Carolina Trekkers

HELLO FROM HOME

2007-10-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

WE ARE STILL HEARING FROM SOME FOLKS AND WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THE SITE REMAINS OPEN AND ACTIVE.PEOPLE HERE AT HOME TELL US ALL OF THE TIME THAT THEY FOLLOWED US AND MISS OUR STORIES.WE HAVE HEARD FROM SOME PEOPLE EVEN AFTER WE RETURNED HOME AND ANSWER THEM AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.PLEASE...IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT,FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US.
MARLA MCKINNEY
CAROLINA TREKKERS

Calming Down

2007-09-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone.Things here are beginning to settle down and we sure are glad.We are still hearing from folks with lots of questions and are trying to get back to you as soon as we can.It seemed to be a lot easier when we spent sooo much time in the camper!!!
Love,
Marla

HELLO FROM HOME

2007-08-22T06:08:00.000-07:00

We have made it home safely and are trying to step back into our lives.Surprising to me just how difficult it has been for the three of us.Of course our families are delighted and so are we.I think I can safely say we are overwhelmed.So much to take care of.No matter how much help you have taking care of things while you are gone,no one is quite as good at running your life as you are!!LOL.There have been many,many things to take care of for all of us but I think we are starting to regain some control.Whiskey and Jericho are doing great ,resting and all but I can't help but think they are a little bored.
Thank you all for the support you have given us in so many ways.We couldn't have made it as far as we did with out the love and encouragement from you.
I'd like you all to know that the web site will remain active to allow for comments and to see the signs of stroke.As any new readers may join us,we hope that you will find our blogs good reading and helpful,maybe even a little inspiring.
Love to all,please stay in touch,

Going Home

2007-08-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

When we began this ride, we were very optimistic and went into it with one hundred percent commitment and rosy eyed anticipation. We knew there were going to be some challenges with Edie having to continue to work with the businesses that she owns and co-owns. We knew we could stay away from home for six or seven months. We have now been gone for six months.

Here is what we have accomplished:

Four million people were educated about stroke awareness and the value of early detection of strokes through radio interviews, newspaper interviews, and personal contact.

Innumerable others were educated through our website and my weekly newspaper articles.

We managed to reach our personal goal of becoming two, out of less than three hundred, Long Riders, world wide.

Edie and I, two ladies in our fifties, successfully crossed the Mojave Desert on horseback, despite sand storms, earth quake cracks, horrendously deep drifting sand and many unforeseen dangers we could not possibly have anticipated.

We successfully crossed the treacherous mountains of Arizona and observed the world from the very crest of those mountains.

We rode the entire Mogollon Rim and came off it safely, in the pitch black of night.

We crossed the prairies of New Mexico and Texas and we did it all with no harm to ourselves or our horses.

In our spare time, we also set some world records:

We are the first Long Riders to be working a business while doing our ride.

We initiated and set up the first international internet network for the Long Riders who are currently doing expeditions on the North American Continent.

In the near future, we will be working with the Long Riders Guild and the Royal Geographic Society in London, England, to put together the first global topographical internet mapping system that will allow future Long Riders to pull up the trail ahead and see, in 3-d, what obstacles are ahead of them.

The third member of our party, our crew person, Marla McKinney, made it all possible by providing a phenomenal support system for us, no matter what circumstances came up. She took care of us, encouraged us and was the glue that held us together under extremely difficult circumstances.

