Nothing like a summer ride up into the woods and mountains. Here’s my buddy, Linda, and I preparing to go. Since my next hero is a horseman, among other things, I’m rehearsing the role, so to speak:)
The woods were so cool despite the 80 degree day and so lovely with the sunlight filtering through the trees…
My favorite summer flower here is the wild rose but the fireweed and avalanche lilies and other blooms are in abundance…
After taking some switchbacks, we were up on the ridge behind my house with an inspiring view of the water blanketed with mist…
The same view at twilight, taken by Linda’s photographer husband, Roger, who captures such unforgettable images wherever he roams. He even snapped these pics of Linda and I without my knowing! His Facebook photography page is full of inspiration…
I rode Major who has lots of personality We’d be tearing down the trail and he’d snatch a big ol’ helping of salmonberry brush without missing a beat ~ truly, a horse after my own heart:) This little collie followed us all the way…
An unforgettable day with God’s glory on display!
Any other horse lovers out there?
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Beautiful photos, Laura. Looks like a memorable day of horseback riding.
I love our Appalachian Mountains. I live in their foothills! But I’ve had a thing for Wyoming, and Idaho, and Washington’s beautiful mountain ranges, as well. The East and West of our country are so different, but they both have a rugged wilderness, and a distinct, hushed beauty.
Sooooo… our next Frantz hero is a horseman, aye? 😀 Do tell…
Are you going to take us to Skye, with a kilt-wearing, brogue-speaking, horseman? 😉
I don’t always get to comment, but I love keeping in touch via FB and reading your journal posts via email.
Stay well, my friend.
Whitney
I’m going to take you to Mull instead of Skye and I’ll try to dress him in a kilt for you ;)! How you tempt me! Aye to that brogue! He’s a bit of a rogue but quite redeemable, I must say…
There’s nowhere like riding in the Appalachians. How I miss that. These Washington mountains are probably easier as it’s cooler and there are no bugs to speak of, just lots of brambles and brush. But this particular trail is a dream and Major behaved well the whole way though he had his moments when he’d take off when the collie tailing him was too close for comfort.
So thankful you follow these posts, dear Whitney. It gives me inspiration to keep writing them and snapping photos! Always a joy to see you here and on FB and our Pinterest playground :)!
What a lovely time! I honestly can’t remember the last time I rode a horse, I was probably around 5 or 6? It would be fun to get back in the saddle! Thanks for sharing your little adventure. Cute border collie too! 😉
Renee, I just KNEW you’d like that collie 🙂 Such a faithful one, following us all the way and never seeming tired! It’s great to be in the saddle again. I was thrown from a horse in KY, true horse country, when I was young so have always been a bit leery. But the older I get the braver I get 🙂 Wishing us both more riding time! Or at least riding vicariously through those books!
Wow, those photographs are beautiful! Washington is sure a pretty state. I have been on a horse one time. I was around 10 years old, and I sat behind an Amish boy, who was a friend of the family. I was so nervous and scared, I am pretty sure I screamed the whole time and clung to him. It makes for a good story at least! Haha. But, I have not been back on since! I would to try again one day. I hope you are doing well, Laura! 🙂
Emma, My experiences riding as a child was just like yours – TOTAL FEAR 🙂 Now that I’m older I’m bolder, lol. Your story makes good novel fodder!
I hope you’re doing well, too, my friend! I’m about to send your Miss Menzies to my editor and her cover and title are being decided on as we speak 🙂 God is so good to give us these books – and readers like you!! Have a blessed day where you are. 🙂
I wish I had more occasions to ride horse! It’s been years. My oldest daughter, Ellis, loves horses, so we’ve talked about taking the kiddos trail riding, but we’ve put it off until the boys are a little older.
Lovely photos, Laura! Washington looks stunning.
Gabrielle, So glad your Ellis has a heart for horses – truly some of God’s most amazing, amusing creatures! I imagine you have some beautiful country to ride in where you are. Your little men would make great cowboys :).
Washington is stunning, yes, and mostly insect and humidity free, something I can’t say of my KY home! Thanks for being here – you’re always a bright spot!
Such a beautiful pictures of the flowers and also of the horse, I love horses such gentle creatures
oh.hello.hiya@gmail.com
Danie, So good to see you here 🙂 Yes, horses are amazing animals. And these Pacific coast flowers are stunning. Thanks for visiting!
