Wednesday, November 7, installment 10,

Grand Canyon … no commercialism, no fences, no tour buses

Another great day. Marieke, Evaline, Dustin and his family and Flounder and me drove cattle together today. The Austrians went with Kale, Natashia and Stetson and I'm not sure which other cowboys to drive other cattle to a different pasture.

Dustin, Harmony, the birthday girl (Elisabeth), Emma and Esther.   (Photo by Flounder.)

Evaline and Marieke taking a break during the drive today.  (Photo by Flounder.)

Last driving day.  (Photo by Flounder.) 

One of the watering ponds we used during the drive.  (Photo by Flounder.)

Patti, Marieke, Flounder and Evaline at the pond.  (Photo in Flounder's camera.)

Once we had taken our cattle to their pasture, we rode back to camp. We trotted a lot, then some galloping. I told the girls to go ahead, but Luke began thinking he was some kind of prancing, dancing horse. So, I made him walk part of the way although he didn't like it and mostly tried to prance and dance like a Lipizzan stallion and go sideways, and we galloped part of the way., but I was having some chaffing on the inside of my legs, just below the knee; how was this happening on the last day of the ride?

We then had a choice to trailer our horses and ride the last few miles to the Grand Canyon or to use ATVs. Marieke and Evaline trailered their horses, we all got in a couple of vehicles and off we went. The girls unloaded their horses and we loaded up the two ATVs, and off we all went.

Loading up.  (Photo by Flounder.)

Hood ornaments, Caleb and Hayden.  (Photo by Flounder.)

Dustin, Harmony and their family (7) were on one of the four-wheelers, while Caleb, Hayden, Cowboy, Flounder and I were on the other. Two of the boys were “hood ornaments” while the rest of us were inside. It was a great ride … 2.8 miles to the rim … no fence to keep us from the edge, no one hollering get back, you're too close. Just us and nature in all its stunning glory. It was beautiful, the Grand Canyon at sunset.

Astonishing colors at the north rim.  (Photo by Flounder.)

Flounder and I did some creative photography. Then we were tossing rocks. We tried to get each other on camera tossing them. One she tossed went straight overhead. “Head's up.” I looked up. Incoming. Sidestepped. Another disaster averted.

Clowning around at the canyon.  (Photo by Flounder.)

Rock tossing.  (Photo in Flounder's camera.)

Heading back from the canyon, me, Rachel, Hayden, Cowboy, Caleb and Flounder.  (Photo by Flounder.)

Flounder and I were the hood ornaments on the way back to the trailer.  (Photo by Flounder.)

The sun was almost set as we arrived back at the trailer to load the ATVs and head back to camp.  (Photo by Flounder.)

Loading up.  (Photo by Flounder.)

In the truck and on our way to camp.  Marieke, me and Emma.  There were four of us in the back and another four or five in the front.  Can you say sardines?  And even more in the back of the truck.  We were loaded down.  (Photo by Flounder.)

Marieke lost her camera on the way back to camp today from the cow pasture. Cameras are taking a beating this trip. Gottfried had dropped his in the sand, too, but it was still working. Stetson and the Holland girls went back in the dark on a four-wheeler to look for it, but never found it. Marieke and some of the others were going to go back out the next morning before we had to leave to give it one last try in finding it.

The last supper.  I'd told Chef Mel I thought we should have Cow #154, white tag, for supper.  I'm not sure about which one we had (but I didn't see any butchering going on so expect this was some other cow from another drive).  The white tags were the younger cows.  The steak we had for dinner sure was tender.  Maybe a young cow?  Yum, yum.  (Photo by Flounder.)

Our last evening. Dustin and Harmony's 1-year-old, Elisabeth, was having her birthday, so it was cake time and a round of the “Happy Birthday to you.” song. It was a super day all the way around (except for the camera). I was already sad we'd be leaving our new friends.

Elisabeth and Esther ... back at camp celebrating with the birthday girl.  (Photo by Flounder.)

One of the best things about this cattle drive was that I have gained a new riding confidence. Since riding “Buck” years ago wasn't something I was really comfortable with, after a week-and-a-half in the saddle, 7-10 hours a day, guess what. You regain confidence. I may have had to hold on to the pommel now and again, but mostly my balance was good, and I stuck that saddle just fine. I feel good with it.

After campfire time, I looked at my legs during tent talk and it appeared something had bitten me multiple times, and then the riding had irritated it, so I had redness and itchiness. I'm glad I didn't ride that last few miles to the canyon and back. The rigors of the trail. And I'm glad that happened the last day.