Jamesport to Amity

On Sunday October 11th Lady and I set off from Greenacres Stables on the last leg to St Joseph, which I planned to cover in three or four days. Lady seemed comfortable with the saddle so I hoped to be able to push on.

The Jamesport version of a vehicle repair garage.... 

Autumn is arriving in Jamesport....

 A scarecrow outside his house.....

 

The long road ahead - Lilac road from Jamesport towards Gallatin..



                                 

 Crossing Brushy Creek - just as well Lady is used to dodgy bridges....

We were travelling through the area of North west Missouri where the Mormons tried to settle in the 1800s.  Gallatin is significant as the location of the first skirmish in the 1838 conflict sometimes known as the Missouri Mormon War. Non Mormon settlers, worried about the increasing numbers and influence of Mormons, tried to prevent them from voting in state elections at Gallatin, causing a serious brawl. The conflict that followed resulted in the ejection of the Mormons from Missouri.

Now life is more peaceful and we stopped for a midday rest on the edge of town. The proprietors of the Mexican restaurant kindly refused payment for my drink and threw in some salsa and chips.  And gave Lady a bucket of water...

Nearing Altamont I started to look for somewhere to stay, and was given directions to the Lazy A ranch of John and Sharon Anthuis. The mini ponies were turfed out of their grassy paddock for Lady, I was given use of a large garage (with an enormous bar they had just bought at a sale!}, Sharon made me supper and I had a very pleasant stay chatting with the family including librarian daughter Michelle.  A firepit made by the talented Sharon.....

 Michell, John and Sharon are up and around for my early start on Monday October 12th .....

 Riding along a track on the other side of Altamont, I saw a figure riding over the brow of the hill towards me.  It was John and Sharon's daughter-in-law, prison officer Stacey Anthuis. who had come to meet me on 'her horse with no name' that she had bought out of the kill pen at a sale only three weeks previously.  It was great to have a bit of company on the road for a while.   Stacey feeds Lady and the horse with no name with hedge apples...

....which as well as being snacks for horses, are apparently great for keeping spiders at bay in your home.  

 No sign of Wyatt Earp or Doc Holliday.....

 

Keeping my horses tanked up with water is an constant concern. Missouri is well supplied with water, but it is not always  easy to access.  The rolling countryside in this part of the country enables water to be dammed back in little valleys, and small lakes or ponds such as this were a common sight.

 ...but always sited on private land.  I often crossed creeks, but the sides tended to be too steep and overgrown to negotiate, and bottoms often too muddy or sandy to trust.  Rice Creek near Weatherby was a welcome exception...

 I managed to scramble down to the creek on the right, but you can see that the bank to the left would be more difficult.
 Lady still seemed happy with the saddle and the weather was not too hot, so I pushed on past Maysville to  Amity.  Here I found grazing and a cow stall for Lady with farmer Dennis Mix, shown here in the plush games room in his workshop, where I had the choice of two leather sofas to sleep on....

The room used to be a demonstration shop for the stoves Dennis sold. The one in the photo truly is amaizing as it runs on corn.  Dennis brought out a series of drinks, nibbles and food while I relaxed.

Some young visitors - Ryan, Hannah and Cole

Photo by their mother Christina Riner.  The workshop and barn where Lady and I stayed are in the background.