Ohhhh!!!
Lovely photos!! PA looks gorgeous!! Yer on a HORSE!!
Okay, calming down…I used to ride like a maniac without an ounce of fear, then I had a near-fatal accident and I lost my nerve after that. I adore horses and would love to be comfortable on one again. But given that history, my husband would go thermo-nuclear if I as much as put a boot in a stirrup.
So, Major had personality, eh?
YES, Major has tons of personality. Must be something about that name! I so identified with his penchant for snacking personally :). He just plowed through that salmonberry brush in no time flat!
And I hear you about horses and accidents. Linda, my buddy here, took a spill and broke her legs when her children were toddlers and had to chase after them in a wheelchair! She’s an expert horsewoman and has more stamina and spirit in her little finger than I do in my whole body, I think. She doesn’t take any horse guff, lol 😉 But I am like you. If I’d been badly burned I would have trouble getting back in the saddle again and my own hubby would likely put a stop to it. He said NO HORSES when we were first married. Horses are magnificent creatures but deadly. I always come away with a new appreciation of them after a ride (and countless troublesome scenarios for stories, thanks to them too).
I thought you’d be on vacation by now – but so glad you’re still with us :)!
Leaving in 9 days.
Yee. Ha.
I’d love to meet your friend. Maybe SHE could get me in the saddle again.
Travel mercies and prayers with you all the way, Jennifer! No doubt Linda would be the one to get you riding again. She’s amazing and one of the toughest, most tenacious people I’ve ever met. Her horse LOVE her and respect her. She has a terrific sense of humor and would make a great heroine!
Have a great trip!
Wow!!! Stunning photo’s Laura, thanks for sharing! I must admit I got a thrill to hear your new hero is a horseman… Don’t tell anyone, but they’re one of my favorite type heroes! 😉 So because of my love of historical’s and well, *cough* horsemen, riding a horse became a ‘bucket-list’ experience to be had! Which my hubby kindly organized for my birthday last month. 🙂 I ending up actually riding the horse that Heath Ledger learnt to ride on. The horse’s name was Pete, lol. Not quite as strong-sounding as Major, but he was a sweetheart though. Love and hugs!! x
Noela! Your birthday bash with Pete sounds wonderful! Nothing like a ride to feel alive and thankful. Your real life hero and hubby is so thoughtful to make a dream come true for you. Once in the saddle it’s quite addictive!
Knowing you love horses like you spurs me on (no pun intended, lol) to work hard on that next hero. I have Marcia’s book sitting right here (Raider’s Heart) and I’m thinking there may be a horseman hero within?! Hope so! I haven’t started yet but will as soon as Wren appears and my next book is turned in.
Bless you for being there. You’re always such a joy!
Hi, Laura!!
Thank you for those beautiful photos – SO enjoyed viewing them!! That is my kind of weather: 80 degrees, no humidity, and few bugs!! And you’re so right – none of that in Kentucky to go along with the beautiful horses here. The wooded scene with the sun filtering through and those of the flowers are just beautiful!! My father has some neat wildflowers on his farm that are almost extinct in Kentucky.
When I was growing up on my father’s farm – we had ponies and mules. My brother rode a pony frequently, however, an incident when I was young stole my desire to ever ride a horse again. My brother, cousin, and I were each dressed in cowboy/cowgirl attire (complete with holsters and guns, hats, cowboy chafs and cowgirl skirt, etc.), riding ponies and playing at being cowboys/cowgirl at a family gathering. I was unskilled in the art of being an equestrian and maneuvering a horse or pony, the horse walked under a clothesline and I was flipped off backwards.
I think horses are beautiful – but they are huge, strong, animals (some of which are easily “spooked”)who deserve our respect and I enjoy viewing them from a distance now. The colts are so cute with their gangling, spindly, legs – dancing about. Candace Calvert has a nerve-wracking story of serious injuries sustained when thrown by a horse, she speaks with a longing for those days when she was able to ride. I “take my hat off to you” for being brave enough to get back on a horse and doing it in the name of that wonderful book you’re writing for us. So glad you had an experienced rider there to “show you the reins”(pun intended – LOL). You are appreciated and I’m sure you had a wonderfully enjoyable and beautiful ride.
Was wondering exactly how far you live from the water?? Washington looks beautiful indeed, but not sure I’d enjoy so much rainy, dark, weather. Guess there are few perfect places in which to live. Also wondering if Randy knew you were going to ride (LOL)??
