Going to need help! getting around Knoxville.

Look at this and tell me what you think?

Please look at the active link above and see what you think... I am not sure how to navigate Knoxville, AND I am VERY worried about this bridge... I will have to Hand walk the horses over this bridge for MY safety! I would love to have a local or two STOP traffic if at all possible...

Bridges SHAKE/ MOVE as a car passes, a rock, bottle, or rubber from a tire could send a horse into ... another world.  I really need some help here! Please respond!

Anyone Out There?

It is either this bridge...
OR going right down town under 40 and under 640 ... I really don't want to have to do that!

HELP!

I'm starting Jan 3rd ...

Tuesday Jan, 3rd 2012  and as much as I hate to I am TAKING the horses to the YMCA in North Buncomb County... so I can get out of here without loosing a horse or my own life!  I hope to be there by 8 it will take me a good hour or MORE to get the horses loaded... and I'll head out.

It is an EASY route... as in ANY electronic map you can find...
YMCA, Woodfin Street, Asheville, NC
and from there... I go up US 25 / Weaverville Highway until I see New Stock road, which is on the left and no matter how complicated the details get I stay on New Stock till it T/Bones into Monticello (which there is NO SIGN anyway... at the T/bone take a right!(which is still new stock but not marked...)BUT THIS IS WHERE I HOPE TO STOP FOR THE NIGHT>>> THERE ARE PLENTY OF HORSE PLACES / DOORS TO KNOCK ON 

but to continue ...  follow Monticello/which is really still New Stock road but no signs to say either way...
back to US 25/ and 70 it is a HUGE 5 lane road with a CVS and a gas station on the other side... and take a LEFT at this light.  Now all you have to worry about is finding... Ivy ? something marked as Hill on the program I used but it's not... It's Ivy? something but also 25/70... NOT the by pass.  as I want to go right down town Marshall.... and there are signs that say as much... follow signs to Marshall and you are on your way.

I hope NOT to make it any further than Monticello and to find a place to STAY... BUT I had planned this route so long ago... I thought by this day, well into the trip I would be up to 14 mile days but I'm not going to be... So bear with me people... Again... 

Jane 3rd and 4th... DAY one and two...

The darker words above underlined are a link to an active map you can look as closely as you like!

I am not putting up any more maps till I get on the road... as people keep saying I thought you had left, I thought... but no one has been reading the pages that go with the maps... they were all posted to GET ATTENTION AND HOPEFULLY OFFERS FOR ME TO STAY SOME PLACE ALONG MY ROUTE... It did not happen so ... NOW that we are getting on the road this will be all automated as I have no one to man the site while away!

I will not have computer access! I will not have a phone signal most of the time! So... I will repost this ONE more TIME on Jan 3rd... and change it up a little on Jan 4th and then so on and so on...

I hope people read this instead of glancing this time!
Amber.

Life is great!

As of last night, Melanie (my most trusted side kick, right hand woman) and I drove the car from Asheville to TN.  Taking the exact route I will be riding!

I know I am all rewind and repeat! but... it was such a beautiful little drive! It was such a trip back in time... I can not wait for the slow beat of my horses hooves to count time

YES There are going to be dangers along the way!
One is a train track... While I have called for the track times I have yet to get any response.  I may have called the wrong number?
There will always be dogs along the way that will make my day (how can I say?) more adventurous! As my little car was chased by one of them last night.  Prompting Melanie to ask me what I WAS going to do about such things.  But the nice thing is... While Sweet Pea is terrified of her own shadow, she loves to chase dogs! One of the best things I did early on with my little girl was to show her she was bigger and she could scare the animal smaller than her, and she does this VERY well.  So well it makes me laugh every time! I'm all chuckles for 30 minutes after!

Navarre on the other hand ... it is one of the few things he is afraid of ... dogs! One got his back leg once catching him off guard... So it is going to be fun, it is going to be the adventure of a lifetime! And no matter what!!!! I'm going to play it safe, and have fun along the way!
Ask Melanie! she carries an air horn for bear... she aimed it at him one day to get him out of her space... (loud enough to make me jump!) he just sniffed at it, to see if he could eat it! (he is ALWAYS hungry) so she hit it again... a mere sniff, once again.
I've had him up against school buses, dump trucks etc... he's great with the road hazards... I could not do this trip without him!

we're getting close... and I'm counting down!
Much love to the world..
Amber

DOING it ALL.

