A Miserable Week

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January 3, 1888

It’s raining cats and dogs outside. Memory Creek is flooding and tearing away the banks. It’s not as bad as that thunderstorm a few years ago, when I ended up in the creek and fighting to keep my head above water. That part of the creek, closer to the mountains, floods much more than the section that runs through Memory Creek ranch. But it’s awful, just the same. Notice the color of my usually clear and sparkling creek. It’s brown. Ugly as can be. Oh, when will spring come?

The horses are miserable. They are up to their hocks in mud and guck. Shasta and Dakota won’t even peek their muzzles out of their doors. For sure they avoid their paddocks. The only alternative is to let them out on the range, but the larger enclosures are a mucky mess.

You can see in the photo that Riley has a couple of new horses he’s training to resell as saddle horses. One is a beautiful Tobiano named Lucky. She would go for a lady, so Riley wants to involve me when it comes to training Lucky for side saddle. Really? Me? I hate side saddle. But for Riley, all right, I’ll do it. If he promises to watch Jared. I mean, I can train horses too!

The other is a sturdy, high-spirited gelding named Holiday. They are both young, about four years old, and quite green. But that’s what Riley does best. Train horses. Chad sold them to us cheap, since he doesn’t have a wrangler working for him right now (he’s hinting–begging–Riley to come back for a few weeks and work for him). But of course no training can take place this week or probably next week either. The California winter rains are upon us, and in such a torrent as I’ve ever experienced. With our luck, the Tule fog will set in next. But thankfully, the fog can’t curl its gray, thick tendrils up HERE on Memory Creek ranch like it always does on the Circle C. We are above the foggy valley at about 2,000 feet. YAY!

Oh, can you just see a young lady actually wanting to buy Lucky? She may be a fine-boned beautiful Tobiano, but not right now. Rolling in the east pasture is her favorite thing to do. Riley won’t be able to sell her for a plugged nickel unless the rains stop and he can wash her up a bit. I refuse to go near her right now, side saddle or no side saddle.

Here is why Shasta and Dakota will not step their hooves into their paddocks.

Riley and I also have a beautiful colt that Riley bought cheap the year before we were married. “Circle C Moonglow” almost died but Riley nursed him back to health. He plans to sell him next spring as a four-year-old. A silver body with sooty-black mane and stockings is a masterpiece of God’s creation. (Note from Mrs. M: You can read all about Moonglow in the upcoming Stranger in the Glade, “Moonglow,” coming March 2022.)

May the rains stop soon and the sun come back out!
Oh, and worse, Jared is coming down with his first cold. I will write more about that in my journal at a later date.