In Pursuit of Freedom

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2008-12-02T02:51:00.001-05:00

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July Update

2008-07-20T14:42:00.003-04:00

I know it has been awhile since my last post; however, things have been pretty busy.

As it will be awhile until my horse traveling begins, I have been researching and training. I am researching camping gear and primitive camping. While I will probably take a second horse or mule, I want to minimize the weight. To this end I am gathering lightweight camping gear and working with it to see if it will work for six months of hard use.

Several of the lightweight camping items I have seen will work for a couple of months of hard use, which will generally work for most campers, as they do not camp but occasionally. I am camping every night for six, plus, months. There is a bit of difference.

I just wanted to let folks know that I have not abandoned this blog, I just do not have anything useful to post at time. I have not started camping with horses yet, in preparation for this trip. I have camped with them in the past, and quite a bit when I was a younger lad, but just not recently. That will change after I thin down my equipment some.

Still pursuing freedom and happiness.

-GW

Fence up, horse moved

2008-05-08T00:33:00.004-04:00

Shalako is home!!

I finished the fence, repaired another couple of fences, washed out and filled the water trough, and hung the gate. My stallion is finally where he should be. We will be able to put in more time now, since I do not have to drive 25 miles out of my way to go ride him. The gas savings alone paid for the fencing that I was not able to get for free. That is, I received the posts for free. I paid someone $100 to come auger the holes. I set and packed the posts myself, then purchased and mounted the insulators and electric polywire.

My other problem is that I still have to do something about my daughter's mare. I don't have enough posts to do another pasture for the mare, and don't have the money to buy more at the moment. I need to find a way to get more work. I am working on getting more business though.

Its all part of finding that elusive happiness...we have a right to pursue it afterall, but no right to catch it. Keep the faith.

-GW

Where should you live?

2008-05-05T15:47:00.001-04:00

You Should Live in the Country

You are laid back, calm, and good at entertaining yourself.

You don't need an expensive big city to keep you busy.

You'll take the peaceful life over the stressful life any day of the week.

Where Should You Live?

Preparedness

2008-04-25T22:40:00.004-04:00

While planning my trip, I slowly became aware that I was planning for a trip that at the earliest, would be one year away. I will be on the road for six months and am planning on spending a considerable sum of money on preparations for that ride. Again, this will only last six months. As I perused different sites and looked for food that I could prep the dry ingredients of, adding water as necessary to consume it, yet not have to carry the weight; I realized I was not planning for the direction our economy is taking.

I have always been conscience of our government and the subsequent economy de jour of our supposed leaders. Focusing on the trip, which looks like it will now be two years before I can go, due to some upcoming projects that will be in full swing in a year, has allowed me an escape I guess. I used to maintain stores in the house in the event that electricity went out in a winter storm (I have dealt with that twice in the last four years, with up to 5 days at a time without electricity/heat/cooking ability). These stores included canned goods, dry goods, propane stove, sleeping bag, etc. I still have the sleeping bag, stove (sans fuel), and some foodstuff; however, the stove does no good without fuel, and while I have more than a week's worth of food, I do not enough for extended family for that. I must take care of my mother and the grandparents. Actually, my grandparents, having grown up in the depression, have enough food for the extended family for several weeks, if not several months.

I am not sure where I was going with this post. We will just call it brainstorming, and kicking myself in the ass, for letting my planning lapse...especially while being the sole provider for my child.

In the last week I have put in wooden posts for my pasture for Shalako. I have not put in this many posts in probably 25 years, and I am a bit sore. Today I mounted all of the insulators on the poles for the electric tape and rope I will put around the pasture, and installed the mounts for hanging the gate. I need to purchase another bag of insulators tomorrow, hang the gate, move the water trough, finish an additional 60 feet of connecting fence, clean up some of the fence row where trees have fallen across the old fencing, hang the electric fencing wire, mount my solar fence charger, and finally move Shalako. It shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to do all of that...I wish.

After Shalako gets moved, it will be time for the garden. I need to do some weed-eating around the house and put in some garden beds (instead of flower beds) around the house. It will be nice to walk onto the front porch and pick tomatoes without stepping to the ground. Simple life can be simply good...although it takes some work.

My meandering is over for the evening I believe.

Find some happiness.