We had hopes that contributions would be sufficient to finance the ride and thanks to many generous people, some funding was there for us. These generous donations helped make it possible for us to reach as many people as we did. The level of financial support was simply not sufficient to meet the expenses of this journey. Even with contributions, we have self funded over twenty three thousand dollars to continue this far. In addition to lack of funding, we had many time delays that were unavoidable. Scheduling interviews, negotiating extremely difficult terrain and trying to schedule shoeing and other necessary care for the horses contributed to those delays. (The horses were wearing out extra thick shoes every eight to ten riding days!)
During the six months we have been gone, Edie’s business partner, her mother and other valuable employees have done a fantastic job of taking care of things in her absence, but it is time for her to resume her responsibilities on the home front.
We have traveled from Abbeville, South Carolina to California, from California back across the southwest, and finally, to Magnolia, Arkansas, where we made the collective decision that we had done all we could do for our cause. The contributions have stopped coming in and we all need to step back into our lives. The Carolina Trekkers are coming home.
We have many successes behind us… we made a huge difference in the lives of many people we met. We spread awareness of strokes and the value of early detection of strokes for over six thousand miles on our round trip journey. We are proud of what we have accomplished. If only one person’s quality of life is better because of the time and effort we spent out here… it was all worth it.
Thanks for the tremendous amount of support we received from everyone at home, other friends and family, and people we met along the way. You have been the wind beneath our wings. We could not have done any of it without you. I pray that the wind will stay at your back, the sun will always shine in your lives and there will be a big shade tree every where you need one… God bless you all.
Love,
Andi Mills, Edie New, Marla McKinney, Amos, Jericho, Whiskey, Tonto … The Carolina Trekkers

Lucky Dun It Again...

2007-07-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

Well, once again, I can not upload any pictures. A few days ago I blogged about my new filly, Nika. Now it seems that there will be two new fillies coming home with me! "Lucky Dun It Again", is a beautiful two year old dun overo Paint filly. She is the half sister to Nika. They are by "Lucky To Be Gold", out of different dams. As soon as I can get some pictures loaded I will post them. My friend, Nanci, raised both of these fillies in New Mexico. I am very excited about both the new additions. I guess I don't have to worry anymore about Jericho being lonely when we get home! Thanks to Nanci, to Edie, to Peggy, to Guy and to Bobby. Each of you have played a MAJOR role in this turn of events and it would not have come to pass without each of you. I am eternally grateful! I am so looking forward to getting back into the Paint horses. I raised, trained and showed them for years. I have always loved them. Now, when I get back, I will have plenty to keep me busy. Hopefully I will be able to load pictures soon. Until then... keep good thoughts and be happy.... Andi

SWEAT

2007-07-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know me well,it can be said that I generally don't sweat.Let me tell you...I'M SWEATING !!! The humidity is just incredible here.When we came in today I was soaked to the bone.I feel for the horses though.They are in great shape and can ride a 22 mile day and come in nice and dry.Now they can be just standing in thier pen and be wet.Summer in the south.
Anyway ,we are getting closer to home and I have to say,we are more than ready.Our work out here isn't done so we have to finish what we have started.We still spend our days talking to folks and handing out cards ,telling our story to anyone who will listen.Funny thing is that is seems to me that it is the younger adults who are most interested.The ones our age always know someone who has been affected by stroke and will share thier story with us.We talk to the waiters and waitresses and the clerks at the store and the people at the post office and anyone else whos ear we can bend.
We got an e-mail from a lady early in our trip who wanted to meet us.We wrote back and forth for a while.She left on a journey to visit her sister and tried to catch up to us in Arizona but it didn't work out.We didn't hear from her for awhile and then all of a sudden she popped up again and was on her return trip to home.She and her friend drove out of thier way to meet us in Texas.Thanks for keeping up with us ,Sharon and Kathryn.They spent the day with us and it was like being with old friends.Sharon even cut our hair.Thanks.

We have met some really wonderful people since we have been away from home.Some really treated us like family.Some say that we now are family and will always be. It's these things I try to remember on these hot sweaty days. What a trip!
Love to all,
Marla
P.S. we are having trouble down loading pictures so we will catch up as soon as we can.

JACOB HAS GONE HOME

2007-07-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

How sad...we sure miss him. He had really developed into quite a strong member of our team. He and Marla had their routine for setting up the pens. On one of his last days here, he put one six panels by himself. These things are not light and he is only eight. He was also quite important to her in the unloading of the motorcycle from the hauler. We gave him a lot of responsibility and he did a great job. He loved pulling out his wallet and giving cards to strangers and telling them about our mission.

He starts football practice Monday, this is his first year playing. That is something else we worked on while he was out here. He is strong as an ox and I suspect he will be on the line somewhere.

