Wet Washoe Weekend

It turned out to be an excellent decision to retreat to Petra's in the Washoe valley as the heavens opened late afternoon on Saturday October 16th and continued through Sunday October 17th   The view of Petra's yard from the house....

  .....but the horses were content in their field shelters..

and it was an opportunity for a little retail therapy in Carson City on Saturday for Rowena and I, who returned home clutching matching cowboy boots - well it had to be done!

I had been concerned about negotiating the next waterless thirty-two mile section from the Schurz Highway to Buckland's, particularly as I was not sure if Lucy could access the Hooten Wells Pony Express site which lay out in the desert en route. However Petra had got in touch with Jeff and Sue Cauhape, local ham radio operators for the Pony Express, and they had agreed to leave a couple of containers of clean water out at Hooten Wells and check the state of the road. We all went for a meal that evening and Jeff and Sue reported a fine smooth earth track.

 

 Still raining old women and walking sticks (as we say in Wales) on Sunday so Petra and Rowena got stuck into green tomato chutney making, while Lucy caught up with her diary..

 

Monday October 18th and the sun has come out at last...

...and the mountains are now visible!

 

We had to wait until Tuesday October 19th  for the appointment Petra booked with farrier David Howard and vet Dr Ian Lafoon of Edge Equine.  

  The horses had their vet papers for entry to California sorted, and a Coggins test for return to Utah, and David reshod Lady.  Vet Ian (on right) also looked at Mo whose lameness was most likely caused by sore heels aggravated by a stone, and David reshod him with pads.  But sadly it meant he was out of action, a huge disappointment for Rowena.  But Petra very kindly looked after her until she flew home, and she managed to do some sightseeing.