Hoofprints in Virginia

In August of 1996, we packed up 6 years of life in the White Mountains and moved across country to Virginia Beach so Gary could attend Law School at Regent University. We left pulling a 4 horse trailer (and 4 horses), (a canoe roped to the top) with a surburban that lost it's transmission in Knoxville, a white volvo, a Ryder truck with a flatbed carrying  Jessica's playhouse, the horsecart, the wheelbarrow and various other "grapes of wrath" accoutrements and a smaller ryder towing the other Volvo. The trip took us 5 days and provided unceasing fodder for the truckers and their CB radios. Every night the horses were snuggly bedded down in a horse motel, while we found the cheapest motels we could. The first night, we arrived in Armadillo, Tx at 2:00 am and just slept in the field next to the horse motel. When we lost the transmission, we had to leave the Suburban behind and hooked the horse trailer to the smaller U-Haul, which had no trailer brakes OR light hookup. We were totally illegal for the last leg of the journey, both Krista and Eryn having had their license only a few months, but made it safely, despite Va Beach rush hour.

We started out with the canoe strapped to the top of the Volvo, but changed the next day at the horse motel. Kurt Johnson, a friend of the girls, came with us to give us an extra driver. He was great comic relief. 

the smaller Ryder

We arrived late at night. An old friend from college and his wife helped us unload as much stuff as we dared. The next day greeted us with a beautiful pasture for the horses 
and this quaint little barn.

 It looks drastically better with this new coat of paint a few months later. Virginia is so hot and humid in the summer, each stall had a huge fan running all the time.

 Jessica in the backyard.

 dito

 Looks like a lesson about to begin. Krista was a wonderful instructor, although Jessica always had a good "seat" (equestrian speak for good riding position).

Krista on Jasi and Jess on Bill...about to hit the trail to the back 300 (uninhabited acreage belonging to the city) that lay directly behind us, given a creek to cross, etc.