Last Day

The Boss finally got her fill of visiting the various shops.  And the number of wine bottles now number 15.  So we now have enough wine and 'shine to last about a year.  We'll just chill in the cabin the rest of the day and head home tomorrow. Oh, and steaks & wine for dinner tonight.

Almost forgot.  Ran across a small leather shop that makes only belts and holsters.  The latter are minimalistic, and supposedly Texas Ranger style.  Tried one with my 3" Kimber, then bought it.  The shop owner uses one for most everything he carries, including a full size 1911, double stack Glock and 44 special Bull Dog. 

Day 4

Spent most of the day just chilling in the cabin.  Doing nothing is nice for a change.The Boss was and is tired from walking most of downtown Gatlinburg yesterday.  We purchased 18 jars of flavored 'shine, one bottle of 8 year aged whiskey and 6 bottles of local wine.  In the next two days I expect the wine bottles to multiply, after all I left 2 by themselves in a closet.  It's proven that if 2 rifles are shut in a closet they procreate.

Day 3

Rained about all day, a mixture of drizzle and moderate.  Had breakfast, mid morning, in Gatlinburg then spent most of the day visiting shops. Bought about 15 bottles of flavored moonshine and half a dozen bottles of wine.  Adult beverages are a requirement when coming here.

Day 2

Last night we ate in the Applewood restaurant, near the Apple Barn.  Just love the food there, and naturally ate way too much of it.

Today we visited Parrot Mountain.  Rather a cool place to visit.  Saw some very colorful birds, and had some sitting on my arm, shoulder and head.  Rather enjoyed that.

I'll bet we'll visit some moonshine places tomorrow.

On Vacation

Today was the first day, of 6, in and around Gatlinburg Tn.  The Boss and I both needed some time away.  To my surprise we were in a shop today that had a sign on the door that said guns welcome.  Never ran across that before.

The Boss likes wine, and so today we visited 2 wineries and purchased 9 bottles. I expect to have at least 2 dozen more before we leave.  Personally, I prefer the flavored moon shine.

Riding Yesterday

Went riding again yesterday morning.  We were out for about 2 hours and covered about 5 miles of open fields, woods, fallow farm land, mud, creek, and small but steep hills.  Both of the Mountain Horses did very well.  I rode my mare (Rocky Mountain) through 3 feet deep creek twice and she didn't skip a beat. First time we've done that together. The Bosses horse (Kentucky Mountain) just had to stop and play in the water, splashing around for a little bit.  Frankly, I have a better horse than I am a rider.

When arriving back at the barn, the Boss was very tired, and I was like the thanksgiving wishbone.  Don't tell anybody, but my only original hip joint was very sore last night.  I wonder how long before that one gets replaced.

I weigh 200 pounds (not including saddle) and I'm riding an animal that weight just a little over 900 pounds.  That's similar to me carrying about 20 - 25 pounds for that 5 miles.  No way I could do it.  The mare did it and didn't show any signs of getting tired.  Horses are amazing animals.

If we want to ride any farther and/or longer we'll need to plan it so we can have a rest stop.  There are about 27 miles of bridle trails in the park and 3 trail side rest areas.  Hope to take advantage of that in the future.

Vacation Day

This morning the Boss and I went to grandparents day to see our 4th grade grandson.  Afterwards, naturally, I had to take her shopping, then on to the stables for a ride.

My mare got her second shot of anti-bitchy medicine.  So far so good.  She was great going out but stubborn on the way back.  We were only a couple miles from the barn when a light rain started so we turned around.  I don't mind getting wet, but rain on my glasses makes me nearly blind.  It was approaching feed time in the barn so she was in a big hurry to get back.  Me not so much, so we had several arguments as to velocity, which I eventually won.

I probably wouldn't have had any issue if we were out on the trails longer.  A tired horse is an obedient horse.

The Boss had similar episodes with her gelding when first riding him.  That was 2 years ago, and those arguments are very seldom today.  I've had my mare less than a year, so I expect we'll come to an understanding before long.

 Several time on the trail I was tempted to take some video with my cell phone, but didn't.  With my luck, I probably would've dropped the thing in the mud.  Maybe one day I'll get that done and post it.

-------

It's no secret that I have a license and carry everywhere I go, except at work.  Being new to horse riding, I've managed to fall off several times in the past 2 years.  Only once did my Kimber 45 leave to protective comfort of the Don Hume holster. And that holster does not have a retention strap. That was last fall when I hit the ground hard enough to stun me a little.  It sure pays to have a gun & holster combination that fits.

Expert Advice I Ignore

Been told, and read many times that carrying my own loads can cause real problems if ever used in a defensive situation.  Here's an expert saying it again.

It all makes perfect sense to me.  My problem is that I have great confidence that with my loads the bullet will always go where I want it to go, since all training and fun shooting is done with the same ammunition.  The ammunition that I tailored for performance in my particular weapon.  If a hostage situation, and I want to put a 45 piece of lead into the bad guys eye socket, I know that's where it will go.

Tiny Creatures

At about the same time that I started physical therapy on my Achilles tendon, tiny, little pin sized dots showed up just above my ankle.  When they multiplied up to my knee I became a bit concerned, mostly because they didn't itch.  The doctor said they were bug bites, but they didn't itch, so I ignored it.  That was maybe 3 months ago, and now the tint spots have enlarged and spread up past my waist.  They don't itch, but it must be mites.

I've done a search on how to get rid of them, but all I can find have to do with mites that cause itching.  So when I shower in the morning I use baby shampoo on the affected areas, followed by applying boric acid powder.  And I use the powder before bed.  Hope that works.

I must have picked up the tiny creatures when working in the barn around the straw and hay.