-GW

Looking for a campfire grill

2008-04-19T21:27:00.001-04:00

I do not know what it is, but finding quality seems to be so hard to do nowadays. I wanted to find a simple grill that went over a campfire. I have been thinking about it and never seem to be near a place when it comes to mind, until today.

The first stop on my journey was Wally World. I really dislike that place. It used to be that their advertisement chided all of the Made in the USA things that they had. Now, you cannot find anything that is. They are the reason that Levis are no longer made here. The only thing they had was a nickel plated cheap thing, made in China of course. This being the case I decided that I would check out a place that I remembered about 15 miles away.

15 miles down the road...nope, wrong memory. It is another 20 miles to the outdoors store. That store caters to hunters and fishermen and while they have camping things, it is the convenient camping. They had Coleman stoves, but nothing for “roughing it”. One of the managers told me of a place about 30 minutes further out.

1 hour and 15 minutes later (yep, longer than 30 minutes) I am in Columbus at an honest to goodness camping store (it said so right on the sign). Inside was day packs (no real backpacks), river sandals, one style of tent, and LOTS of Columbia Sportswear type clothing. You couldn’t really go camping, but you could look like you do. The nice kid at the checkout counter said to check out Ranger Joe’s outside of Fort Benning, and another 11 miles.

Going to Ranger Joe’s, I past Commando’s….there seems to be a pattern here...a military conspiracy perhaps. I went into Commando’s and they have lots of Army stuff, and some of it is way cooler than what I had access to during my tenure as a soldier, but alas, no camping gear. Continue to Ranger Joe’s.

Ranger Joe’s had less than Commando’s. I remember Ranger Joe’s from my training time at Ft. Benning. I remember them having lots more stuff then. I did get a cool single person stove that fit into the pocket on my large rucksack, and they don't even carry something like that anymore.

236 miles later, I am back at home. All I managed to get was 5 sweet potatoes and about 2 pounds of Irish potatoes, from a truck farmer on the side of the road. The food costs $6.00 and the fuel used was almost 3/4 of a tank (about $60). Man, I hope those taters are really good.

I did get out of the house for a while though.

When I returned to the house I did a little fence work, taking down some totally useless fence that the previous occupants had put up, and staked out where I want the new fence to go. A friend of mine is supposed to bring his skid steer to the house with a post driver to set the posts I have onsite. I am moving my stallion to my new location so we can spend more time training. He is currently about 16 miles away (one way) and it is not in my line of travel, so it is considerably out of the way. This will let me feel better about his welfare and then I can ride him everyday.

I still don’t know what I am going to do about a grill for my campfire. I guess I will find one online. What are the chances it is made in America?

Still being happy pursuing freedom.

-GW

Testing with Picture

2008-04-14T09:56:00.001-04:00

I am looking at a lightweight saddle to obtain for my travel; however, I also want it functional for ranch type needs. While I no longer do any regular roping, I would still like to have the option. The saddle above, or below depending upon how this email posts, weighs only 22 pounds, which is amazing with a bullhide tree. As you can see it is a minimalist saddle and is a reproduction of the 1850's Hope style Texas saddle. I want one like this; however, the saddle skirts need to be rounded instead of squared.

This posting was mainly to check how a picture attachment to the email posting will look on my blog. I have been looking at this type of saddle for a couple of months now.

-GW

New Website

2008-04-14T01:11:00.001-04:00

I have posted my redesigned personal website. I think I like this one better than the last. It is definitely easier to update that the other one.

Please check out the site and let me know what you think.

www.guywood.net

Personal Website

2008-04-10T01:29:00.001-04:00

I have just finished working on my personal website, and I think it will be much better than the current one. It will at least be lighter and have more current information. I hope to be posting it by this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend, my daughter and I will be taking a ride on our horses. I have also talked to a friend of the family and she and her boyfriend have been going camping on horseback. She knows of my trip and she will be contacting me about their next trip. They are busy the rest of this month, but should be ready to do some traveling come May.

I wanted to put down my feelings about this election fiasco that we are in the middle of; however, I am just too tired, and there is enough being said about it already.

Be happy.

-GW

A Contact

2008-04-05T13:29:00.002-04:00

I contacted a saddlemaker, who lives in Montana. He used to live where I am currently planning on ending, in Three Forks, MT. We discussed some saddle issues and riding in the backcountry, as well as grizzlies.

I am going to recon my route in the fall and will be stopping by to see him on the trip. This guy has been a cowboy out there as well as doing some packing, so I am sure he will be a wealth of information for the Rocky Mountain leg of my trip.

