Buckeye Arizona Adventure

Day 27 - February 27.   This weekend we had a combination of errands and fun things on our to-do-list. We started off Saturday morning by taking the truck and trailer to the truck wash. For $46, they hand washed both the truck and trailer, we thought that was a great deal! We came back and unhooked and took off to Wickenburg. We thought the town was so unique as we drove through for the barrel race, we wanted to come back and explore it without the trailer and horses; it did not disappoint. Montana and Matalyn took turns driving through the desert and Montana is getting very comfortable with the big truck. Matalyn is getting better at keeping a consistent speed.  Our first stop in Wickenburg was NRS. The girls both bought a few items and we were finally able to find our ration balancer. We then went to lunch at a local burger and shake shop - Screamers. There was a group there with collector cars and trucks that Matalyn enjoyed looking at. We then went to the historic dow...

Day 25 - February 25.  It was an early morning as we got ready to head up to a new arena, Rancho Rio, in Wickenburg. We followed Sue and loved that she took the "back roads" across the countryside and through several sets of cattle guards. The saguaros cactus were plentiful and large, but, we are still not sure what the cattle eat in the desert! Wickenburg is known as the "team roping capital of the world" and it certainly looked that way. Racho Rio is a beautiful facility that is perfectly kept. Montana rode Gin, but knocked her second barrel and Matalyn rode Breezy with a clean run. Pippa had the day off, and Matalyn just rode her around.   After her run, Gin had some coughing and her temperate was elevated. Fortunately, I was prepared and a few text messages with my vet back in Minnesota and we had a treatment plan. Gin is drinking and eating well, so that is positive. My uncle Bruce and aunt Gai came to watch again - they also liked the facility which had a larg...

  Day 22 - February 22. Today we headed to Dunns in Litchfield Park - they have a barrel race every Monday. Montana ran Gin and Matalyn ran Pippa. Breezy ran a few time onlys. The girls had clean runs, but did not slot in for any money. We enjoy going to Dunns because they have great homemade chicken burritos and cheese quesadilla and it's fun to watch the airforce jets fly around. We stayed for a little while after the race ended to watch Judy work her horses and get a few more pointers from Sue. There is just so much horsemanship wisdom and knowledge between the two of them!  We came back and worked on school and work. The girls gave the mares a bath and took advantage of the beautiful weather (it's always 70 and sunny!). I finished the night off with a walk and then we all joined the Minnesota folks over at Bruce's for a fire. It's always a fun time with the Minnesota folks at Buckeye! Funny story - It was after dark when we realized the gray tank needed to be emptie...

Day 18 - February 18. Today we went to a barrel race in Tonopah at Liz and Wayne's. It was a small race with only 16 riders. All three mares ran and had clean runs, but did not slot in for any money.  We spent the rest of the day working on school and work.   One thing I forgot in Minnesota was my good camera. The races we've been to have not had professional photographers. Fortunately, there was a gentleman at Liz and Wayne's that takes photographs as a hobby and posts them on Liz and Wayne's Facebook page. He got some great shots of the girls and mares and we were thankful for his talent and generosity! Day 19 - February 19. We spent the entire day at the yard in Tonopah - it's our favorite place in Arizona! We each rode two sets of horses through the desert and "the wash", did a few laps around the "track", and finished up with some stations. I rode Breezy in the first set and she was an idiot - she totally lost her mind when I would not let h...

  Day 16 - February 16.  We got up early as the girls had school and I had a radio interview. Luckily it was recorded (and not live) as we had to "pause" when the airforce jets were flying overhead. The girls worked the mares and then we went and hung out with the team ropers while they practiced. They were so very nice and welcoming. The girls each got to score two "slow" steers - they are hooked! We turned the mares out and then got ready for the barrel race at Buckeye. Montan and Gin knocked the first barrel, but Matlayn and Pippa were 2nd in the 4D. Breezy and Matalyn also had a nice time only.  My Uncle Bruce and Aunt Gai came to watch again as did my friend and colleague from the University of Arizona, Betsy. Uncle Bruce brought us some fresh oranges and grapefruit from his in-law's trees - always a wonderful treat! Besty and I grabbed a bit to eat while the girls dog sat Weezy, her Jack Russel Terrier puppy (don't worry, we brought them back dinner). ...

Day 13 - February 13. It was a pretty "easy" Saturday. We went to Bales Hay Supply and bought 5 more bales of alfalfa. These bales should last us the rest of our trip (along with the grass hay we brought from home). Montana drove the truck and was all smiles! When we got back, the girls rode the mares, I made some crockpot chicken and bacon for lunch and dinner, and then we took a little break. In the afternoon, we went to Tractor Supply to fill up the propane tank (we have two). One tank lasts about one week. Our water heater, stove, and heater run off of propane. It's been pretty windy lately, and a little cooler than the past few days.   We then went to Hole in the Rock in Phoenix to meet our friends the Maiers who are here for a soccer tournament. It was a neat rock formation with a few short trails and was next to the Zoo and Botanical Gardens. When they were little, Peyton, Montana, Matalyn, and Addy were the "Zebra Spur Grils" and ran 4-in-a-line together...