We are nearing the Arkansas line and boy...the humidity is a crude reminder of our south. There is such a difference between dry heat and this humidity. It was strange how it things change so suddenly. From New Mexico to Texas, the amount of water available changed almost like the flip of a switch.

Our riding now is almost like riding in SC. There are trees that provide shade in places along the roads. All of this familiarity has made us so homesick. We are getting so close but still have so much more distance to make. At least we are moving at a better pace and home seems within reach.

Can't wait to see you in SC;
Edie

GOT MILK?

2007-07-28T18:20:00.001-07:00

We've all heard the saying"Everything's big in Texas" I have to say that there is a lot of truth to that.When we stayed with the Mason's ,they took us to a dairy.It is supposed to be,not only a Texas size dairy but one of the largest in the country.I had no idea that technology had hit the dairy buisness in this way.Now I don't want you to think that I believe there are still folks out there milking by hand cause I'm just smart enough to realize that that would be awful hard to keep up with the population but I was simply amazed.The dairy has near 10,000 head of milk cows.Imagine!There is a carousel these cows load onto that has an 8 minute rotation time. This thing holds 78 cows and revolves 23 hours a day.Let me help you with that math...that is over 4000 a day!!Each cow gets milked 3 times a day,5 tankers a day at 6,500 gallons each of fresh milk every day.Check out the pictures.

Marla

Cheers!

2007-07-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

The day we made our 1,000 actual saddle miles was one of the truly great moments of my life. To set a goal and then work so hard to achieve it makes victory that much sweeter. Edie, Marla and I celebrated with a glass of wine and a steak dinner! We figured we deserved it. You really don't appreciate the distance of a thousand miles until you have experienced it from the back of a horse. It gives you an entirely new perspective! Not only did we ride one thousand miles, but at the end of that thousand miles, our horses looked great and were in fantastic condition. That was the most important thing to us... that we could do it and keep the horses in good shape. They have been through a lot and a doing great. I guess that is a testiment to the good care we give them. I can't wait to see my friends and family... We are getting closer every day. We can make excellent time now in this beautiful terrain. Texas has been good to us....Andi

The Masons

2007-07-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

We must, once again, add to the list of Sweet Folks in Texas. Tom and Barbara Mason let us stay at their beautful ranch for a few days. They were the sweetest folks and were very kind to us while we were there. Tom fixed up a place for the horses to stay in some of his cattle pens where they had room to walk around. We combined our resources and shared meals with them and they were wonderful. Barbara set a bountiful table and Marla and I both got some recipes from her to take with us. I got to go to church with them while we were there, and on the way back home, Tom told me some interesting things. He said that within a 100 mile radius of Amarillo, six MILLION cattle go through the feed lots per year! Now, that's alot of hamburger, and good Texas Steaks! No wonder we have seen so many feed lots across Texas. Barbara served us the sweetest cantaloupe at every meal. It was some of the best I ever ate. Tom was a quiet man, but he took Jacob under his wing and let him go with him on the tractor. Jacob had a ball! I asked Tom before we left if we were the most unusual bunch of women he'd had on his place for awhile... and he looked at me and said... "Ever!" He said it with a smile, so I guess that is O.K.! We will remember them always as two extremely sweet folks. We miss them alot. Andi

Meet Nika

2007-07-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

I told ya'll earlier about my new filly, Nika. I finally got some pictures of her to share with you. She is a two year old. She has blue eyes and is very sweet. Edie has a loud Appy, (Whiskey), Marla has a gorgeous buckskin mare, Shilo, Edie has a bay mare, Hershey, Doug has another bay mare, and when you throw Nika and my roan gelding, Jericho, into the mix... we will surely be a colorful bunch! The "Rainbow Brigade from Abbeville"! Hope you like the new addition... I can't wait to get her home. Andi

Stock Yards...