Continuing my pursuit.

-GW

Bannock Again

2008-04-05T13:11:00.002-04:00

I cooked a good dinner last night for my daughter, her girlfriend and myself.

We had fried chicken, goulash, carrots cooked with honey, squash from our garden, and bannock. I tried a different recipe this time and my daughter liked it better than the last. Of course, I left out the blueberries also.

I had purchased 4 packages of blueberries which Dakotah and Charla seem to like pretty well by themselves. I am sure I will need to buy more when I get ready to make the pemmican.

The latest recipe for bannock is listed below, based on what I cooked last night.

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar (or less, if you prefer your bannock less sweet)
2 pinches salt
water, at room temperature

1. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together.
2. Mix with enough water so that the mixture becomes a dough.
3. Form into 4-6 large, thick patties.
4. Fry on lightly oiled frying pan, turning when the bottom is golden.
5. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes on 350. Check the center with a toothpick, like checking a cake.

If desired, spread with honey, jam, butter, or peanut butter.

This freezes well. Freeze, already baked, in a labeled ziploc bag with the air squeezed out as much as possible. To serve, bring to room temperature by removing from the bag and letting rest on the counter for a few hours. SPeed up the process, by baking or microwaving until the desired temperature is reached.

The Nutrition Facts are below for this recipe.

Serving Size 1 (75g)
Recipe makes 4 servings

Calories 255
Calories from Fat 5 (2%)
Amount Per Serving %DV
Total Fat 0.6g 0%
Saturated Fat 0.1g 0%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 623mg 25%
Potassium 67mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 55.7g 18%
Dietary Fiber 1.7g 6%
Sugars 6.5g
Protein 6.5g 12%
Vitamin A 0mcg 0%
Vitamin B6 0.0mg 1%
Vitamin B12 0.0mcg 0%
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Vitamin E 0mcg 0%
Calcium 517mg 51%
Iron 3mg 20%

This is very simple and it is really hard to go wrong. Give this to your kids as a snack with honey, or just butter. I have tried it with peanut butter, but I did not like the added thickness, since the bannock is also a little dense. Jelly is probably good, but I have not tried that.

Live happy and free...or die trying.

-GW

Travel Food Quest

2008-04-02T20:27:00.003-04:00

I have been looking at foods that I can take on my adventure, with certain restrictions:
-lightweight
-no liquid required until needed to cook
-no preservation required for extended periods
-must be palatable

There are certainly many pasta dishes made for backpackers, campers, survivalists and for use as emergency rations. I wanted to find something that was more natural. By "natural", I mean MINIMAL or NO MAJOR GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED PROCESSING. I really believe that not eating natural food products has created many of the problems today with health. Need proof? Look back before the government started mandating processing to "protect us" and see how many diabetics there were, or how much tooth decay, or heart attacks. The answer to this is not "it was not studied then", because it is studied now, and indigenous peoples in remote locations in the world, who eat high fat, heavy meat, nut and fruit diets, are very healthy and disease free. The information is there, although you may have to step away from the TV and read to find it.

So far I have found two items that fit the criteria above; bannock and pemmican. Bannock was used by the Native Peoples of Turtle Island, in various mixtures. Pemmican was used by the People as a lightweight, high energy food, which would take years to go bad.

I decided to make Bannock tonight to see how it tasted. I purchased a couple of items to make it last night at the grocery store. The recipe follows.

-1 cup of whole wheat flour
-1 teaspoon of baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon of salt (could also just use 2 pinches)
-3 tablespoons of butter
-2 tablespoons of milk powder

-Mix all the ingredients well, making sure the butter is evenly distributed. I melted the butter and poured over the dry ingredients after mixing them. Slowly add water while mixing, until a dough ball is formed. I used about 1/2+ cup of water, but just add what you need.

-Cooking it in a pan: I put a skillet on at slightly above medium, and added butter to the pan (I never use margarine). You can either make 2-3" balls and press them flat and fry like pancakes, or do like I did and use two tablespoons and drop them in like drop biscuits and kind of press them flat with a spoon. Mine were different shapes due to me wanting to utilize most of the bottom of the skillet. I was interested in cooking them, not entering them into a beauty contest.

-Oven: Prepare the same, and make 1/2" thick cakes out of them, 3-4" in diameter. Place in the over at 350 degrees, until golden brown. I haven't cooked them like this so I cannot suggest a time. It would depend on the size you make.

