Beautiful Deserts

We stayed the weekend in Barstow, waiting for the second diesel repair place to open on Monday...they let us stay in their parking lot.  We took a walk each day, but I have to say it was not the friendliest place.  I bought some yarn to start making a crocheted blanket for our new

Hospitals, Tow Trucks and Repair Services, Oh My! (Long)

Hospitals, Tow Trucks and Repair Services, Oh My!  (Long)

Dave had been planning for us to head easterly in order to go through Reno and  Carson City, NV and then down to the northeast side of Death Valley.  For some reason I was not feeling good about that route and reluctantly he changed his mind.  We headed straight south down I-5 and planned to cross the Sierras at Bakersfield.

Cali-forn-i-a Here we come!

I can't believe it has been almost a month since I posted...but when you read the next few posts, you will understand why.

After staying at Cape Blanco, we continued down the Oregon coast and on into Californ-I-A where we spent the night free in the parking lot of a casino at Smith River, CA.  That’s not the kind of place I would ordinarily hang out, but

A New Love?

A few days ago, Dave and I were walking on the sand at Cannon Beach.  The wind was blowing hard against our backs.  Rain and sand were pelting us from that direction but in front of us was another phenomenon.  The beach sand, even though it was wet, was blowing in "trails."  I would have thought that blowing sand would be quite random, but not so!  The "trails" were quite plain.  I even took a video thinking:  There must be an object lesson in that!

A Strange Twist or Another God Thing?

Since we had not had any confirmation about me working at the Study Center in FL, Dave and I started investigating some winter alternatives before we arrived at Debbie Williams'.  Dave became very interested and excited about the possibility of spending the winter months of DEC and JAN in the Baja.  It was inexpensive, a new place, and most of all...warm.  But

First Resource or Last Resort?

We arrived at  Debbie Williams' Kozy Manor on TH afternoon, OCT 29.  We were there to help set up and teach at the Pacific Northwest Parelli Rally.  FRI was busy with the set up and I caught up with a farrier to trim the girls. (It was Sean Plumlee who had actually been my farrier back in CO years ago!)  Saturday and Sunday the event center was filled with instructors, volunteers and participants in spite of the worse rain they had seen in months!  Each day featured 25-30 different classes/workshops, with and without horses in all of the four savvies.  Over $6000 was raised for the youth, horse welfare, therapeutic, and educational scholarship efforts of the Parelli Foundation.

We had planned to depart on MON, but Debbie began rounding up student lessons for me so we stayed on and it's a good thing we did.

One of Life’s Characters

Devil’s Garden—Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID

At first glance it looked like a pine bush instead of a tree.  Upon closer inspections we found that the “bush” was formed because the trunk of the “tree" was lying on top of the ground.  As our eyes followed the horizontal stem, it did not seem to go into the ground.  It was, in fact, attached to a sliver of a stump that seemed quite dead—BUT the tree/bush was quite alive and, except for its odd orientation, quite healthy.  Of course, I took a picture, and then said, “There must be an object lesson in that!”

Open Doors

We have had very limited internet access the last couple of weeks, but I prepared blogs!   So you will be getting several close together here the next few days.  Enjoy!

Bruneau Dunes State Park, ID

That blob is a gnat on the lens!

Gnats!  In my nose!  In my ears!  Trying to get into my mouth and eyes.  Swarms of them!  I have only ever experienced something like this once before—mosquitoes in north Wisconsin.  Thank God these were not biting humans!  But the poor horses ears!

Dave did not seemed to be as bothered by them, so he took care of the horses and I went into the motor home…only to be greeted by

Lessons Learned Falling Off Horses

After I sent out the latest newsletter, I got several reprimands because people could not find the blog about the second fall...I realized I had written it in my journal but not on the web...so here it is.

From the Cut Foot Sioux Horse Camp (MN), we rode out about a mile.  JoyFull was on high alert and had already spooked a couple of times.  I was riding defensively—one hand on her neck with the rein in a California roll and the other holding on to the fork of the saddle.  The trail was 6-10 feet wide but surrounded by thick fall forest.  (Think crackling noises and constant motion in the trees/leaves.)  JoyFull stepped across a small down tree and as she made the step forward with her hind foot,

Cool, Clear Living Water

We have been on the road for a month now.  I wanted to share the top ten insights I have had about RV living with horses.  As I started making a list in my mind, I realized that most of those things had to do with one thing:

It Just So Happened...

