Trail Riding?

We drove 3 hours east to Kamloops on Friday. It was hard for me to believe that my sister and her husband would sell the dairy farm , here, that his family had homesteaded. I hadn't seen a lot of her in the last years because I'm wrapped up in music and my kids, and she's always with the horses.
When she asked, on saturday, if I wanted to go with two of her clients (she had just trained their horses to ride) and my daughter ( a pretty green rider) I was unsure of saddling her with more responsibility (sorry). But I really haven't ridden for years. And I've had my share of being thrown from horses.
She gave me Faith.

This mare has been bred by my sister's stallion. I don't know why she's still there. Her owner only cares about barrel racing apparently, a fact she only troubled me with when I noted how antsy she gets going through gates. She also failed to mention that "she hasn't been ridden for a while" meant since February. But she was delightful.
They live on a hilly acreage, surrounded by other ranches - some really big. My sister just opens gates and travels through, shutting them behind us all. Who knows where we were? There were no trails. I like the semi-arid landscape and the rolling hills. I live in a flat valley in a rain forest.
We were sure we could see Laura Ingalls Wilder just around the bend.
Or maybe this one. (I don't know how to delete pictures).
So here's the proof. We were out for 2 hours. Faith is a gentle but sprightly fair bucksking pinto. I'd love to go back and ride some more. My tender ischial tuberosities aren't as bad as I expected. I really enjoyed the conversation with a nurse who wants me to work on her Rehab unit. And I was comfortable with my big sister. Just one year older, I spent my life trying to keep up with her ( and getting most of the bruises for both of us). When I had my son, our relationship deepened. I really needed my hero, and she opened up that she thought of me more as a difficult twin. I was much more precocious in school and loved the limelight. Music and company came easily to me and she was really shy. I never knew she had a speech impediment because I could understand her. I wonder if I won't see more of her with their wonderful welcoming house.

And there was knitting. The sleeves just seemed to knit themselves on the ride up and back. I'm almost done the second one. It is for her second son.

I got to give her oldest boy crap because he hasn't even tried on the sweater I knit for his birthday in May. I said, try it on or give it back. I know it fit D and he would wear it.

The risk of giving gifts, is yo have to let them go.