-Outdoors (the original way): Make the Bannock dough into a cigar shape and wrap it around a green stick. Try to keep the thickness of the dough about 1/2". Slowly roast the Bannock over a hot fire, rotating occassionally until it turns a golden brown. I have not tried this either, but since I have found a good recipe it will be tried very soon.

I had read a couple of recipes which mentioned using currants, raisins, blueberries, etc., in the mix. I did this the first time, using blueberries. My daughter is a very finicky eater and she loves blueberries. I assumed it would be the best bet to get her to try them. I was wrong. She loves the Bannock, but does not like the blueberries in them. They were fresh berries, so I may have needed to try them dried first; however, I will not be using berries again, of any type. I like it better without.

You can cook them and store in the freezer or refrigerator, and eat in the mornings with coffee, take for a snack, etc. They are very good for you and have no added sugar. Honestly they do not need any sugar. They have a sweetness without them. You can add honey (very good) over them, peanut butter (good), jelly, etc.

If you are going camping, you can premix the dry ingredients and add the water on the trail, or in the campsite. I am very impressed with the texture and taste of this very simple staple.

As for pemmican, I will be trying different recipes and will post my findings when I have a chance to experiment and taste.

Be happy folks.

-GW

Weapon Change

2008-04-02T20:17:00.004-04:00

The Magnum Research, Inc., BFR 45-70 pistol uses a very long rifle cartridge. The 45-70 saddle carbine only holds 4 rounds for this same reason. With this in mind, I decided to see if I could find a more appropriate cartridge, for use with a pistol and rifle, with the ballistics necessary to take down a grizzly in an emergency situation.

For the specifications listed above, the pistol shown at the top of this post fit the bill. It is a Ruger Alaskan. It will shoot the .454 Casull catridge. It will also handle .45 LC rounds for practice and general personal protection purposes against much smaller critters.

For the saddle carbine I am going for the Puma .454 SS Casull. This saddle carbine will carry 8 rounds in the tube, doubling my firepower. I like the stainless steel aspect of the weapon as well. Since it will fire .45 LC rounds as well, I can use it for hunting without the wallop provided by the .454 rounds.

More to come.

What is your freedom puruit?

-GW

2008-03-24T00:22:00.000-04:00

This is a picture of Shalako San and I, from Saturday 22 March 2008.

Pemmican

2008-03-24T00:07:00.002-04:00

In the same thought stream(s) that took me from camping gear to molasses, I also came across pemmican. I will definitely be making some of that this week. Of course, being at the top of the food chain, I will not be eating the new vegetarian version of this.

There are quite a number of recipes for this food staple. I even found meat and meatless versions on a fitness website. They bill it as the perfect food. I will make their version of the staple, as well as one I found from a native peoples website, and a mountain man website. I will see how they come out and report back here. It will be really interesting if my daughter likes it.

Live free or die trying...just be happy while you do it.

-GW

Blackstrap Molasses

2008-03-23T23:59:00.003-04:00

I was doing a search for lightweight camping gear of different types, to minimize the weight I will be carrying. Some how or other I burrowed so deep into this today, that it is now midnight, and I am looking at blackstrap molasses.

I am not sure how my mind gets to these places, most of the time.

At any rate, blackstrap molasses seems to have redeeming qualities that other sweeteners do not. I remember when I was younger, my grandmother had molasses on the table when she made biscuits. I do not even remember what molasses tastes like. I also read from a couple of different sources that when you mix milk with two tablespoons of molasses, it not only tastes really good, it acts as a cleanser to you digestive tract. Supposedly it works in two hours. I am not sure that I need to be cleaned up/out, but if I did...

I am trying to locate a good, inexpensive, supplier of unsulphured blackstrap molasses just to try it again. If nothing else, I am sure it will be good on biscuits. Once I taste it I am sure some old memories around my grandparents' breakast table will come flooding back. I would try if for no other reason than that possibility.

Oh yeah, I was also looking for smaller size cast iron cookware. I am not having any luck with that, so if anyone knows of some please let me know. I know I can get lighter cookware (and I do have some already), but it will stand up to some serious abuse that my anodized cookware will not.

Be happy, being free.

-GW

Conditioning Begins

2008-03-23T23:47:00.005-04:00

My farrier put iron all around on Shalako this past week, so I started the conditioning for myself and Shalako yesterday (Saturday).

