The Vilisar Times

A RIDE TO THE DOZER RAVINE
Monday, 10 October 2005

Rode out on horseback this afternoon to the dozer site in expectation of seeing the final moves into the ravine. After hours of chain-sawing however, Bill, Joe and two Mexican lads – both called Jesus - who had been hired for the occasion, were getting close to moving the machine but were not quite ready to go. Eventually, they ran out of gasoline for the chainsaws and the light began to fail in the ravine. They gathered up their tools and slung them into the truck. Maybe tomorrow will work. This project is really important to the ranch both for the ranching and the tourism aspects.

It is fun to ride again. Cindy suggests I saddle Gus, Bob’s horse, and give him some exercise by riding out to the dozer site. She tells me that Bob has raised Gus from a colt, that the horse is soft-mouthed and if I jerk on his reins too much he will get obstreperous. Otherwise, although he will occasionally try to assert himself, he is a wonderful horse.

After saddling him, I ride him down the steep embankment below the house to the river, wade across and start up the road on the other side. I am enjoying the warm autumn-afternoon sunshine. Gus constantly tries to break into a fast trot or a canter especially when he sees a hill ahead of him. Since I have not ridden now for a couple of weeks and want to enjoy the tranquillity I keep him reined in and we trot or walk to the spot on the road where the chainsaw noise is coming from. I tie Gus to a tree a little distance away so he won’t be startled by the noises and walk down into the ravine.

The work is progressing. The oaks that stand between the dozer and the streambed have to be cut before the dozer can be moved. But they are hard-woods and in awkward positions. Smoke is coming from the saw blade as the men work at the logs. About an hour after I arrive, the sun sinks behind the ridge and the ravine starts to darken. At about the same time the gasoline for the saws runs out.

The ride back is just as enjoyable, the late sun golden on the distant yellow flower-covered hills. Gus again storms as every hill. He’s strong and enthusiastic. Cindy tells me that he is basically a cutting horse, trained to cut cattle out of herd and is used to short spurts of speed. Certainly Gus is a bigger horse than Alazan, which I have been riding up until now. Gus alsol has a much harder gait but is much spunkier as well. He likes action! The slightest word or noise from me and he breaks into a trot. At the bottom of the road we wade back into the river. As soon as Gus steps out onto the mudbank on the ranchhouse side, he breaks into an uphill gallop and storms the hill, taking the steep ravine in leaps and bounds, even navigating the tight curves on the goat-path at speed and only slowing down when he reaches the top of the hill. He is blowing a bit when he reaches the top but decides to prance into the corral in front of the other horses at a show-offy trot. He stands quietly with the reins dropped to the ground while I unsaddle him, slip a lasso over his head, unbridle him, give him a handful of choice horse feed, and turn him into the corral.

Cindy has done the cooking this afternoon: beef chile and pork chile. Bill, Joe and Alex are tired and hungry from the heavy work in the ravine. Dutch, on his uppers over the last couple of days from drinking bad water, seems to be back in good shape. Before I left for the ravine, Cindy told him to saddle up Snip, the stubborn bay horse that sent Dutch home in ignominy a week or so ago. Then Cindy and Dutch went out into the meadow behind the corral and Cindy gave Dutch a riding lesson on a Western horse. Then Dutch rode off to bring in mules and horses for the cattle drive that we will be attempting this week.

Back from the dozer site, Gus put up into the corral, I strip off near the water tank and have a good, though somewhat chilly, shower. The spot is rather exposed, of course. The trick is to pick a time when there is not a dozen people moving back and forth to the ranchhouse.

posted by rjb,
11:47 am

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		News From Ron and Kathy Bird__
For more pictures of Ron and Kathy Bird and the Vilisar, see these beautiful photos by Albert Pang Click here to e-mail Ron Click here to e-mail Kathy Archives January 2004 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 February 2007 March 2007 Vilisar Translation Expert German-English translation available; business and finance our specialty. SachverstÃ¤ndige Deutsch-Englische Ãbersetzung; GeschÃ¤ft und Finanz unser Spezialgebiet.	Tuesday, October 11, 2005 A RIDE TO THE DOZER RAVINE Monday, 10 October 2005 Rode out on horseback this afternoon to the dozer site in expectation of seeing the final moves into the ravine. After hours of chain-sawing however, Bill, Joe and two Mexican lads – both called Jesus - who had been hired for the occasion, were getting close to moving the machine but were not quite ready to go. Eventually, they ran out of gasoline for the chainsaws and the light began to fail in the ravine. They gathered up their tools and slung them into the truck. Maybe tomorrow will work. This project is really important to the ranch both for the ranching and the tourism aspects. It is fun to ride again. Cindy suggests I saddle Gus, Bob’s horse, and give him some exercise by riding out to the dozer site. She tells me that Bob has raised Gus from a colt, that the horse is soft-mouthed and if I jerk on his reins too much he will get obstreperous. Otherwise, although he will occasionally try to assert himself, he is a wonderful horse. After saddling him, I ride him down the steep embankment below the house to the river, wade across and start up the road on the other side. I am enjoying the warm autumn-afternoon sunshine. Gus constantly tries to break into a fast trot or a canter especially when he sees a hill ahead of him. Since I have not ridden now for a couple of weeks and want to enjoy the tranquillity I keep him reined in and we trot or walk to the spot on the road where the chainsaw noise is coming from. I tie Gus to a tree a little distance away so he won’t be startled by the noises and walk down into the ravine. The work is progressing. The oaks that stand between the dozer and the streambed have to be cut before the dozer can be moved. But they are hard-woods and in awkward positions. Smoke is coming from the saw blade as the men work at the logs. About an hour after I arrive, the sun sinks behind the ridge and the ravine starts to darken. At about the same time the gasoline for the saws runs out. The ride back is just as enjoyable, the late sun golden on the distant yellow flower-covered hills. Gus again storms as every hill. He’s strong and enthusiastic. Cindy tells me that he is basically a cutting horse, trained to cut cattle out of herd and is used to short spurts of speed. Certainly Gus is a bigger horse than Alazan, which I have been riding up until now. Gus alsol has a much harder gait but is much spunkier as well. He likes action! The slightest word or noise from me and he breaks into a trot. At the bottom of the road we wade back into the river. As soon as Gus steps out onto the mudbank on the ranchhouse side, he breaks into an uphill gallop and storms the hill, taking the steep ravine in leaps and bounds, even navigating the tight curves on the goat-path at speed and only slowing down when he reaches the top of the hill. He is blowing a bit when he reaches the top but decides to prance into the corral in front of the other horses at a show-offy trot. He stands quietly with the reins dropped to the ground while I unsaddle him, slip a lasso over his head, unbridle him, give him a handful of choice horse feed, and turn him into the corral. Cindy has done the cooking this afternoon: beef chile and pork chile. Bill, Joe and Alex are tired and hungry from the heavy work in the ravine. Dutch, on his uppers over the last couple of days from drinking bad water, seems to be back in good shape. Before I left for the ravine, Cindy told him to saddle up Snip, the stubborn bay horse that sent Dutch home in ignominy a week or so ago. Then Cindy and Dutch went out into the meadow behind the corral and Cindy gave Dutch a riding lesson on a Western horse. Then Dutch rode off to bring in mules and horses for the cattle drive that we will be attempting this week. Back from the dozer site, Gus put up into the corral, I strip off near the water tank and have a good, though somewhat chilly, shower. The spot is rather exposed, of course. The trick is to pick a time when there is not a dozen people moving back and forth to the ranchhouse. posted by *rjb,* *11:47 am* Comments: Post a Comment
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Tuesday, October 11, 2005