At this point I am VERY excited about the trip.
I am adding / packing more and more emergency things for me and the horses.  Life is good ALL except the route out of Asheville.

Out of respect for my horses, Out of RESPECT for my loved ones I am contemplating having to trailer to the north side of Asheville in order to make this safe, and doable ...

The Blue Ridge Parkway has REALLY put a Pain in my ASS to put it nicely, as that is truely the ONLY 1/2 safe road out of Asheville.  Going down town even a week after Christmas is just going to be too busy, too many pieces of debris that could be tossed from a tire into me or my horses. I will not tolerate my horses being hurt for no reason.   There are also seriously restricted neighborhoods down town and around the city central that will not allow me to tie up the horses in a yard with out siting me for poop!   Of all things... POOP! And while I could really care less about this I have to make sure the horses are happy and can get settled on the road.  ME? I can camp on a gravel drive and not care... but it is them I am worried about.

I also bagged up 4 days of feed for the kids... Well ALL of Navarre's is going to have to be RE DONE... The entire reason I stared them on their ride feed was to see how Navarre PPSM would react.  WELL... NOT well!   It took 2 months for it to REALLY show it's ugly head but , That would have made his last of the trip that much harder for him.  So I have to RE DO ALL of Navarre's feed and he will get little to NO hay stretcher but lots more oil and I'm out to find bran mash I need at least two bags a week for Navarre and one bag a week for SweetPea... the only issue will be finding someone to boil enough water for me to give it to the horses... that stuff has to sit / stir and absorb water ... in the freezing cold... ONE good scoop should do it but two gallons of almost boiling water will be required to allow it to soak etc... before it can be served.

While I know this will not be an issue once I am in TN it is an issue here in WNC... don't ask me why! Sounds stupid but no one around here uses bran mash as a weekly preventative.  Only one of the few things that makes life more difficult for the kids (horses) here.

So Yesterday Melanie and I drove, observed, took notes, and thought of a few more little things.  But we both gritted our teeth at the thought of Tunnel Road at any point, any time... I hate it in a car... much less on two horses.  Figuring out 100th plan ASAP.  Hoping to finalize it today!

Wish us luck!
Much love to the world.
Amber

This is ALL my supplies I am taking with me.

Without going into DEEP details...
this is...
4 days of feed, for them and me
 1 DAY of hay,
an emergency rain coat, if someone starts to shake in a cold rain.
an emergency wicking/warming blanket if someone starts so shake in the cold rain or snow...
a week of clothes for me,
a two man tent for their gear to stay dry.
a bivy for me
an air mattris,
TWO sleeping bags, one 20degree , one ZERO.
a reading lamp,
an extra tarp for HEAVY down pours
ALL my tent supplies including a mat, tarp,rain cover etc...
a pillow
two changes of thermal gear for me
a hard horse brush, med, soft...
two hoof picks ... Emergency meds... for colic, bleeding, tape, scissors, etc... goodies for me
my tin can, and stove,
their water and feed containers....

AND so much more I can't think of everything but it's there!

and it all started with my little boy...

I can't live without my insulated overalls... Life is TOO cold without them... but was getting warm while loading it all on. 

Sweet Pea just stood there! she is NOT tied... just line thrown over rail.

''=

Why the hunch back? 

Because in my little back pack is... my rain layers, my EXTRA wind protection, my face,ear and head gear! all close so I can get it!  My little back pack is BLACK... I do not want something black on my back anymore than I would put a dark color on the horses! safe is safe no matter where you are. VISIBILITY is my only friend on the road.  

Although I do have a sticker that says... horn broken watch for finger! but I have not put it on the gear!  ha ha ha... not sure that I will but? one never knows. 

\ 

and on we go....

almost!

After taking a load of supplies to the barn, Navarre will be carrying so much it takes me THREE trips in my little car to get it all there! 
a short trip in the car to find a way out of Asheville... I ran into three state troopers whom where a GREAT help! I enjoy it when you do things correctly / or with in the law ... and it pays off.  These guys were so helpful this morning.