When there are just toooooo many coincidences, you know it has to be a "God Thing!"

We had been having trouble with the motor home off and on since leaving Cheyenne.  It would lose power when we would attempt to climb a hill...any hill...even just a little upgrade.  In the beginning it was pretty inconsistent so Dave kept trying to do troubleshooting.  He figured/hoped it was either the air filter or the fuel filter.  When we got to Dousman, WI the problem was consistent and worsening on every hill.  We were having to drive on the shoulder in order not to impede traffic too much.  This was a scary proposition on I-90!

Could this really be "Badlands?"

After leaving Ft. Robinson we stopped briefly in the Toadstool Geologic Park, so called because of the sandstone caps that would stand on top of eroded clay "stems" looking very much like toadstools.

Then we were off to Hot Springs, SD where we intended to get our new driver's licenses...we didn't have all the right paperwork--needed 2 proofs of address instead of just one and we were not going to get more mail until the end of the week..  As we loaded up to head to the Badlands in the interim, JoyFull was giving Treasure grief about getting in the trailer by putting her nose in Treasure's space.  So I did something I almost never do...I tied her.  She threw a royal tantrum...

Wilderness?!...in Nebraska!?

I didn't know that Nebraska had a National Forest, much less a wilderness, but the wilderness at Soldier Creek north of Ft. Robinson certainly qualifies!  We arrived later than we ordinarily would want to arrive at a campground but the night was spectacular.  The stars were so bright, there was no mistaking the Milky Way.  Unfortunately we didn't get to enjoy it very long, since we needed to settle the horses...in a huge paddock. There were 14-15 paddocks, only one other horse, and the pen we picked for the girls was as big as many arenas!

JoyFull--The Rest of the Story (long)

The JoyFull Story, as I call it, actually starts a long time ago, but let's pick it up in August 2012.  My beloved horse Dazzle died suddenly from colic at the age of five.  During her illness I felt a special closeness to God and—strangely—did not mourn.  However in the spring of 2013, I would be working around the ranch and suddenly find myself shedding tears.  I'd  pray and ask Jesus, "Why am I weeping?" 

On The Road...Living the Great Adventure

Well, the last week has been a whirlwind and we have one more busy day and then some down time to decompress, pray, write, and ride.

We left the ranch on TUE and have been teaching each day since.  Our first 2 stops were great fun watching students/friends make progress with their horses as well as getting to know them better in their own homes.  Each one's parting words have been, "You are welcome back any time!"

In addition I have had the pleasure of getting Dave started riding Treasure.  Looks like they will make a good partnership! I have gotten to play with and ride JoyFull.  I am looking forward to the journey with her and the insights that God has waiting for me through the process

Next week we are looking forward to riding at Ft. Robertson and the Nebraska National Forest (Did you know there was one???) then heading north to get our SD drivers license and register to vote.  Then it will be on to WI to visit my son, Ben and is daughter, Amanda.

Never a dull moment in the Strege motor home!

Life is a Great New Adventure

I cannot believe all that has happened since I last posted.  Because of the way the Lord helped to open my heart I met and married the most wonderful man on the planet, Dave Strege!

I got to keep JoyFull...long story.

Now my love and I are embarking on a new adventure of living in an RV and traveling around the US with JoyFull and Treasure.  I will be serving up lessons to the unserved Parelli family and Dave will speaking in schools, libraries and churches about his 10,000 mile journey walking and hitchhiking around the US raising funds for 2 orphanages in South Sudan.

The Lord has already given us a glimpse of an itinerary at least for the first 3-6 months and we look forward to keeping you informed and meeting many new friends as well as touching base with old ones.

Dave and I have made it a contest to keep our blogs posted on a weekly basis, so be sure to follow us.  Dave's blog will be at:  www.walking4kids.blogspot.com.  I plan to post on WED's.

See you soon!
Teri (Sprague) Strege