Sharing Our Journey

New Address

2009-12-13T17:52:00.001-08:00

Heidi and Steven Bozard
P O Box 2734
Columbia, SC 29202

Kyson's Second Birthday

2009-12-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

My family celebrated Thanksgiving on November 21st so everyone could attend. The day before, Kyson rode my horse with me for the first time. He was a little timid at first and a little intimidated by Sam when we went to catch him in the pasture. He quickly warmed up to the idea though and was thrilled to ride bareback around the yard with me. Heather has those pictures on her camera though so I will have to get some to add at Christmas. I do, however, have some photos from his second birthday cake and presents....we celebrated after Thanksgiving so the whole family could participate. It was super cute to see him playing his guitar. After the family left, he would stand up on the fireplace hearth while playing and singing will all the energy a two year old boy could possible have (and if you have been aournd 2 year olds recently, that is a lot of energy). We think he might be on his way to being a musician someday. Sayla also had her first bite of "real food" during our meal and Kyson was proud to be the one to feed her. She was excited to eat some dressing and potatoes...small quantities of course :-)

National Parks

2009-12-07T17:25:00.000-08:00

On the way back from Washington, we were able to make a few stops to site see along the way. The first place we visited was Arches National Park, which was really neat! Timing worked well for us that day as we were able to arrive right as the park opened. The light was perfect on some of the arches and we drove around to see quite a few of them. It was a neat place to visit. The second park we saw was called Mesa Verde. It snowed the night before so there weren't too many tourists around :-) Some of the sites were closed as well, but we did tour one cliff dwelling called the Spruce Tree House and another dwelling called Far View (or at least I think if I remember right). It was neat to see how those people built homes and lived off the land. Just thought I would share some of the photos and sorry they are kinda out of order. I am a little tired of being on the computer because I have been processing A LOT of photos recently. Just wanted to keep up with the blog as our life continues.

The Truck

2009-12-02T15:12:00.000-08:00

So I promised friends in Stehekin I would post a picture of all the things we fit in our truck (this is for you Monica) and here it is. We only had to leave behind two Rubbermaid tubs and two plastic crates and about four cardboard boxes. Now..Steven had that truck packed like a jigsaw puzzle so when we camped...all things had to be returned to their original location. We did fit all the things in it though and here is a picture of it all packed at Arches National Park.

Photos By Heidi

2009-11-20T18:03:00.001-08:00

I have finally put the finishing touches on my blog with some updated pictures from Stehekin and some pictures of cute little Sayla :-) www.photosbyheidibozard.blogspot.com. I will put it on the side with other links and do my very best to keep it updated this year as I take more photos. Please pass along the link to others and leave comments if you have trouble viewing the photos. I did a little html work on the site and I am of cousre still working on my skills in that department. Hope your enjoy!

Numbers

2009-11-18T07:35:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share a few numbers from our trip to give you a little entertainment for the day. We are currently at my mom's house and the plan for the day is a little bit of unpacking and reorganizing all the STUFF we have in our truck. Of course, if one has ever seen Steven pack a car, you may already know that is a very slow and meticulous process. Well I am learning today that the unpacking part is about the same :-) So, I thought I would post a little while he unpacks a little. I am guessing I will have time to post all things from our trip, finish updating my photo blog (will add a link here soon), and create an information letter for holiday photo sessions. WoW...sounds too productive to me so I might have to spend some of my time in the pasture with my horse Sam :-) Anyway...back to some numbers from our trip...

3466 - # of miles we drove

3 - lbs of peanut M&Ms we ate (Thank you Katie!)

210 - gallons of gas our truck consumed

2.55 - average price per gallon.....much, much, much cheaper than our trip from East to West

6 - fast food places we visited

15 - number of times we heard the song "15" by Taylor Swift on the radio

1 - night in a hotel

5 - new toys Steven would like to purchase within the next 6 months that I was priveleged to hear about at least 12 times :-) - gun, truck, boat, jeep, & dog....who needs a house right?