  Day 11 - February 11. Today we went to a barrel race at Wayne and Liz's in Tonopah (near where Sue stays). This is a big outdoor arena with a standard pattern, but it has a side gate (vs. center gate). With the wide-open spaces, the mares were a "little wild" in their barrel pattern (nothing to "help" them turn). Montana and Gin were in the 3D (19.8) and Matalyn was one out of the money with Breezy (20.8) in the 4D; Pippa (21.2) was also in the 4D. The weekday barrel races are really relaxed and low-key with about 40-50 entries. The ground was nice at this arena, it was a little deeper and worked up well. There were 10 Minnesota horses running in the race (or about 20% of the entries)!  We came back to Buckeye and I got ready to give a Zoom presentation for Arizona Extension. It was so relaxing to sit outside in my polo shirt and talk about hay, especially since I could relate better to Arizona forages. The girls took a nap and then took the mares for a walk a...

Day 9 - February 9. Today we ran in a barrel race at our "home arena" at the Buckeye Equestrian Center. It was a nice and easy day with the barrel race starting at 2 pm (time onlys started at noon). Matalyn rode Breezy in the time onlys (exhibitions). Pippa had a great run and was 20.4 on a standard pattern; she was in the 4D. Montana and Gin also had a great run with an 18.4 and were in the bottom of the 2D. The splits here are 0.5 seconds between the 1, 2, and 3D and a full second to the 4D. Uncle Bruce and Aunt Gai came to watch and enjoyed the race. Uncle Bruce and I agreed Grandpa Lorenzen would have enjoyed seeing the girls run.  Observation - our gray tank only lasts 48 hours, then it must be drained (we have sewer hookup, so it's not a big deal). We can tell it's "time" when the shower backs up! We are trying hard to conserve water, but taking three showers a day, plus dishes and washing hands really adds up. Other than that, the truck and trailer a...

Day 7 - February 7: Montana and I ventured up to Sun City to see my Uncle Bruce and Aunt Gai. They have an RV and a newly purchased park model they are renovating. Their RV grounds has room for just under 1,000 RVs/park models and tons of activities. We had a great lunch and then drove about 5 minutes to see Gai's mom and dad, Larry and Mona  Kochendorfer. Mona gave me piano lessons for several years during elementary and junior high and Larry was a beloved coach in Colfax. They had an orange and grapefruit tree and Uncle Bruce showed Montana the ropes in picking them. The trees have thorns, so long-sleeves and a picker is required. We then stopped at Walmart and got more groceries, items we were missing (e.g. a knife, measuring cups, etc.), and socks and underwear to stretch out the time between laundromat stops.   Matalyn stayed back and watched the barrel race and got to meet one of her barrel racing idols, Amberley Snyder. The movie "Walk, Ride, Rodeo" is based on her...

 Day 5 - February 5.  Today we started the day by driving (just the truck) out to Judy's yard where Sue is staying (these are the horsewomen we so admire). I wanted to talk about our tentative schedule and it turns out there is a barrel race near-by every day of the week (yes - every day)! Judy put us right to work and we each rode one of her horses through the "wash" and desert for conditioning. The yard is very nice and you drive through beautiful alfalfa fields and larger dairies to get there. The girls said, "it was the best day of their lives". We came back and the girls rode the mares. There is a larger barrel race here this weekend (Classic Equine) and the big rigs keep pulling in! That also means shopping and vendors - a teenager's delight. Fun fact number 1 - I've been using Shipt (Target grocery delivery) for over 2 years. Turns out it even works here in Buckeye. I used the app and my groceries were delivered to my trailer today. This was my ...

February 3 - Day 3.   We left Stanley, NM early (7:00 am) so we could get to Buckeye Equestrian Center  in the daylight. We fueled up in Casa Blanca, NM, and we were running on fumes by the time we reached Flagstaff. We were very close to running out of fuel  (note: fill up again - it's pretty desolate between Casa Blanca and Flagstaff) ! The drive from Flagstaff to Buckeye had an elevation change of 6,000 feet and a 40-degree temperature swing. Beautiful snow the higher elevations that resembled parts of MN and WI, and then, desert with cactus. The Ram has an exhaust (engine) brake and it was pretty much on during the downhill descent from Flagstaff to Phoenix. Our last leg was about 8 hours and 500 miles; we spent $161 on diesel. Breezy and Gin actually drank a little, but Pippa still held out. We rolled into the Equestrian Center around 4 pm, found our RV/trailer spot (A-11), found the stalls for the mares ("Ropers Barn"), and then made a list of items we needed a...