Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The End of the Adventure

March 17th: The last week started with Pony Camp which Edda's daughter Megan ran. She has these every couple of months and the camp runs for the weekend. There were 20 kids ranging from about 8 to 16. Megan is a great teacher and it was fun helping her with the Camp. We took trail rides, painted horses and even went swimming....in a mud hole!

Darryl and I were "elected" to go in first.

I think Dinkum was confused. He knew about swimming, but in the muddy water? He kept pawing the water trying to figure it out.

Darryl's exit was quite spectacular!

After we took turns taking horses in the pond the kids decided they'd swim in it too.

At first they were quite tentative...

But then they got "into it" and it turned out to be a mud fight as well as a mud bath!

After that the only thing to do was to go to the swimming hole!

During the week I did a canoe trip up a river that outflows near the town of Wilderness.

It was a very hot day...probably getting pretty close to 100 degrees F. So of course when I got really hot I'd pull the canoe up on the bank and go swimming.

Last Saturday we had a request for a ride up to the falls. The caller, Christoff asked for it to be just his girl friend and him...he wanted to propose to her there. So I when we got there I made myself scarce while Tarryn and Christoff went off for their picnic . They re-emerged about an hour later and I took this picture.

Nice huh?

Last Sunday...my last day there I took a couple of outrides including a couple from Switzerland.

Dale, a photographer friend took this pix of me cantering Dinkum. I knew it was our last ride...Dinkum didn't though.

Bye boys...
Good bye to many new friends...
Good bye to my wonderful South African family...Good bye to the horses...Good bye to Dinkum.

I got home Tuesday 40 hours after I got on the plane in George, South Africa.

And in the yard, the coming of Spring was announced by our cherry tree.

What a way to spend the Winter.
Now what?

4 comments:

  1. Dave,
    I cried over this last post...so sweet, the couple becoming engaged, your last canter on your special mount. I am so glad you are home safe...now what indeed! You will be missing the horses I'll bet.

    Can't wait to see you.
    Love,
    Linn

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  2. David,

    What a wonderful experience, and thank you for sharing it in this blog. Your memories and the friends you made will be with you forever. "... I do believe I have been changed for the better, because I knew you ... because I knew you, I have been changed for good." (WICKED, Stephen Schwartz)

    Next - Montana?

    Love,
    Tricie

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  3. That's a nice pic of you cantering!
    Axel

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  4. Welcome home, Dave! I hope you let Dinkum know that we were only sharing you with him for a short time. We're happy to have you back here with us for awhile!!!
    Elizabeth

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