It's a LOVE - HATE Relationship!!

Let's face it ... my life revolves around food most of the time!!  Yesterday morning as I waited in the dark for the appropriate time to leave, I kept getting up and going to the fridge.  It being the end of a long trip for me, the shelves were lined with nothing.  Funny, no matter how many times I opened the door, there STILL was nothing to eat that would help pass the time.

The freezer on the other hand, is full to the brim with snacks like crackers, Reese's peanut butter cups left over from the FMCA rally and the peanut butter cookies I baked while at the Chance Ranch.  Add a piece of toast to that and you have breakfast!!  Having already been told NOT to show up early at the Elks Lodge in Indio, I did my best to hang out a little longer.

In the meantime, again catching up a little, THIS is Miss Laila riding LuLu.  About a mile down the end of a dirt road is this facility that could use a little TLC.  Okay, a LOT of TLC, none of which matters to a young girl who's getting to ride a horse.

Once saddled up, we wandered off down the gully past WAY too thin horses for my taste, along with a couple of VERY overweight goats.  Apparently the goats and I have a lot in common, eating everything in site, including all the horse's feed.

Once they got going, I was very proud to see Laila had perfect form sitting on her horse.  She's a natural for sure.  Two things you look for ... a straight back and a straight line from her elbows down the reins to her horses mouth.  YOU GO LAILA!!!

As you can see by the girl laying on top of her horses neck, not all were taking this seriously.  There's always one or two in the group, right?  

As they trotted around, Laila never wavered.  Horses are inherently lazy ... aren't we all at some point or other?  They would really just like to stand still, so a couple of times Laila had to MAKE LuLu do what she wanted.

In the end, since one girl could't get her horse to do anything, they traded.  Laila is on the bay horse at the far right.  They lined up while listening to the directions of the course each would ride around and over some obstacles.  Laila was the only one to do it correctly because she was listening instead of chit-chatting.  YAY LAILA!!!

I would love to move down here and give her riding lessons ... she would be in horse shows in no time with her talent!!

Since not really having a decent breakfast upon leaving Quartzsite, I decided to hit the Elks Kitchen for some lunch.  I know better, really I do, but I never think of it until it's too late.  Never NEVER eat fried food!!  Some things I can get away with ... yesterday was not the day.

The grilled ham and cheese was WONDERFUL, along with a large helping of onion rings ... the really big crispy kind.  That and a coke were a measly $8.00.  By the time I swallowed the last bite, I knew I was in trouble.  Little did I know what trouble was to come.

I LOVE fried foods .... they HATE me.  At midnight I was up sick as could be with a good helping of allergies, sneezing and feeling queasy.  I kicked myself in the butt!!  Some tums, followed by a dessert of benadryl finally provided some relief.  

It's HOT here in Indio .... 92 degrees yesterday .... so this morning I'm heading out early.  At least this time I have a longer drive, meaning I won't be spending time perusing the refrigerator.  It should be a nice trip ... no wind, no rain and no snow, if you can believe the weatherman.