13 - states we have been in within the past 7 days - Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina (ok...I know we aren't there yet, but will be soon!)

2 - average cups of coffee Steven drank each morning

4 - days we ate sandwiches for lunch

Okay....I think that is all for now...might add some later but I must assist with the unpacking I have decided if we are going to get it completed today!

Conetoe, North Carolina

2009-11-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Well...we made it!! All the way to NC and arrived tonight around 7:30 Eastern time to my mom's farm. The trip went well with nice weather (except for snow in Texas...when does it snow there?) and some wind in Oklahoma. I will post some photos later and a few "funnies" from the trip...just wanted to let our Stehekin friends know we are home and miss them already!

Cortez, Colorado

2009-11-14T17:51:00.000-08:00

Travel time is going well for us! The weather has been great and we spent the morning in Arches National Park outside of Moab, Utah. All the other places we wanted to stop didn't work out...we would arrive just as the places were closing for the day. Camping has been our choice for accommodations, but not for tonight as we couldn't find any campgrounds! We drive around for 30 minutes outside of Mesa Verde (a National Park we will visit in the morning) and every campground was closed. It is also snowing a little so we are fine with a hotel :-) A nice cozy one for an affordable price! Just wanted to give an update since we have Wi-Fi here. Should be home in a few days!

Saying Goodbye

2009-11-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

So, today is the day we leave . The house is all packed up, Steven is draining the water, and I am waiting to vacuum the floors. Our last few days here have been a great end to our time as we have visited with friends and enjoyed reminiscing about the hikes we have enjoyed here. Many memories have been made in the place....ones that will never be forgotten. A few tears have been shed as this time is mixed with excitement and sadness. The people here create a wonderful community that we have come to love and one that won't be replaced or recreated anywhere else we go. The scenery is a daily remember of God's love for us and all his amazing creations we are blessed with. Just took this picture of the snowy peaks and calm lake before packing up the camera. Colorful leaves on trees can even be seen along the road as it winds up the valley along the lake. Until we come again...goodbye Stehekin!

Loading Rocks on the Barge

2009-11-11T09:44:00.000-08:00

Apple Butter

2009-11-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday and Friday, I made apple butter with fresh apples from the orchard. I did have to borrow a few canning supplies (thanks to Dawn for the canning pot, Betty for the crock-pot, and Diane for the masher) to complete the process. It was quite fun and the house smelled great for three days. Now that I think about it...would have been nice to take a few more pictures to show the whole process, but since my hands were covered in apple puree, probably better that I left the camera in the other room.

Photography Project - Part 2

2009-11-10T15:54:00.000-08:00

In order for the kids to practice what was learned about Rule of Thirds in the classroom, I went on their trip to the orchard to make apple cider. The plan was for each child to take a few photos with my camera for later review at school. They were "supposed" to use the rule of thirds in each photo...some did and some didn't :-) Either way, the day was fun and the kids were very careful with my camera. Most of the photos were great as well and something each one was proud of. Cider making is an exciting process and one all the kids enjoy. You can see parts of the process in the photos below and some were even taken by the kids. Thanks Ron for taking the other photos for me to share!

Photography Project - Part I

2009-11-10T15:45:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, I had the awesome opportunity to share some knowledge about photography with the kids at the Stehekin School. I loved every minute of it as these kids are truly amazing and so much fun to teach. Now, I am sure they have their moments, but they were kept to a minimum for me. I briefly shared some terminology relating to cameras and then presented some information on 'Rule of Thirds'. Each child brought in pictures from home for the project, so we made grids with paper and string so they could see if their pictures followed the rule. It was great fun to outline the steps for the task and allow the children to share what they saw in their own pictures. The morning went by quickly and when I asked one of the kids later if they enjoyed the information, the response was "Well, you taught right through snack time and no one even noticed! Snack time is the most important part of our day so I think you must have done a great job." Of course, I smiled and tucked away that thought for later.