The little hints you’ve thrown out have me eagerly anticipating the reading of that wonderful Scottish tale you’re writing!! Thank you for inspiring and blessing us with the sharing of your writing gift, Laura!! Blessings, love, and hugs to you and prayers for your writing!!
Bonnie, Love hearing your thoughts – you bring that clothesline flip to vivid life! Everything preceding it sounds wonderful though – all the cowboy/cowgirl gear, etc. Even ponies can be quite skittish! I don’t blame you for not getting back on. So many have accidents and cannot. I didn’t know that about Candace (she’s a favorite of mine to talk to at writing conferences as we’ve shared some meals). She even looks like a horsewoman! The older I get the bolder I get. Plus I cover these rides in prayer! The Lord knows I can’t break my hands or I cannot write!
My buddy Linda here is simply amazing. Riding bareback since she was 13 and keeps these beautiful Tennessee Walkers of hers in line. She’s had some terrible injuries (think I’ve elaborated on that here already) but has the tenacity to keep going. I don’t have that kind of get up and get back on attitude, I’m afraid. I pray my future rides are uneventful!
How I would love to see those wildflowers on your dad’s farm. They sound so lovely. I can’t wait to come back there…
Yes, we live about 2 miles from the beach here but are backed up to the Olympic Mountains. We actually live at the gateway to Olympic National Park near Lake Crescent. It’s truly a wondrous place and currently there are tourists everywhere but it gets quiet the rest of the year. Right now it’s 55 degrees this morning and heavily fogged in but hopefully the fog will clear and bring us a sunny 75 degree day like yesterday. But sometimes the fog lasts all day:( Seattle gets even more rainfall than we do but we get plenty. The only way I can make peace with the rain is to call it good writing weather. I often think that if I still lived in KY I would not get a book finished as I’m such a sun lover I have to always be outside in it:)
Thanks for your gracious presence here, dear Bonnie. Praying you have a good day in the place I miss so much!
I’ve always been a horse lover, don’t think I have ever grow out of the little girl’s dream of owning my own horse. As a child I love the Saddleclub books and the Thoroughbred series. I guess part of my love comes from being born in a state known for its horses, and living in a city know around the world for the Kentucky Derby.
Hi, Carissa!! Glad to meet you – I live in the Louisville area, also!! Also glad to know we share a love of Laura and her books!!
Carissa, Well said – you’re in the heart of horse country ~ which I miss with all my heart! And you’re so right about that little girl’s dream of owning a horse. I still want one! Maybe heaven will be one unlimited stable and no spills! I hope so. But then I hope heaven is one unlimited library, too:)
You look like a natural horsewoman to me and the pictures are stunning! So will Major’s ‘spiritedness’ be mentioned in your new novel? Can’t wait to hear more details about it and of course a hero that rides horseback already has me anticipating his introduction.
Amy, Love your comments. I DO hope to do this horseman hero justice and give him a spirited mount/horse. Riding lately has shown me all the tricky and dangerous scenarios horses bring. They’re such beautiful creatures but oh, so troublesome sometimes! Thankfully Major behaves himself for the most part and I can’t wait to go again. He does get kind of cranky when that collie rides his heels too hard and then goes off at a gallop with me clutching the reins:)
You’re a gem for enjoying these pics with me. I wish we could all go out riding together!
Horse back riding is one of my absolute favorite activities and I haven’t done it in oh-so long! Love the pictures you took. Makes me want to go find a place I can hop in the saddle out here in Colorado!
Casey, SO thrilled to see you here 🙂 I am not at all surprised you’re a horsewoman! I can only imagine the Colorado country before you and all the heroes therein! God’s country, for sure, and a horse paradise, I’m thinking. I hope you can saddle up soon.
Looking forward to our September date:) And praying all is well where you are!
My daughter is in love with horses. She loves Marguerite Henry, Saige from American Girls, etc. She hasn’t ridden yet, but maybe soon since we are moving to warmer climes (not too far from Williamsburg, VA)…Kind of a dream come true for the hubs and I though it will be hard to leave extended family 🙂
I love the colors you always capture in your photography. Always makes me fall in love with the places you show, whether its Scotland or Washington…
JULIA!! Oh my word! You’re moving to one of my favorite spots ever and the place my family came from :)!! Somehow I missed this comment. I’ll be praying for your move, of all the joys to come. Please let me know how you all are doing. Cannot wait!! Congrats and more!!