We did five miles, which he trotted most of the way. I let him have his head for the most part and he wanted to trot. Of course, trotting is what he grew up doing, to round up cattle in West Texas (big ranch). Myself, I sit a trot, not post. It is just the way I learned to ride.

Today: I AM SORE. Good gravy people. No soreness in joints, just muscles. Sore muscles include: upper back between shoulder blades, inside of thighs, back of thighs (just below buttocks), and abdominals. I guess that is good.

I used my daughter's Dakota roping saddle, instead of my heavy Billy Cook rancher saddle. The Dakota saddle weighs about 30 lbs, versus the 50 lbs of the Billy Cook. Her saddle is definitely not as comfortable as my Billy cook. My knees hurt pretty good when I dismounted, but the pain disappeared by the time I cooled him down and washed him. I admit I was a little concerned about that. I cannot believe the difference in the two saddles. I guess that explains the difference in the price...you get what you pay for.

I have been looking at a Hope Style saddle. They were also called Texas style, and are a hybrid between the stock saddle and the early Mexican saddles. They are half seat saddles, and the one I am looking at is 22 lbs. A good weight for the Long Ride, and yet still functional as a roping saddle. It basically has less leather than modern saddles, and more comfort. I am going to try to find one to use before I buy it. They cost as much as my Billy Cook (about $1,600).

Live free. Be happy.

-GW

Bear Attacks & Prevention

2008-03-15T16:45:00.002-04:00

In my endeavor to plan as much as possible I have been reviewing two things:

1. Where have most bear attacks occurred.
2. What measures can be taken to prevent becoming a meal.

In response to question number 1:

List of fatal bear attacks in North America, listed by decade.

In response to prevention, I have found that scientists and backcountry outfitters are using portable electric fencing. Since I will be carrying a pack animal I can carry the electric fence items. I am trying to find take-down, step-in, poles, so I can carry something shorter than 4' in length. I don't think a longer post would carry very well. I may have to make something, or have it made, from fiberglass.

-GW

Feed and a mule makes two...

2008-03-12T21:17:00.004-04:00

A long rider that myself and a mother-daughter team from New Mexico have been corresponding with, gave his opinion for feeding during a long ride. He said that he fed 20 pounds of feed per day, with free choice hay. I will not do that.

All horses are different, therefore the feed, and frequency you provide it, will be different. I have asked life long horse people their opinion on the above mentioned feeding schedule, and it was dismissed immediately. After talking with a friend of mine, I think that the thing to do is to work up to a week or two short ride. By riding everyday for a week or two, I will find out if I need to adjust my feed. If you have a horse that is an easy keeper, there is a difference.

I am still going to talk to a nutritionist and see about getting oats and a supplement concentrate of some kind. I am thinking oats due to the ability to get them most anywhere, as opposed to having different brands of sweet feed and pellets wherever you stop. I do not want to take a chance with colic by switching feeds every few days. I know this particularly long rider said it is not a concern when the horse is working as hard as they are on a long ride. I cannot find anyone that will substantiate that statement.

On another subject...I might have found a mule. I talked with someone today who has mules, and some folks board others with him. It seems that an 8 yo John mule, boarded by someone, may be available for trade for a registered QH mare I have. I will be calling him tomorrow to find out.

Live free and be happy.

-GW

Now We Have Dialog

2008-03-06T19:35:00.002-05:00

I received an email from Howard Wooldridge today. Howard is an accomplished long rider who has ridden 3,100 miles across the US. He is also a retired police officer from Michigan.

Howard did his long ride on a single horse: a paint named Misty. He said that traveling without a pack horse is doable. I believe that is possible. I received an email from Melissa Long yesterday, and she and her daughter are traveling from New Mexico to Washington DC. They are only carrying the two horses they are riding on.

Being responsible for only one horse is appealing to me; however, I would like to do a bit of "roughin' it" on the way. I will need a pack animal to carry food fixin's. I also want to carry a food concentrate that the animals will get the best use of, without the usual filler, and therefore added weight, found in regular feeds.

I wrote to Howard that I may pack it up to Montana, then single it back to Georgia with just Shalako. Of course, the success of this ride, either with or without the pack animal, depends upon the funds being raised to complete the trip and provide for my daughter while I do it.

Be happy. Live free.