Community

2009-11-06T13:27:00.001-08:00

A favorite for us in Stehekin is hanging out with the awesome members of this community! On Sunday night, Jake and Dawn (and Ray and Baby) had us over for dessert and popcorn. It was great fun to spend time with friends and over some great food too! Everyone lives so close in Stehekin we see our friends on a regular basis, especially in the Fall and Winter when work schedules are more laid back. So..here we have from left to right...Chelsea, JB, Ray, Jake, Dawn, Heidi, Reed, and Steven. We are going to miss you all and hope to keep in touch forever with lots of visits in the future :-)

Leaving our Little Cabin

2009-11-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

So I just realized that I haven't posted a photo of the house we live in...yes..the one we are about to move out of. I was out the other evening walking around with my camera as a full moon lit up the sky. I really liked this picture of our house so I thought I would share :-) The lights on upstairs are in the closet/bedroom area. The kitchen is in the back and the living room in front. It is a great little log cabin with lots of character! Most already know that we are headed back to SC and now we have set a leaving date. Of course, things are always subject to change, but we are putting our stuff...somehow we have accumulated A LOT...on the barge on Tuesday (Nov. 10th) and then riding the boat out on Wednesday (Nov.11th). The plan is to pack our truck in Chelan on Wednesday afternoon and start traveling on Thursday (Nov. 12th). I will let you do a little math to figure out when we'll hit east coast time...just know if takes 5 -6 days to get there if we site see just a little :-) See you there!

Tumwater Bridge

2009-11-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

Steven has been hauling rock and rigging rocks for the past two week as work for the Tumwater bridge project. The bank supporting one end of the bridge has been washing away and they are using rocks to build it back up. All the rocks were hauled up lake from Chelan on the barge, transferred to dump trucks, and carried up the road for the project. Just thought I would post a few pictures since it has been consuming a lot of Steven's time recently.

Happy Halloween

2009-11-06T13:25:00.001-08:00

It is an annual tradition in Stehekin for the kids to make game booths and overdose on candy at the Fall Festival for Halloween. We were able to go this year and had a blast! Chelsea and I dressed up as "injured" rock climbers....a few falls were the list of our concerns though as we were tied together all evening. Steven went in his park ranger attire recently acquired at the local mall (aka compactor). It was great fun to play games and watch the kids in costumes. The night concluded around a fire outside with the local school teacher reading stories to everyone.