Thanks, we’re thinking the move will be good for our healths as well. Chris will be able to telecommute and the climate will be good for vitamin levels…
Julia, You’ll never regret the move for all sorts of reasons! I thought when I first heard what a wonderful change for Chris – but really for you all. It’s a homeschooling paradise with so much rich history and Colonial Williamsburg at your door:) I’m THRILLED for you all. Wish I could sneak in your suitcase/boxes and go with you!! Can’t wait to hear more!!
Oh, my goodness! Looks like heaven to me! I love riding, enjoyed it all growing up. I got on a horse for the first time in years last summer. Hope to do it again soon. You looked like you were have a wonderful time. Now, that’s my kind of research!
Carla, Love that you’re a kindred horse spirit (among many other things)! I agree, riding is the best sort of research. It gives me a deep appreciation for how dependent we were on horses and how much we miss today without them. Mainly the glories of nature and the freedom and joy riding brings. Thanks for being here. Hope your summer is going well and your little grand is growing like a weed :)!
I am fascinated by the beauty you have to ride in there. The forest looks so different than it does here in Maine. Beauty everywhere. My grandson had his first pony ride just the other day!
Oh, so glad he’s already experiencing the joy of horses :). He’s such a sweetie and getting so big!!
I well remember your Maine woods, and in truth I prefer them because they’re not so wet and have fewer Christmas trees/less evergreens though you do have those aplenty if I recall. I miss that fabulous fall color you have! We sort of skimp on that here but I do love the alders because they turn the richest yellow-gold. Sigh. I hope we have seasons in heaven!
🙂 I’ve often said that, I hope we have seasons in heaven! I picture it as such a colorful place to be!
So well said, Carla. I will miss the sea and night, too! I’ve always been a bit sad about that!
You know, I saw this when you posted the link on facebook, and I was totally going to come over here and comment that night, but by the time I got home after 6 that evening, it had slipped my mind.
I think horses are beautiful animals, last weekend I drove out to Paris for a friend’s baby shower. (totally thought of you since part of the road is called the Simon Kenton highway). I loved seeing all the horses grazing on the farms between Lexington and Paris.
As for me and horses, well I joke and say the family horse-loving gene bypassed me. You see my biological father’s family absolutely love horses. They love to ride. As for me, I don’t. I’ve been on a horse once in my life, I was around 4-5 years old I believe. I HATED it. So that was a first and last for me. For years I told the story as I was riding a pony, about six years ago, my mom looked at me and said, “That was a horse you were on, Ray didn’t have any ponies.”
I happen to be scared of heights, so no wonder I hated it.
It looks like you had a great time, and the scenery is just so beautiful! Very different than our Kentucky, but beautiful nonetheless.
BTW, my rommmate will be coming home on Wednesday. This has truly been nothing short of a miracle. She had a second surgery on 7/28 due to a gas or air pocket in her sinus area. And after that surgery the PA told her there had been a 5% chance of surviving the first surgery. I am just utterly in awe of everything that has happened with this.
Michelle, You’re not the only one utterly in awe about all this happening! Truly, she is a miracle and the Lord has something in place for her to do. It must be amazing being in the middle of it like you are and experiencing everything. I’m so glad you’re her roommate and she’s almost back home! Prayers with her as she transitions. You, too as you are always so busy!
I so understand the horse-heights thing. Whenever I get up in the saddle my first thought is how very far it is to the ground. I’m afraid of heights, too, and cannot climb a ladder and often scoot my way down a hiking trail or cliffside, etc. Terrified. I don’t blame you for staying on your own 2 legs! Many admire horses from a distance and never ride, even in the bluegrass, lol. I’m amazed since I posted this on Facebook and here, how many have had accidents on horses and have never gotten back on, understandably. I always do a lot of praying beforehand!
Oh, how I can just envision your ride on the Paris Pike as we used to call it :). I forgot the Simon Kenton part! In fact, I’m reading a book about Kenton right now. He was quite the rascal in his younger years! I’m so homesick but we’ve had some beautiful weather this summer and one really hot day yesterday which was bliss:)
Will be thinking of you and your roomie this week, celebrating with you as she comes home!! Thanks for taking time here – you always add so much!!