Day 4, Let's Go Camping!!....or "Time to Pack It In"

Another semi-early morning.  As an endurance rider, I could get used to getting UP at 6, slowly feeding and taking time to get moving. 

Nahhhh.  LOL!!!

So, another campfire morning as we slowly ate breakfast and talked about having to break camp and head for home. 

Oh, we knew we were doing a final ride before going home.  The injured horses were all just fine, and no one wanted to do a fast trail ride anyway!  So, once again, slowly get the horses dressed.

Yes, not exactly the most flattering picture.  Tilly Pilly all dressed.

So, we all mount up and head out for our final ride.  It was some of the same trail from the day before, but in reverse.  H had some time constraints, but, after discussing it some, she figured she was still fine if we rode a little bit longer.

We took a suggestion from L and G who know the trails better than us, and took off in a different direction.  The dogs were quite happy to go charging off into the underbrush, making a ruckus.  But they were quite happy.

I made sure to take it easy on Tilly and I wouldn't allow her to gait.  I wanted her to stay at a walk and not push herself.  Rationally, I understand she's just fine, but emotionally, there's no need to push her.  Especially with a long trailer ride coming up! 

We're on a nice stretch of trail, and I can hear the dogs off behind us and to my left.  The come bounding out and Tilly squirts forward on me, very VERY unhappy.  And, all I can assume is that the dogs got a little TOO close for comfort and she fired off a shot with a rear foot.

And caught poor Kita in the face.  We all heard the yelp.

I cannot convey how badly I felt as B went back to check on her dog.  Poor Kita was so baffled that she ran from B.  FINALLY she was able to catch Kita, and rinsed her mouth out.  And told us that Kita lost a tooth.

I felt even WORSE at that point. 

B and LM kept saying not to worry.  They weren't mad.  But I still feel awful, you know?  I get it, horses are horses and dogs are dogs, but I still feel bad poor Kita got hurt.  So, that kind of soured the ride for me.

Add on to that, that Tilly started acting like an absolute heinous witch.  Wouldn't mind.  Wouldn't stop and stand still.  Ripping my arms off.  If she wasn't recovering I would have worked her butt.  The overall belief is she was coming in to heat.  Hussy.  Made me miss Dakini who never acted up in heat or not.  LOL!!

Final ride!

Anyway, we make it back to camp and start breaking things down.  H quickly pulls out as she's now running late.

We take a look at B and LM's trailer and one of their tires is basically flat.  On a Sunday, who's going to work on a trailer tire?

Apparently WalMart.  It just needed a new valve stem.  So, I opt to hang out with G and L.

And while we're hanging out, I hear some of the other campers hollaring back and forth "Do you have banamine?" and "I don't think it's colic, but he keeps laying down."

I sigh heavily...not another one?  And somehow end up involved.

Horse hadn't eaten, but the owner didn't think it was a colic because they could hear gut noises.

"Did you hear gut noises in all 4 quadrants?  Is the horse drinking?  How are his gums?  Hydration?"

*blank stares*

So, I ask if I can go in the pen, and, this horse's gums are tacky, he's dehydrated and he keeps going sternal. 

Now, thankfully they warned me before I went and put my hands in his mouth as he's missing most of his teeth.  "He's a cribber." 

I ask L to come check all the quadrents of his guts.

"Sounds like a waterfall on one side, but nothing, or very faint on the other side."

I turn to them and say "It's colic.  Let me get the number for the emergency vet, call him out.  But keep this horse on his feet and hand walk him and graze him."

They keep insisting it isn't colic.  At that point, I get them the number...had asked L if she felt comfy giving banamine, she said she wasn't (later on reflection, makes sense...she didn't want the liability...she's totally right).

Vet shows up, and for the first time ever, I get to watch being a horse tubed.

Because, what do you know?  The horse was colicing.  *sigh*

However, I now know that HYPERACTIVE guts are not good either.  This is also a colic. 

Suffice to say, I was over this whole weekend.  Too many colics.  Too many accidents. 

So, once B and LM got back, they got the tire on their trailer, and we all packed it in.

And, after briefly chasing Rango through camp one more time....we load up and hit the road once more.

He really is a great travelling companion!!

You'd think by this point my emergencies would be over, right?

HAH!!  NOPE!!

I cruise through some towns on the way home, just listening to my podcast, enjoying the scenery.  I glance at my fuel gauge, but, at a quarter tank, opt to keep going.  The prices were stupidly high for diesel, so SURELY I'll find something else in the next town!

Keep on driving.  Lots and lots of hills.

Truck warns me I have 50 miles to empty.

"Oh, I'll just pull over at the next station I see!  No big deal!  I'm fine."

*narrator's voice*
"She was NOT fine and it WAS a big deal."

I kept watching those miles vanish.  And knowing it wasn't accurate because I'm hauling a trailer.

At 25 miles, I start to flail a little.  But, there's a sign that says only 10 miles to the next town.  I PROMISE I'll stop at any gas station there.

Except this "town" was a bump in the road.  WITHOUT A GAS STATION!!!


10 miles left in my tank.  I'm sweating.  ANY gas station will do!!  ANYTHING!!!

5 miles.  Still nothing.

I hit zero and pull over into a small, CLOSED AND ABANDONED gas station and shut off the truck.  I'm shaking.  I have ZERO cell service.  It's starting to get dark.  I weigh my options.

I could pull Tilly and ride to a gas station.  Not sure how I'll juggle the reins and a gas tank.  What about Rango?

Where am I?  I can't call for help.  Will anyone stop for me? 

I finally opt to start the truck up again and drive.  NOT my smartest move, but it was starting to get dark. 

We're still doing hills though.  My stomach is in a knot as we keep going.

I shut off EVERYTHING and talk to Hannibal the entire time.

And we come into a town!!  I KNOW WHERE I AM!!!  There's a gas station just 2 or 3 more miles.  My truck starts to hitch occasionally and I start to panic.

I beg and plead with him "PLEASE Hannibal!!  PLEASE!!  I know it's there!  COME ON BUDDY!!!"

And we make it in.  I pull up to a gas tank and shut him off and almost cry in relief.

Until I realize the tank is on the OTHER SIDE OF THE TRUCK!!!  And, of course, the hose won't reach.

And the other side's two pumps are being tied up....but people filling up with plain gas.  Because there weren't OTHER OPEN PUMPS to use!!!  FYI-This is a pet peeve of mine.  If you drive a gas vehicle and there are GAS PUMPS open, please, for the love, go fill up at one of those.  PLEASE!!!

So, I crank Hannibal up one more time, shaking.  It's a tight and busy parking lot.  I can't exactly whip it around.  So, I have to pull between some cars and attempt to back my rig without taking out a fuel pump.  I'm shivering because my truck is chugging.  And I manage to get behind the small truck pulling a UHaul trailer and wait.  Because I can't get through to the other tank.  And he takes his time.  He can TELL I'm impatient, but he just crawls into his car and stares at me in his rearview.  At that point, I start flailing my arms and cussing "MOVE IT!!  MOVE IT!!!!  COME ON!!!!"


And FINALLY he does.  And I lurch through and shut Hannibal off.  I almost weep with joy that he did it.

He gets a very full tank, before I hop back in and hit the road, thinking this is the end of the disasters.


*narrator's voice*
"It was."

I drive through sporadic rain and swing by my parent's house to get Kaylee.  And then head for home.

Joe is waiting and opens the gate, helps me unhook and let Tilly out.

Suffice to say, TOOOOO much excitement for one camping trip.

I am hoping that I never go through that much "adventure" ever again.