Workin' . . .

50 days till hittin' the trail . . .

I'm at work right now sellin' rhinestone belts and grass seed. When the customers disappear I go fold Carhartt sweatshirts, read a book on packin', or search the Western Horseman for potential sponsors. I wish I didn't have to work so much, so I could focus on trip preparation. However, money talks, and I gotta buy gas. I get tomorrow off though for school work and trip prep.

I rode Yoakum and Rua yesterday. Rua was awesome. We galloped about three quarters of a mile and walked another mile or so. She's in real good shape for just coming out of winter. Yoakum was feelin' a wee bit frisky and threw a few good bucks in after running down a bank. I was glad I put a saddle on him. It's a good thing I'm ridin' my horse for 3100 miles. If I rode Yoakum the mule the whole way, no one would be able to put up with me afterwards. I'd be a little too . . . inflexible for most people.

So, bad news. I heard back from National Geographic. The back story is I applied for a Young Explorers Grant from their Expeditions Council. They approved my preapplication, and I submitted the full application. They just denied it with a very polite form letter. I'm now actively seeking sponsorship from private sources. If anyone has any leads, please let me know. I'm lookin' for equipment, supplies, and/or cash. Pretty much I'll take what I can get. I'm of course more than willing to cooperate with marketing departments. Did I mention my mare's gorgeous? I'm not half bad myself either ;)


Have a good one,
Erin