Duncan Lake Oklahoma

   

  

This weekend was the annual trek to Duncan Lake in Duncan Oklahoma to see the Bald Eagles.

Rita Lynn and I had company on this trip because Bryan was heading to visit Megan in Stillwater and watch OSU pound OU in the Bedlam Series mens basketball game.  So that left me babysitting Paisley and Daisy.

Myself, Rita Lynn and the weekend trailer dogs loaded up Friday after school and hit the road.  Duncan Lake is about and hour and half from our house and we are actually following the Chisholm Trail.  We made it to camp right at dark thirty with the nice weather that weekend we thought the campground would be full but the only other trailer there was Charles and Maylynn Whitlock from Azle Texas.

Our guide for the weekend was Camellia Foster who is the backbone of Duncan Trail systems.  She has been riding there for years and knows all the marked trails and some secret mule trails.  Camellia rides nearly everyday and loves to ride with trail riders who are new to Duncan Lake.

Saturday was a great day.  The weather was perfect and reached 70 degrees.  That is awesome for February.  MayLynn, Camellia and I started off on one of my favorite trails that went around the lake.  The trail offers some flats and  some bluffs with some good ups and downs, or you can choose to go through the woods have a nice shade from the canopy of trees that cover the trails.

Maylynn's dog Rowdy set out with us on his inagural trail ride.  He did a great job but was a tired guy when we got back to camp.  We rode 12 miles but I think he doubled that but he did get a great dinner.  I heard he helped him self to some back strap that came off the grill when no one was looking!

We were very lucky to see one eagle on a nest while the other was setting on a limb beside the nest.

       

Mule ears and the eagles!

After visiting the eagle nest we went on the side of the lake where the riding is has hard or as easy as you want.  I love the rock hoping and the hidden trail over on the other side.

                                      

                                       

                      We did see some other riders out on the trail enjoying the beautiful weather! 

                                          

At 1:00 we were suppose to meet Larry and Leory at the picnic tables on the blue trail.  After waiting a while Camellia's phone rang and Larry said their mules would not cross the water so we would have to meet them at the pining tables on the red trail.  According to Larry, mules do not know how to swim.  I have never heard this and neither had Rita Lynn because we crossed the water just fine... must be a Oklahoma mule thing.

                                       
                         The water did get deep came up to Rita Lynn's belly but it was fun!


                                      

 

Leroy, Misty and Larry - Rita Lynn is telling them "it is ok, I will teach you how to cross the water"!

                                       

Larry the mule skinner telling great stories about non swimming mules!

Duncan Lake has many things to offer  from trail riding, hiking, frisbee golf, and fishing.  If you have not been to Duncan Lake, I encourage you to put it on your list you will not be disappointed.  They do have hook ups but no pens.  The best time to see the eagles would be from December to end of February before the leaves bud back out on the trees.

Rita Lynn Wise County Cowboy Church Open Arena

Wise County Cowboy Church has an open arena every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month from 7-9 pm. If you have not been to their event, I encourage you to take your mount and enjoy all the great obstacles and fellowship.  The arena is great nice sand lights and plenty of parking for big rigs.

This was our first outing as a team and I am not a arena person so this was stepping way out of my comfort zone to attend this event.  Having a good mule or horse is making sure they are exposed to as much as possible and that is one of my goals this year it to go to everything and everywhere I can take Miss Rita Lynn.  So off we go I was very nervous not knowing what to expect and how Rita Lynn would do.  I know Tom did a great job but would I be able to be a leader and not just a rider. My mind was racing with the 10 mile drive over from the house.  Would we be welcome or would it be cliquish?  Would I be the first to hit the ground and have to have Care Flight come?  Sometimes my mind can be my worst enemy.

When we pulled up, there was a couple of trailers already there and they were walking their horses around in the arena.  I got out and unloaded Rita Lynn and whispered in her ear "please lets work together and keep all four feet on the ground and I promise I will give you a nutter butter cookie when we are done" Nutter Butter cookies is her favorite, and I am not a treat giving person, but hey, sometimes I have to use what ever it takes so she doesn't pull her mule union card.

Off we go to walk the arena and check out the obstacles.  The first one was the giant octopus - not something you see everyday out on the trail but a great big trash bag I am sure in Rita Lynns eyes. Well all that worry and stress was for nothing as she walked right in the arena like "lady this may be your first rodeo but it is not mine.  Maybe I should have been telling you in your ear please do not embarrass me and I will get you a ice cream from Braum's".  She walked right up to that octopus and put her nose to it.

                                                

                                                     

The next hurdle was a box with a blowing tarp with empty water bottles in it and you are to step on the tarp. Rita Lynn said "no problem, what else can you show me, I got this one".

The car wash was the next one and she did not mind going through it with the wind blowing it away from us.  It took a minute for us to get through it with the wind blowing it in our face but we did it with a song in our heart and a smile on our face.





                                               

When we had walked through everything - the mail box, tractor tires, little tires, seesaw bridge and a log to pull behind, it was the big test to saddle up and see how we would do.  It took a few times to get her up on the tractor tire but we did it because she kept just wanting to circle it.  Everything else she did like a pro and with confidence.  I am very proud of this little girl.  I think we are going to be a great team, I trust her and I think she is coming around to trust me she may be small but she makes up for it in heart.  The picture below is us on top of the tractor tire.

                                              



I can not say enough about the Wise County Cowboy Church Arena. It is great place to go, the people are friendly and everyone there is encouraging and helping each other complete their goals.

The lesson I learned in this is 'quit worrying about what could go wrong and think about what could go right'.

Remember to tighten those cinches and we will see yall down the trail or maybe in a arena

Misty and Rita Lynn