2007-07-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

One day, while Edie and I were riding along a railroad track service road, we saw that the road we were on was going to veer off hard to the right. Marla had put out water for the horses but we would have to follow the highway on our left to get to it. We crossed over the railroad tracks which had steep rocky sides to the rail road bed and thick weeds growing near the bottom of the rail bed. I got off to lead Jericho down the steep embankment and slipped in the rocks. I fell in front of him, but as luck would have it, he avoided stepping on me once more. He has had many opportunities to step on me when I have fallen right in front of him, but he never has. I really love this horse! Anyway, when we got on the other side of the tracks, we realized that we were in a cattle feed lot. These things are HUGE! They are so big that they have a network of roads running through pen after pen of cattle. They also smell pretty bad. The horses didn't know what to think of the thousands, (and I do mean thousands...) of cattle. At one point, we were trying to figure out how far we were from the road but there was a berm between us and the road so we were unable to see how far we were off the highway. Jacob was with us that day and we were all walking, so we asked him to go climb the berm to see where the highway was. There was an area that looked all cracked and cakey like it had once been wet and had dried up. When Jacob took a few steps in that, he sunk into a muck bed. It was a deep bed of cow manure! By the time poor Jacob, (wearing his brand new cowboy boots, of course...) got out of the muck, his boots were caked with cow poo. He was not happy! He was sure Edie and I had known what it was and sent him there on purpose. We finally convinced him that we did not do it on purpose... we assured him that his boots would dry and could be cleaned up again at that point... that appeased him somewhat. While we were walking on the inside of the fence near the highway, Charlie Overton saw us. He is the person we stayed with in Yeso, New Mexico. He was on his way to Hereford to take some cows to the packing plant. It was like old home week! We were so excited to see him again. We talked a few minutes and he was on his way. We finally found our way out of the feed lot and got on the highway again. The rest of the day went well... We have enjoyed this part of the ride so much... have a great week! Andi

Sweet Texas Folks

2007-07-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

Shortly after we arrived in Texas, we met the Johnson family. They own Scott Johnson Farm Services. They go all over Texas and cut corn for people who have dairy and beef cattle. They also raise show steers. They have a "cold room" that is air conditioned to put the young steers in so they can grow hair to make their coats thicker. Jacob had a ball learning all about show cattle. They also have three lovely daughters that show their pigs and steers. Jill, Cari, and Abby are in the 4-H club and were inerested in asking lots of questions about the horses and our ride. We were very grateful for their hospitality and friendship while we were there. They were the first people we stayed with when we first got to Texas and we were to find out that they were the first of many very sweet people we would meet here. Love to all... Andi

We Made it!

2007-07-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

More news to catch you up on... Edie and I are now officially Long Riders. So much has been going on, it will take us a few days to catch you up on all the important past events. We are really trying to make some time now as the terrain has opened up for us. The horses are in great condition... they never even break a sweat anymore. Their weight is holding well, their feet are in good shape and they certainly have plenty of energy... Texas is being kind to us, so far. The people are very friendly. We are in the heart of the west Texas farm country. Such a change from the desert terrain... a welcome change. The desert had it's own beauty, but this is different. Everything is green and growing. No more steep climbs or decents... Few gopher holes to step in and virtually no deep drifting sand. We are anxious to see what lies ahead for us in Texas. I'm sure it will all be interesting. I am still homesick for my friends and family. I miss them all so much. Hi to Jessi and Ryan... give Naja a pat on the head for me... you guys are precious to me. Thanks so much for taking good care of her. Hi to Ms. Julia... and Julie... and the rest of the clan that are holding down the fort in Abbeville and caring for my cat, Evie. Mary, J.C. and the rest of my family and friends... I can't wait to see you all again. I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of OZ.... "there's no place like home... there's no place like home..." I keep clicking my heels, but no magical journey home... Just more hoof prints in the dirt... heading towards home... to where my heart is... I love you all.... Andi

CROSSING INTO TEXAS

2007-07-20T11:36:00.001-07:00

We are still catching up on pictures. Here is when we actually crossed over into Texas and it is definitely cowboy country. I have seen the biggest stockyards and huge dairies here. There are also fields of corn and the sweet smell of tilled soil. I know lots of ranchers use ATV's for long distance herding but there is still a need for horses in certain circumstances. We watched a couple of guys cutting calves from the herd for medical attention. It is so cool to watch roping being done as part of the job and not just for competition.