Farewell to the Fjords

2009-10-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

The rain sounded on our metal roof all through the night and continued to echo around us as the alarm sounded at 5:00 am; the second time it sounded that morning. The first time was at 4:00am and signaled Steven to get up to feed the horses that were in the corrals at Purple Point, a fenced in area just a few hundred yards from our house. Today was going to be the day they left on the barge headed towards Manson for the winter and a typical barge day it was; cold and wet. We both got dressed and ate a quick breakfast before bundling up and heading to their corral. Our plan was to catch them all, tie them together, and have them at the barge loading area by 6:15. Most of them still had shoes on from the last few packing trips and those shoes needed to be pulled before they went on the barge. So, rain still coming down, I grabbed the wet halters and lead lines and climbed the fence to start the process. As I lifted their heads from the few remaining hay piles to slide their furry noses in the halters, I reminisced about all the fun I had with these animals over the summer. Each horse has so much personality and character that played a part in the stories created over the summer. I realized this may be the last time I ever see some of the guys...ever. I moved from horse to horse, as Steven did the same, to ensure they all had halters on. We both worked quietly and I think both realized our time in Stehekin was coming to an end as different parts of our experience were ending as the weeks rolled by. Then we started tying tail knots. Once we had two strings, we lead them down to the road and walked along the pavement towards the barge. Their is something about the sound of metal shoes clinking on the road; it is a sound I won't forget. The horses were tied to trees and trailers as they waited to have their shoes removed before loading onto the barge. Now this is an exciting time for them as winter is here and work is over for the season so of course each one willingly loaded on and locals helped tie them up to prepare for departure. I stood and watched as the barge pulled away, the sun just starting to light up the sky, mist rising from the water, and rain still trickling down. There is just something about this herd I will never forget, so my goodbyes go to (in no particular order):
Leroy - the cute little mustang always ready for some attention and a chance as a lead horse
Trymm - a true Fjord ready to work and get down to business, no time for playing around
Domino - the cow, I mean horse, that was burdened with all the "healthy" riders this summer
Bute - the lead pack horse of choice and Cragg's riding horse for many pack trips this summer
Rosy Bay Maverick - a newbie to the herd and without a name, so we gave him three
Vegar - a riding and pack horse with one awesome mane making the other horses jealous
Axle - a beautiful horse to all with a nicker ready to share anytime you walked into the corral
Guri - a great mare that never missed a beat, willing and ready for any rider that approached
Biscuit (aka Houdini) - great for kids and a master of making cute faces to get some extra grain
Jaws - a smart horse that preferred leading pack strings on trails than day rides to the lake
Espen - solid as a rock and able to pack anything from anywhere anytime you needed him
Junko - a spunky horse that mellowed out this summer and worked hard alongside the pros
Narve' - another pack horse known as a "tank" for his size, steadiness, and calm nature
Atla - a gelding with a great attitude ready for adults or kids
Ally - a cute little mare always waiting at the gate for a chance to go on a day ride to eat grass
Finn - an older guy set aside for valley kid lessons this summer
Oates - a bundle of energy and eager to work once her attitude was in check
Skoal & Tyrus - the scruffy babies of the bunch with their first riding experience this year
Lilly - a mare to entertain you on the trail with ears up and nostrils open ready for action
Layla - another loaner for a few weeks with a great attitude that loved being with the herd
Foss - a local's "ranch pony" and Fjord look-a-like able to outwork the big Fjords any day of the week

One More Ride

2009-10-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago, the remaining Fjords in the valley needed to be lead down the road from the Ranch in preparation for packing in hunters at Moore Point. I realized this may be my last chance to spend an afternoon riding one of the horses along the quiet Stehekin Road, so I volunteered. My only stipulation was that Steven get at least one good picture for the blog and he did :-) Of course that meant I had to get a picture of him with the truck loaded with gear he collected while I was riding. In case you are trying to count tails in that last picture, I ended up with 10 horses plus my riding horse after we added two at the bakery corals. I only have to retie a tail knot once!

Cascade Loop and More

2009-10-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, Steven and I took a few days off to travel around Washington. The weather was great and the colors were bright as we drove across the Cascade Loop, around the Olympic Peninsula, and through Seattle. Enjoy the sites and scenes we did as you scroll through the pictures.

Day one was starting from Chelan as we headed toward Twisp and found our way onto Hwy 20. The leaves were bright, the sky was blue, and the mountain tops were speckled with white snow.

Time for a top - Ross Lake and Dam. We found this old tug sitting along the road as we walked down to check out the dam.

The Skagit River provides power for Seattle and still has an operating power house and old intake. This train was rebuilt and placed here for tourists to enjoy.

Time for Autumn and beautiful colors!!

Catching a glimpse of this waterfall in the garden area behind the powerhouse. The area was previously set up with lights and evening music for guest enjoyment as they walked along the paths to glance at exotic plants.

Steven was fascinated by these fish and kept pointing out schools of them as we walked along a bridge. Salmon spawning for the season....or so we think.

Power House

The first day ended along Widbey Island and we made it there just in time for an amazing sun set. One of our favorite places was Fort Casey. You will notice that I was working on my sunset pictures during this trip and trying my hand at some flare.

The beach at Ebey's Landing

Fort Casey

Oh yeah...sunsets and silhouettes. I love this picture of Steven looking out over the fort into the water.

Lighthouse at Fort Casey

There goes the sun

So we will add a cool silhouette! Any guesses on who that might be??

