Tracks/footprints

So I haven't blogged lately because I've been taking pictures for this blog...footprint pictures.  I wanted to do them before the rains started because the prints are so different in dry dirt/sand than in wet, and some of the prints we won't be seeing again until things dry out or warmer weather starts again.

I've tried to identify the prints too.  Some of them I'm sure of and some of them...well it could be. So here goes...

I saw these on my way to "the rock"  They were pretty fresh.  There were no fresh people tracks around-the tire tracks by my foot are lots older than the paw print and the people track on the other side of the picture is my print.  The print had no toe nails/claws to it.  One of the side toes is smaller and the main part of the pad edges are characteristic of a mountain lion.  The one thing that holds me back from being 100% on this one is that I wish I could see the "M" shaped pad better.  So maybe a mountain lion.

These are raccoon prints.  I've been seeing alot of them lately.  I didn't know they traveled the main trails so much.  One day I followed them for at least a mile on the same road.

These are turkey tracks.  How do I know they are turkey?  They were pretty big tracks, you can almost see a horse hoof print "behind" some of them.  I forgot to put my foot next to them for a comparison.  Turkeys also tend to walk "on a tight rope" as opposed to the photo of the next print.

This picture was taken at the barn after the chicken had walked by me.  We only have 1 chicken now so you can see that they don't "tight rope walk" much.

These are deer prints.  You can see them all over the place out on the trails.

These are Zoe prints.  Not only do I see Zoe's prints but there are many other horse prints out there too.

And there are usually tire prints out there too.  Bicycles, motorcycles, quads, 4-wheelers all use the same area I ride, so we usually see their tracks too.

The small squiggle is a small snake.  I wanted to get a larger snake print but I think they are all started to hibernate for the winter.  Not sure of the type of snake.

I was happy to find these prints...didn't think I'd be able to get these ones.  Ignore the horse hoof prints. What we see is the front and the hind footprint of a bear.  The hind has the bigger pad in the back-it's towards the bottom of the picture.  The front one is above it.  My foot is there just for comparison.  We've been seeing alot of bear scat lately and had a few sightings of a bear.  It was nice to catch the prints.

This is my footprint-thrown in just because.  Also tire tracks from a larger vehicle.

These are lizard tracks.  I didn't think I'd get these prints either-it's getting late in the season.  


So I'd like to add to these photos as I come across more tracks.  I usually see dog tracks because people walk their dogs out there frequently, but they can look so close to a coyote track that unless I actually see the animal I probably won't take a picture of that track.  Anyway riding to see different animal tracks and get pictures has opened up a new aspect of my trail riding experience.  I'd like to learn more about tracking too-I have some books at home of animals/tracks in our area.  I think I'll bring some pictures along with me on my rides.

Rain finally

It has been raining for the past few days.  First rains of the fall.  Zoe and I went out on the trail today.  I ran her in the arena yesterday morning so I was hoping that she wouldn't be too frisky today-and she was fine.  We didn't go too long, had too many things to do today, but it was a good ride.  We cantered some, trotted alot, walked.  She didn't spook at anything.  We did some stops, backups, circles just because and she was fine with all of that.  I guess the only thing I could fault her on today was the few times that she walked along and tried to eat trees at the same time.  I remember a time-when she was younger that after the first rain she would be a handful out on the trail and it turned out to be a workout for both her and me.  She would be spooky, barnsour, not listening.  So I guess she has grown up some-at least for today!  Hopefully for good!

Must be Halloween Bears

Wednesday we (Sky and Zoe) went on a ride to Rattlesnake.  It must have been very spooky because Sky wouldn't cross any of the sets of rocks (and his usual pipe).  My friend had to get off, after many tries, walk him back and forth over and then he would cross.  Zoe wouldn't cross the last bridge-same thing I got off and walked back and forth then we could cross it.  On the way back Zoe wouldn't cross the last set of rocks.  This time I just waited for her just a few minutes then she went on-easier than the bridge.  The trail is so narrow in some of these places that to do some hard work while they won't cross something is difficult to accomplish.  The hard work idea usually works great for Zoe, she decides that it's much easier to do the "scary" thing than to put up with the work.  But it wasn't to be today.  I did notice that there was alot of bear scat on the trail.  And my other half told me that bears like to mark their territory and paths on large rocks.  So maybe it was those scary Halloween bears.   Our ride was 20 minutes longer to get there than it was getting back.  The way back is usually faster but not that much faster.  We must have spent quite some time dealing with the rocks/bridge.  

Grandson's trip to the barn

The view between Zoe and/or my ears has been expanded today.  I took my grandson to the barn and got some pictures.  A grandma, or "amma" as I'm called, can't resist posting pictures-and it was somewhat horse related.

 Today at the barn I found a kitty  

 I found a wheelbarrow

 I found a tractor 

 I found a rope...but it looks like I lost my horse!

 I brought my amma 

Now I'm resting 

Sunrise at Folsom Lake

One thing I wanted to do this summer was ride to Folsom Lake and see the sun rise up over the hills.  Last Wednesday I got to do just that.  My friend rode Sky and I took Zoe.  We met at 6 am and I wanted to go out the gate at 6:30 but we ended up going out at 6:40.  It worked out because we mostly trotted to the lake.  We got down there and about 1 minute later the sun came up.  Totally worth it.  The shadows and the light was awesome, so different from later in the day.  We took our time on the ride and stopped to take many pictures.  The pictures don't do it justice-you'd have to be there.   I expected to see some wildlife but the only thing we saw were geese and for a while we were herding them.  And on the way back we did see a very large pile of bear scat, not sure how old it was but it wasn't fresh.  (I saw it again the next day and it seemed smaller, I guess the heat must have dried it up some-maybe it was fresher than I thought)  The horses did great on the ride.  They weren't spooky at all.  The only thing they "got away with" was eating grass while we stopped to take pictures.

 Sun just coming up

 Kerrie's rock 

 Sky and Kerrie's rock 

 Definitely a view between the ears 

 Don't get to see my shadow this long very often

I like that rock wall 

This ride was arranged at the last minute.  Someday I'll make it an official ride/breakfast time with some friends.  I love getting up early, usually I rise at 4:15.  I'm so used to getting up early that I have a hard time sleeping in-6 am is sleeping in.  Sometimes it makes staying up late a difficult thing to do...sometimes I even fall asleep on the couch at night-have to wake up to go to bed!  I don't think I'd do good for a moonlight ride-by the time I would end up in bed I'd only get a few hours of sleep and then I'd be awake.  That's okay because there is always a sunrise ride-in the arena or out on the trail!