Swapping Our Rides...@ Dogpound South!

You read right! And there was more...so much more!

Heading south on I-10 from Phoenix/Mesa - Monday morning!

We rode west from Gold Canyon, Az., south through the town of Maricopa, then west again to foothills ranch country, for a bit of ride swapping,  horsin' around, lunch and enjoying the company of a really fun and interesting couple and also meeting a couple of really nice horses with good sense.....at least for their calmness in letting us mount their saddles.

Rolling in to Dogpound South - winter home of JB and Brenda

John & Brenda's Incredible Journey is a blog we have been following for better than two years now and we've always enjoyed this couple's journey in life.  They do it well.

One hour after leaving our RV park, we rolled into their lovely spot in the Maricopa County desert. Having read and shared many email and blog comments,these past few years, meeting them was like meeting old friends.  It felt that way instantly....and remained so throughout a most pleasing afternoon.

L-R    Brenda, JB and Jeanette  -  Two roses between a really nice fella!

We exchanged hugs then sat down to chew the fat, share some laughs, learn more about us and them and, the 'piece the resistance'  was an amazing lunch that Brenda threw together. 

We were invited for lunch and ended up dining, 1st class.

So good.......

Yes, blogland readers, Brenda did prepare - and we got to taste - her famous cheesie potatoes, garlic bread, along with a scrumptious spinach salad and topped off with thick and juicy, barbecued, big country, steaks. 

There were four identical plates like this, in the photo above!  That was one 'big country' lunch, let me tell you!

Yummy!  We were stuffed...when Brenda offered up a home made baked apple pie.  We had to work off some of that lunch first so they suggested we get to horsin' around.  That we did.

Out from the pens came two of their horses.

Brenda had the idea of swapping rides.  We were in for that!  So, JB saddled up his horse, 'Blue', that I sat on, while Jeanette sat on Brenda's recently acquired horse.

When I mentioned horse sense (in an earlier blog), 'Blue' had the good sense to not buck me off.  He was calm and happy.  I think that was because his handler was nearby. Jeanette fared well too.

I wonder if JB was whispering to 'Blue' to be good to me?

When all saddle up, Jeanette and I mounted up.

The helmets will protect our noggin should we fall off.......and the saddles sure felt different than our customary ride.

Seriously though, this was not our first time on horses.  We've ridden before...but it has been many years since, and that was while visiting my sister in Grande Cache, Alberta. We rode as a group through some most beautiful Rocky Mountain country while there.

Giddy up....cowgirl!

It felt good to try out a different saddle.

The horses were as calm as their handler.  JB and Brenda enjoy their weekend trail rides on the numerous mountain trails this countryside offers.  Their blog  John & Brenda's Incredible Journey is a colorful photo essay of their adventures.  Sure seems like great fun. What they see on their mounts has no comparisons, that's for sure.

 

Alright.....enough of this horsin' around!

Getting to sit on their saddles was fun but so was seeing them mount an iron horse, for a change. Brenda donned her western hat as she and JB headed for our ride.

Hey you two....we think this ride suits you well......even with them western hats on!

Our four + hour visit was quickly coming to an end.  With a view to riding back before nightfall, we took a few more photos before we suited up for the one hour ride back to Canyon Vista RV Resort.

A fitting day.....

With hugs and handshakes exchanged - with the promise to meet up again (here and/or in Canada) - we rode off into the sunset.

Visiting with JB and Brenda was memorable.  We talked about so many interesting subjects and just enjoyed the sharing of information.  And, we learned a thing or two!  

These folks know how to put out the welcome mat and they  make folks feel right at home.  It was fun.  For that we thank you!  Lunch?.....well, it was first class.  We look forward to our next visit.

Jeanette and I remarked on some of the similarities in personality  between JB and my brother in law, Rick, married to my sister, Paulette.  They own a cow/calf operation, two hours east from the city of Edmonton, Alberta.

Rolling into this Phoenix country has opened a diary full of fun meetings with fellow travelers. What a treat!

Easton at Christmas..

So....that was how our day was colored.  Tomorrow is another one to look forward to. Our 10 month old grandson, Easton, is flying in with his mom and dad in tow, for a seven day visit with us.  We are thrilled to bits!  Not only that, two of my friends - fellow golfers too - are flying in so that we can churn up the turf while trying to shoot some low golf scores.  More on that in the days ahead.

Thanks for dropping by.