We stayed with some friends on Widbey Island that first night and were served a great meal! Thanks to Eric and John (and family) for giving us a comfy bed too. The next morning we rose early to make the 7:15 departure on the Ferry to Port Townsend. Here is a picture from the ferry looking towards the town.

First stop - the harbor! Check out some of those sailboats and I (of course) like the reflection of the sky in the water. There were boats everywhere! Most of them had people living on them...or so it appeared.

Another boatAfter spending some time in Port Townsend, we headed toward Olympic National Park. One of our stops there was the Hoh Rain Forest. It kinda looked like the Congoree Swamp in SC, but we did see this elk there and thought he posed nicely in front of the colorful trees.

Hurricane Ridge...more snow covered peaks and sunny skies. We found a dirt road to drive down and caught some distant glimpses of Mount Rainer when looking down at Port Angeles.

As the day came to an end, we decided to drive all the way around Lake Quinalt. It was a neat drive and we saw a family of elk as well. While coming to the end of the loop, we glanced across the lake to see these great view! We made it to Rochestor that evening to stay with Katie (the one featured in previous posts) for a day or so. Steven made a trip to Cabella's, we enjoyed a party complete with karaoke, and went for a great trail ride. A big thanks to Katie and her family for having us for two nights.

The plan for the last day was a few hours in Seattle. It was great to walk around the market and enjoy all the stands selling flowers, produce, and fish. Seattle is complete with offers for a carriage ride. A fountain in the Seattle Center near the Space Needle.The harbor at Seattle with Mt. Rainer in the background.The city on the water.

Goodbye Katie

2009-10-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

This morning, Katie and Jesse (her horse) left on the barge. It was a sad day as she was an awesome friend this summer and great with the horses. We already have plans to see her in Seattle this weekend when we go down lake for a few days. WE MISS YOU KATIE!!

Flying Lazy C

2009-10-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we decided to brand Katie's boots since it would be her last day in Stehekin. Steven used the brand he made a few summers ago for small items. Both parts were heated up with a small torch until bright red in color, then into the outside portion of her boot heal they were pressed to leave a dark impression. So, we branded her boots together on Sunday, but know the memories of her summer in Stehekin will be remain with her for life. Just some fun photos of the branding process below!

Horse Play Day

2009-10-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Each year, all the valley kids gather to show off skills learned in horseback riding lessons. Katie and I rode horses down from ranch to watch the kids and ride a bit. The kids had fun doing a mini horse show complete with barrel "racing", pole bending, and jumping. Prizes were awarded and the adults rode a bit at the end. My little friend, Matthew, even did a roping demonstration for the group. I have been helping him with roping and teaching his horse to neck-rein this summer, so I was rather proud of him. Here are some fun photos from the day!

Horseshoe Basin

2009-09-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Work lasted until 2:00 for me and 6:00 for Katie on Thursday afternoon. As soon as it was over, we were headed up the road in the blue truck with a light backpack, headed for the end of the road and the beginning of our trail! The plan was a hike to horseshoe basin and up into the old mine. Steven went to Bridge Creek earlier in the day to take down tents and pack up the company back country campsite. Perfect timing for us so he could carry our tent and food! We all gathered around the fire that night after the short 3 mile hike to enjoy dinner and watch the stars fill the sky. The next morning Steven headed out early with the horses and our gear towards Cottonwood. We left with a day pack with flashlights for the mine and lunch, what else could two girls need on a day hike? Fortunately nothing as we didn't encounter anything too exciting. The air was cool when we first started hiking as the sun was still low in the school casting warmth only on the tops of the mountains. Soon enough it was shining down on us and the trail making us wish we had changed into shorts. We stopped at Cottonwood for a quick snack before continuing up the trail to the basin. Red, yellow, orange, and green leaves lined the trail and the river side making for some great pictures! We made it to the basin by 12:00 or so and enjoyed lunch before scrambling up the rocky trail towards the mine. There we took out cameras and flash lights to enjoy the sites, walk into the mine, then sat on an old board for a while and enjoyed the view. We took our time heading back to Cottonwood to set up camp for the night. Steven was to leave our packs and tent in the bear box so rodents would enjoy our dinner instead of us. Upon arrival, we discovered a "tent fairy" visited Cottonwood and set it up for us....very exciting I must say. So...we watched up by the river, made dinner, sat by the fire, then read our books for a bit, before zipping up in our sleeping bags. When we woke the next morning, we decided to head back to Stehekin and take our time getting backed up. The route we chose was the old road bed from Bridge Creek to Car Wash Falls which provided us with some nice photo opportunities to capture the colors of Fall. The hike was great and the pictures are fun...so hope you enjoy! If you ever get a chance to go to horseshoe basin...Katie and I would both highly recommend it!