I agree with Andi about the road courtesy here. Virtually everybody gives us road room, even though we are riding on the shoulder of the road. It is a gut wrenching feeling to be riding and have two cars coming toward you and the back one decide to pass and whips out as if it is headed in your direction. I have witnessed several people actually wait until they are past us before passing the car ahead of them. Thee shoulders of the road are so much more conducive to horseback riding and we are certainly excited about our ability to make better time. Home is certainly starting to feel closer to us.

Edie

BANDALIER NAT'L PARK

2007-07-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

We had so much trouble with computer signals in New Mexico that keeping up our pictures on blogs was virtually impossible. Any signal I had was used for working and quick blogs. I am trying to take some time to show some of pictures we took while in New Mexico.

As a reminder, we had to put the RV in the shop for a couple of days. While it was there, we were able to use a car and drive up to Bandalier and back through Santa Fe.

Bandalier Park is the ruins of the Pueblo Indians (also referred to as cliff dwellers) dating back approximately 500 years. They lived in caves carved out of the soft mountains created by volcanic ash. Some of the pictures show the ruins of buildings that were built from block also carved from the soft stone. The bottom left picture is the ceremonial cave and we had to climb several flights of "ladders". There was a great view from up there. The round structure is called a kiva and tourists are allowed to go down in there. It was quite an experience and a place I have wanted to see for a long time.

I felt funny actually wearing shorts and probably looked even funnier than I felt. My arms and face are very tanned but my legs are stark white from wearing jeans while we ride. Hope I blind anybody while we were there.

SANTA FE

2007-07-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures taken in the old downtown Santa Fe. The picture on the left is along the square. This is where the locals display their handmade jewelry and blankets. No doubt that there were many talented craft persons. The picture on the right just exemplifies the architecture in that area.

Edie

BILLY THE KID'S GRAVE

2007-07-18T18:48:00.001-07:00

Can you guess who took this picture? I don't know who was more excited about riding horses in the same town as Billy the Kid....Jacob or me.

I guess I had Billy pegged as just another bank robbing, murdering outlaw. He was actually called a Regulator and after his boss/teacher was murdered, they were deputized. They were given warrants to capture these men and bring them in for trial. Billy just didn't see the need to take them back in. Even though his tactics were more of a vigilante, his actions got attention from the President and ultimately helped dissolve some of the government corruption in New Mexico.

Edie

NEW MEXICO

2007-07-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

In Andi's blog, she mentions about the mountains and mesas disappearing...here are a couple of pictures of those beautiful New Mexico mesas.

Edie

OUR CAMP

2007-07-18T18:09:00.001-07:00

Camp is where ever Marla parks the RV and it is rarely at a campsite or RV park. Most of the time we are on the side of the road. This particular night, we are on the side of Hwy. 60, Jacob and I are cooking the infamous tube steaks.....lol.

Edie

Texas, Texas, Texas...

2007-07-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

It seemed like forever that I was talking about the desert... It seemed like forever that we were in the desert... WE ARE DEFENITELY NOT IN THE DESERT ANYMORE! We are on a flat planet that has not so much as a bump on it all the way to the horizon! Beautiful fields of corn and milo and soy beans. Huge irrigation sprinklers and huge tractors. Huge cattle feed lots and huge dairies. It seems they don't do anything on a small scale in Texas! Huge trains that require five to eight engines to pull them down the track. There are some other differences in Texas... the drivers are the most courteous we have seen yet... They are so careful around the horses... they slow down or even pull over to the breakdown lane when coming at us in the oncoming lane of traffic! Truckers are especially courteous. It is a far cry from California... We have come quite a ways in Texas and I am very impressed. The people are kind and sweet. The weather is HOT and the breeze sometimes feels like it is coming off a blast furnace, but at least it cools our skin a little. It's hard to believe we have come so far. It has been incredible. I thought alot about Nika today. She is beautiful and I am looking forward to having a young horse to work again. Jericho whill love having another horse for a buddy. The world is beautiful, the trip is fantastic, and ...for the moment... all is right with the world. Marla is cooking something wonderful... I don't know what it is... but it sure smells good... mmmm mmmmm she is a great cook. The side of the roads here are soft and grassy. We are making great time. Few rocks and even footing... we'll be home before we know it! Love to all... Andi

US, SUE AND LINN

2007-07-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of our SC visitors. We have one of just them but couldn't get it to load on the blog page. I was able to show this one. It was sure great visiting with them.

