a bit too late it was from chill, not hormones. Poor boy.

BTW, Turbo's photos DO NOT do him justice. He is gorgeous, and so good for being a hormonally challenged young man!

Thank you! The photos from last month don't do him justice because last month he wasn't as pretty, and even less pretty the month before and the month before that.

He's growing into himself at a rapid rate and I've got the good photos from this weekend to prove it! He says to tell you he is NOT hormonally challenged...he has plenty of them, thank you!

Boys.

I don't know if I'll make the beach drive in September as I'll have just gotten back from the UK and the boys will be fuzzy and fat but we'll see. It's always fun!

Leia

 

[susanne]

.

LOL!

Leia, I guess I'm speaking in relative terms regarding the wind! The wind made its presence known, but compared to other times when I've been sandblasted and our van nearly blown away, it was pretty mild.