-GW

Emails from Long-Riders and Those To Be

2008-03-05T22:09:00.003-05:00

I received an email from Basha O'Reilly. She sent me some information on a gentleman from England who will be starting his US long ride in August. He called ahead and arranged for overnight stays for his entire journey, except for two nights so far. Now that, is planning! Amazing really. I wonder how long it took to plan all of that. I need to firm up my route before I can do something like that; although, I think being spontaneous will add to the adventure. I'll make a decision on that in a few months.

I also received an email from a lady and her daughter, who are going to ride from New Mexico to Washington DC. What a strong relationship must exist for these two. I wish them all of the best.

I still have not heard from the couple of folks I emailed that are ex-military. I am not sure why I haven't, but it really doesn't matter.

What a great thing is happening with the long riders. Maybe we can get more horses on the road than cyclists. Wouldn't that be great!

Find something to do that makes you happy, regardless of the money. Find your American dream and live it!

-GW

Public Lands - Federal

2008-03-03T16:29:00.002-05:00

The image above shows where the public lands are, which are now referred to as "federal". As you can see, getting west of the Rocky Mountains is impossible without crossing public lands. With the environmentalists' incestual relationships with OUR congress critters, horseback riding now takes a permit, where other activities, including motorized access, do not require these permits in most locations. Which has less environmental impact? Logic and reason is not allowed into this debate. Part of my pursuit of freedom will be to try to navigate through the Rockies without encroaching upon OUR government's land.

Not long ago, I heard a commercial that states something to the effect that people have forgotten that the air waves, like our national forests, belong to the public, not the government. That is such a true statement.

I am, we the people. Are you?

Be happy and free.

-GW

Travel Journal

2008-03-02T01:23:00.002-05:00

I received a copy of "The Horse Travel Journal", by CuChullaine O'Reilly. It is a nice book, but I have observed some improvements that can be made to it. Most notable of these changes is that it should be spiral bound, for ease of use. When traveling, and subsequently camping out, a firm, just-the-right-height, surface will be hard to come by. The standard book binding, which this journal has, makes it hard to write near the center. With this in mind I have created a template in MS Word and converted to Adobe PDF format. I will be taking this file to a printing shop and have it printed and spiral bound.

In addition to the binding issue, I have added some additional categories to the individual day's entry possibilities. These categories are: 1) lessons learned; 2) # of days ridden; 3) purchased items; and, 4) items received.

Lessons Learned: There is a category for "Preparations for next day's journey", which I decided needed expounded upon. I could always put lessons learned into the actual journal part of this; however, the same could be said for any other category. I just thought that lessons learned would need to be a quick reference item, like the other categories.

# of days ridden: There is a category for "# of days on journey", but this is not the same as days in the saddle. I have seen an instance of a Long Rider that had in his ride synopsis about # of days ridden. There was a significant difference and I want a line to take this into account. I will be stopping to rest horses for a couple of days at a time, at a minimum, and I am sure there will be longer layovers as Murphy's Law will dictate this.

Purchased items: I am giving myself a year to plan this trip. With this in mind I believe I will forget something, or an item will break and I will have no way to repair it, etc. I am interested in my planning abilities for something that I have never undertaken. This category will be a reality check.

Items received: During the course of reading about other riders' expeditions, there are always people that bring out food (for horse and rider), water, a homemade pie, or other such nicety. With my horrible name recollection of people I actually see on a semi-regular basis, I wanted a place to write their names down, so that I will remember to mention them, or simply to send a thank-you card. There is a place for the item and then the name and address of the provider. With the current feelings of "entitlement" in this country I believe it will be appreciated. I will also want to write a thank you note to people who have generously given of themselves, regardless of how large or small the gift. I know I would like to receive one. Of course, I may not receive any offerings or help, but I have hope. If not, I would be even more concerned about the state of our great country.

Find your happiness.

-GW

Down to one blog

2008-02-28T11:38:00.002-05:00

I had decided to make this blog separate and only for the purposes of traveling by horse; however, it leaves too many gaps in postings. With this in mind I have decided to just keep it simple and post anything on here. I don't have too much to say anyway, so why not?

-GW

Intermediate Update

2008-02-25T22:11:00.003-05:00

I have written to a couple of long riders, that have ridden through the states I wish to go through. I am still waiting to receive information from them. I have planned all that I can at this point, until I receive some answers I am looking for.

I will post again when I have something.

Be happy.

-GW