Two Ladies from Home...

2007-07-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

We got a great surprize yesterday. A lady from Greenwood, South Carolina, a town twelve miles from where we live, called us. Linn Johnson and her sister, Sue, were in the area where we were and saw our picture in a paper. They were so excited to know we were close and they wanted to meet us. It was like old home week. Linn lives in Greenwood and her sister, Sue, lives in Charleston. We had a wonderful visit with the ladies and enjoyed them so much.By the time they left, we felt like we had been with two long time friends! It was such a treat to hear another South Carolina accent and to know that when we go home, we have two new friends. I have been trying to post a picture of them but have not been able to upload the picture. I guess we'll have to post it when we can do it later. Any way... they were an absolute joy and I can't wait to see them again. What a special gift their visit was to us all... We have been out here so long that things take on a different perspective... At home, people are going on with their lives... We are so seperated from our loved ones... we miss them and will be glad to be home when our journey is over, but when we get to see someone from home, even people we have never met before... they are very precious to us. Linn and Sue are another high point in our trip...Love to everyone... Andi

What happened to the rocks and mountains?

2007-07-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

We know we are in Texas because there are NO ROCKS OR MOUNTAINS clear to the horizon, in any direction. We are riding on a table top of beautiful green grass and it actually rains here! We were in the desert for so long, I never thought we would get out of it. Four months of sand, sand, and more sand! Five months with NO RAIN! Rocks have been everywhere and now there are no rocks... That would not be a problem had I bought a shorter horse, but even though Jericho is only fifteen hands, I need a little something to step on in order to mount him. Long gone are the days when I could grab a horses mane and swing up on him bareback... Sherry, from Super Gentle Horses, where Edie bought Whiskey... gave me a neat little tripod thinggy that I can stand on to mount and it folds up in my saddle bag. It will get a lot of use out here! I am glad that my new paint filly won't be a huge horse... I would have to carry a step ladder to get on her! Oh well, getting older brings on some concessions, but at least I am still riding... As long as I can figure out how to get on a horse, I will ride. The people in Texas are very nice and I like it here. The terrain is much better and much more conducive to faster travel. Things are opening up for us and we are glad. We are hoping the hardest part is over now that we have left the desert of California, the mountains of Arizona, and the prairies and mesa's of New Mexico behind us... nothing but wide open spaces ahead of us and lots of them... Peace and blessings to all.... Andi

One Bad Apple...

2007-07-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

From the very beginning of our ride, we have been truly blessed by wonderfully supportive people that understand how important our ride is to spread avareness of strokes and promote early stroke detection. The people that are following us, know how hard it is to do what we are doing out here. Edie and I both have watched our sisters struggle with the aftermath of their strokes. We are passionate in our attempt to spread the information necessary in order to possibly prevent someone elses sister, brother, parent or child from unnecessary damage by getting an early diagnosis and treatment. Sometimes there are people who are malicious and vindictive for different reasons. These "armchair critics" are not people that could or would do anything of this magnitude and out of pure unadulterated viciousness use any opportunity to try to cast a pallor on a good thing. Today we had a vicious comment that was meant to hurt and damage our efforts. Because of one bad apple we have been forced to change the method that our comments are posted. From this point on, comments will be sent to our email site automatically for us to filter and post. It will mean a slight delay in the appearance of a comment, but we hope you will all continue to comment. It means so much that you are following us and are keeping us in your prayers. We love you all. We will not allow one bad apple to spoil our barrel of beautiful apples! Andi