Day Ride Days

2009-09-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

The sun was hitting the side of my face as I walked through the green pasture down to the corrals last Thursday a the ranch to get ready for my day ride. 1A 2C was present in the calendar so I was only expecting one family....my kind of ride! Halters slung on my shoulder, I walked into the corral to choose horses. I never decide in advance anymore, just pick some as I walk through the herd. Today's ride would include, Axle and Trymm, (for the kids) and Domino for the mom. Jesse (Katie's horse) seemed like a nice option for me since I hadn't ridden her before. Of course, my little buddy LeRoy didn't think that was a good plan as it meant he wasn't going. I lined up the horses and tossed lead lines over their necks as they walked through the green gate one by one. "Such beautiful animals" I think every time I see them. They trotted on over to the feed troughs to wait for the appearance of the white bucket; the keeper of the oats! I tied each one and said hello before grabbing some oats to share with them. Brushing was next...the blue bristled one today..followed by the hoof pick to check a few shoes here and there. It was an afternoon ride you see so the sun started to beat down on my back as the temperature increased. With horses all clean, I opened the new tack shed and chose saddles...very important for them to fit horse and rider you see. With all four horses tacked and resting by the rail, I sat down on a block of wood to wait for the guests. Around 2:30 they came walking across the field with smiling faces and good attitudes. Waivers were signed and helmets were secured before tossing the kids up on their horses. After all stirrups were adjusted, I told them a little about the trail ride and off we went. The mom was very friendly and the kids super excited...although I think the mom was just as excited as the kids were this time around. We talked about their life in Alaska and their pack animals (llamas)...I shared a few horse stories and gave them some facts about the Fjords. About 30 minutes into the ride, it occurred to me that this was going to be my last day ride...not just for this week...the season... or this year....but quite possibly forever. As the thought crossed my mind I almost started to cry...to think about all the fun moments with kids, parents, and couples shared on that rocky trail to Coon Lake over the past two summers. It has been an experience to assist some people ride a horse for the first time, to listen to kids laugh as they looked at the horses striped mane standing straight up, to hear men say "no, don't eat" over and over again as horses continued to munch along the trail, to laugh as people try to hold the reins while taking pictures, to say "stay in the middle" or "you are leaning to the left" 20 times on a ride, to feel the hemp rope rubbing on my hands as I pony a child's horse up the hill, or to just ride along in the silence while listening to the river rush and birds chirp. Fortunately I snapped out of it after a few moments or day dreaming since my current guests were still chatting away. The ride continued through Bullion Camp, up and across the rock slide taking in the views of Agnus Peak, creating more dust at the end of the trail while catching a glimpse of McGregor, and spending some time at Coon Lake....a place I have come to know well. The guests were great and ones we may even see again as they invited us to come visit in Alaska...cabin to stay in and everything! I guess this ride just made me think about all the things I love about Stehekin and all the things I will miss about this place (mind you there are definitely things I will NOT miss), which is a nice break from the day-to-day drama delt out in fair shares here. A guest took some pictures on my rides this week, so I might get to share those since it is a bit of a challenge to take pictures while actually guiding a day ride. Just a few more memories made here I thought I would share. Thanks Janet for the photos!!