Day 104

   OK , let's just assume that there are absolutely no flat spots in Tennessee. Our good Lord musta forgot to run the disk over this part of the world after he created it! But since God never made any junk and never forgets this must just be his sense of humor at work. I mean this state is breath takingly beautiful and the folks are fabulous...but COME-ON!!!!! Can a Belgian getta break???
   Dale our host did some repair welding on our tongue. It had some stress cracks in it, but he did a great job. Dale caught me telling Bear "back" this morning. I told him I was just a little simple, and couldn't remember 2 sets of commands. One for the dogs and one for the horses. So the dogs have adapted to "horse commands"...whoa-back etc...It seems to be workin' out pretty well. The only dog command we still use is "down"...and we pray we never have to use that with the horses! WINK!
   The Journey For Jesus team, and the Horseback For Hatti team, both did interviews with the Local paper. The reporter was a great lady (Bonnie) and it was probably the easiest interview we ever did. But after repairs and interviews we didn't leave Dales until 11:30-12:00. I took the precautionary step of asking Dale to follow us threw the first few hills after yesterdays scares. And I mean scares. When your horses are 1/2 up a hill and there are huge skid marks from drill teck sliding off and you have to stop before they are on their knees hurting themselves...it's scary. And your heart is rippin' out of your chest for your horses because I have asked them to do this and put them in harms way. Same thing goin' down hill...breaks are mashed all the way down...straps tight on the horses butts and they are taking 1 baby step every 5 seconds...afraid they will slip. When your legs are cramping from holding the breaks so hard...for so long...and you hit what you think is the bottom of the hill...only to see it gets even steeper and longer around the curve...you start callin' on God and prayin' for all your worth.
   We listened to the local folks & came off 41 to miss Clarksville and the camp...shame on me. But we're in it now and nothing to do but push on through to the hyway. So thankfully we asked Dale to scout out the front for us. I decided to use him on three hills and not exhaust Bob & Casey...nor put them in harms way. The asphalt on these old back roads is harder than cement. You don't know how many times I have wished for a 3rd horse and aluminium frame instead of wood.
We needed help on one more hill before we FINALLY hit a the major hwy we were looking for. Hwy 79 YES! The hills are still there but they are long and not steep. So they are doable. We are just goin' to have to take our time across TN until we get a little farther west and it flattens out some.
   One of the ladies pack horses musta been nodding out behind the trailer (Bo) because he got spooked by some kids running out from behind a house and slippin' ended up on his side. But he popped right back up like a trooper. I was watching him in my mirror.... he looked more embarrassed than anything the way he popped back up and shook it off.  Nothin' to see hear folks-nothin' to see here! 
   We had a prearranged plan to stay with Marty Riggins. We had 13 miles top do...left at noon...and had monster hills hills all day, which means Bob & Casey need more breaks to blow. So as we were gettin' close to town it was sun down and getting dark. As we escaped the second half of Dover it was black out. We had flashing yellows in the back but not enough light for a string of pack horses and rider (Ashley) behind them. Up front of us we had Brandy on horseback and the only light we could give her was a "porch light" which only lit up Bob & Casey. But Marty showed up with a friend and they got back and fronts till we got here. Thank you so much!! Lord bless them men. They helped get every ones horses in (Bob & Casey gotta nice pasture with neighbors). The ladies horses are in a barn. And we all got taken to a great dinner. WHEW! Tomorrow will be a day off for the horses and us. Deb is pretty stressed at this point!
PRAYER REQUESTS & COMMENTS:
Thomas Cochran, justt for life
Doug & Meridith Russel ( and Hunter the cowboy) for Family
Joan thank you for prayers
Marion thanks so much, we need the prayers! Love you much and miss you
Rachel OK and thanks
We are sooooooo tired, GOD Bless you and yours. Talk to you tomorrow...if we have a signal.