The Cavalry has Arrived!

Today is day 9 of Flirt missing.  Wendy and Ramona from the BLM drove up from Oregon to help locate her.  From Flirt's facebook page:

Wendy and I headed back up the logging road on horseback, searching out every possible off shoot. Because I'd been leading the mares back and forth, we had to go quite a ways to get to where we may be able to find fr

esh tracks. And fresh tracks we found...but they led to a dead end. The old road stopped, and though we'd spotted one pile of manure (first time since the two down below on Sunday), there wasn't any indication that she was nearby. Wendy got off and scouted round under the brush for several minutes, but it looked as though Flirt had traveled up, then doubled back.

We found several spurs that left the main road, but all ended in a dead end, and other than the first one we'd taken, none showed any indication that she'd been there.

We returned to the catch pen at the bottom where we were greeted by a whinny from Ebony. I told Wendy that there was another direction we could head, and that it would be a good place for a horse to hang out. I'd not been up there on foot, though Katie and I had scouted the area last week. Flirt would have had to go through a little camp site, which included two buildings, a tractor, a gate leaning up against a tree and a little fire pit. It seemed unlikely that she'd want to cross through all that, but it was the only place left that we'd not traveled.

Just as we were heading out the back side of the camp, we spotted a fresh track. A glimmer of hope!

On the north side of the camp, a trickle of water runs through. It's fed by an underground spring and the entire area, especially this time of year, is nothing but bog. Houdini crossed it relatively well; I was riding Witchknot and he wasn't quite as happy about feeling as though he would be sucked beneath the surface. This was another reason I'd not thought Flirt would be back there...not something a horse really wants to cross on their own.

Once we got the horses through the mud, the ground got drier and we continued through the young trees toward an older grove. We were heading toward the water tower, which is fenced off. Just as we reached the tall stand of trees, I spotted a pile of manure. It didn't look real fresh...had one of our horses dropped it when Katie and I rode last week?

Then there was another, not ten feet away. Another 20 feet, another! This was more manure than we'd seen anywhere...and all in one little spot! We had to be close...we just HAD to be!

Question was...was she in the tall trees ahead, or was she hiding from us behind one of the smaller trees planted in the old pasture to our left? 50' told the tail...there she was. My beautiful Flirt!

She was hiding from us, head low so as not to be spotted. We looked at each other, turned and left. It's getting late and we don't want her to be disturbed and move this close to night. I think she'll stay put. I hope she'll stay put. We'll see in the morning.

Flirt Is MISSING

Things have not gone according to plan.  We hauled Flirt home and arrived Monday night at about 8:30 pm. The following morning I hauled the second horse out to deliver her to Skagit County.  Neither Tika or Max were at home; both had been left with the Cowboy so that no one here had to deal with chores while I was away over the weekend.

Flirt didn't like being left alone.  She crashed through the 6' wood fence, breaking the top two boards.

Neighbor kids saw her running down the road, followed by a white van (kids thought the van was the owner.)  The driver eventually contacted 911, but it wasn't until he'd arrived in town.  By then, she had vanished.  No one has seen her beyond 1/2 mile of the house.

We've been out searching the roads, logging roads, fields and into the woods.  Fly overs have been done by many volunteers, including the Heritage Flight Museum, who took their P51 Mustang out to look for MY mustang!  Still, nothing spotted.

Local Search & Rescue has been out.  They asked their dog team, but handlers said they didn't like to use their dogs on horses due to the prey drive.  We were disappointed.

Someone contacted me on Facebook last night to say there IS a dog search team that will find horses.  I've lain awake half the night and finally got back up to look at their website again.  It's ghastly expensive.  But seriously...driving up and down the road isn't exactly cheap.  So I emailed them and will await an answer.  Hopefully they can come in the next couple of days.

Flirt has her own page on Facebook.  If you're a facebook user, please visit it often for updates.  I post a few times each day.

Where does the time go?

 

Shame be to me for ignoring you for so long!  Where has the time gone?  I must have been dreaming again.  And you know, when I dream...well...I dream wild!

Last month City Boy and I took a little road trip to my favorite destination; Harney County!  I was, naturally, in heaven.  Absolute heaven...except for one little thing.  City Boy decided we were not bringing the horse trailer with us.  

Say, what???

No trailer is an issue, because it simply means I will need to return, because of course I will see a horse that I simply must have and bring home.  Right?  Indeed!  Little Chase, the three year old gelding, found an adopter.  Impulse, too...she left this morning.  Grace has been sold and will be going shortly, and that rascal of a blue eyed pony, Spud Muffin, has found a home with more ponies and will soon be pulling a chuckwagon.  

I know, right?  It's been a long time and I've not shared nearly enough information with you!  I'm so bad.  But just look at that gelding there...he's only a yearling, and a moose!  I needed to make room for him...but where is my horse trailer?

Back to Harney County.  There have been fires and droughts and emergency gathers of wild mustangs, meaning the holding facility is filled to the brim with countless lovelies who are simply calling my name.  How, I ask you, am I to leave here without one?  Where is that horse trailer?  What was City Boy thinking?  Is that not just the most adorable little cremello pony mare up there?  Oh, I'd have died for her as a child.

And this adorable face.  Is that an adorable face, or what?  Who says mustangs have big jug heads?  They didn't meet this sweet filly, to be sure.  She came to the fence.  She visited with us.  She wanted to load into a trailer...she did!  I promise you!

I can't quite say that for the boys below.  They were newly gathered and just a little nervous.  But boy, some beauties there for sure, and in a couple of months they'll be settled in and following hay wagons just like they've always done it.

Yes, several horses of all different sizes and colors to fall in love with.  My trailer, City Boy?  Look at this family, here.  I have a three horse trailer...I could bring all three home!  If my trailer was here, that is.

Seriously...why not just stick a knife in my heart?  Will you look at this filly?  To die for.  Truly!

You know how it feels when you've eaten too many chocolates?  Well, I sure do.  You get woozy and a little sick to your stomach.  Not so when viewing mustangs.  You can never see or have too many.  Ever.

Stop!

Hold everything!!!

Who is that?  Oh, my...who is that?  Gulp. Gasp.  Sputter.  I'm feeling more than woozy.  My knees are weakening.  My mouth is dry...where did all the air go?

Now, this...this is what I'm here for.  Long legs, shapely hips, and those flirtatious eyes!  Uh huh...this is the one.  There is no doubt in my mind.  This is my horse.

Trailer!  My kingdom for a horse trailer!  Well, I have no choice.  She came to the fence.  She sniffed me.  She's left her mark.  I must return.

 

 To be continued...