After loading up the kids in full gear in just a few minutes (as soon as I get off this computer)  taking a photo or two for the local paper.... then taking them for a short / hard hike up the mountain.  I believe I'll go back out in the car for yet another check of roads they mentioned...

We may just have a new way out of Asheville, no thanks to the Blue Ridge Parkway... (Of which EVERY law enforcement group believes they are WAY out there denying me a short 15 mile trek..., but I digress again) but all thanks to the State Troopers this morning.

I'll let everyone know as soon as I can!

Love to the world.

Been a little under the weather.

I've been dragging!~ as if my family didn't expect it.
I've been very tired , but who isn't ?
I rarely get a good nights sleep, hormones (I am that age... or so the dr's tell me) and a husband that... well snores.  anything and everything bothers me now as where I used to sleep through a storm.

I work three jobs.
I'm packing, prepping everything for this ride and as my boss put it! I suppose I hit a wall.

went to the walk in yesterday.
the sent me to the ER ..
so ... two bags later I was feeling a little better.
Dehydrated,
low blood pressure.
low blood sugars...

but I'm back!

I packed up my clothes for the trip, and had plenty of room for the horses emergency blankets, one rain coat and one fleece blanket. Not sure if either will need it but I can't be out and not be prepared.

I'm getting more and more settled with the supplies and almost done.
This too I will take more photos this weekend, I'm just not home till after dark and leave before sun up! as I am sure most of us do this time of year.

Much love to the world...
Amber.

oh yeah... a positive... as of today, all the days get a little longer minute by minute... it will all start to add up!

the mule pack

Why am I going with a mule pack instead of just saddle panniers?
Well because I have yet to find a saddle that fits my little boy perfectly other than my wonderful English saddle that I rarely use.  I normally end up riding my horses bareback, but ... NO ONE (who cares about me) would be happy if I wondered out hundreds of miles from home without a saddle.

SO ...
I purchased SEVERAL set ups but this one fits him better than the other two.

This is how it came in the box.

Having stated I purchased several... the next picture is hard to look at, and is a horrible site, but one can NOT return gear that is dirty or appears to have been used SO... I covered my little boy with layers and layers of sheets to keep the gear/ especially the pad as clean as possible.

The thing everyone needs to know about this pack system is... it does not work without ALL the parts.  So one can not choose and pick which packs to use, you must use them all as each supports the last till the very last / the rain cover is applied and it secures everything else.  

What IS nice about this pack is the harness system will actually allow me more AREA to put RED LED TAIL LIGHTS on Navarre!   Yep!  Jerry has always insisted I wear led lights when on the road and thus we purchased a few more to put on the "kids" horses... 

Took out the mail box...

Today was a FUN day!
Got the mule pack set up on Navarre.  3 times... with Mike the first time, alone but with on lookers  the second ( Jerry showed up to take pictures)  , then finally I went back and did it all by myself.  It is SO heavy! I've had to break everything down in tiny steps...

Took the kids out for a spin... and took out the neighbors mailbox!   While I was worried how he would react ...It all worked out for the best...  I knocked on the door to tell him I needed to replace his mailbox and  he offered to come box scrape my barn yard.  Who would have expected that reaction?

I love my neighbors!  It also turned out to be the same neighbor that shined his spot light on me last week  (he was worried it was someone snooping around)  as I was walking through the woods to get to the barn.  It is too muddy to walk in the mud lot so late.

People in my little area are so great! they stop, talk, and ask questions, help out when ever something needs done, and they are always looking out for my horses and me... Almost feels like Joelton! (well not really ... I'm not related to them! and don't know their life history) but this is GREAT!


I'll post photos tomorrow!

Feed,

I finally got some metal cans, some extra feed, supplements, and zip locks.
So tonight after making GS wings (don't ask) I put together 6 days of feed, hay stretcher, and dietary supplements for the horses.

My dinning room looks like a tornado hit it!

I've got to get another 6 days together, then I have to start set up how I am going to pack it into the mule pack for Navarre. (oh yeah... it came in today... but the safety gear from the UK still isn't in yet)  I am starting to get worried, but I have a temporary back up just in case!