Once again the heavy rains have forced us to close the trails. Unfortunately more rain is expected today so the trails will remain closed until weather improves and our trail dries out.

Thanks and sorry for the inconvenience.

UPDATE: Trails are open. I didn’t get an email announcing it, but noticed they were open and in good condition.

A group of 13 TTPA members just got back from a trip to J-D in Octavia, OK. We had two great 13 mile rides in beautiful cool weather up and down mountains and along babbling creeks. The folks and facilities are J-D are wonderful. It made coming back into the rain more bearable. I’ll post some pictures soon.

I just drove the back way to McKinney and Wilson Creek is up to the bottom of the bridge on CR 317 and is spilling over its banks in each direction. Our northern trail is probably very wet right now and more rain is expected.

I decided to drive north to where the East Fork of the Trinity crosses FM 546 and it is full but doesn’t appear to be overflowing yet.

Paula Benett, a long time friend to TTPA, has offered to donate 100 bales of hay to TTPA as a fund raiser. The hay will be cut in October.

Paula bales heavy good quality bales. Charlie and I made a visit to Paula’s farm recently and the hay growing looked really good. There were very few weeds and it looked to be nice Bermuda. If you are interested in purchasing hay and supporting the club, contact Charlie Gaines to place your order. There is a limited quantity available so lock in your order soon.

I apologize for not posting earlier, but the trailheads for Trinity Trail are open again.

The trails are occassionally closed after heavy extended rains to avoid damage to the trails. If you have questions whether the trails are open or not, please call either Charlie Gaines at 972-442-6454 or Chris Churchill at 972-429-1222.

The Texas Ride for the Cure is hosting an official event for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Come ride with the group on October 10, 2009 at the LBJ National Grasslands in Decatur, TX.

Spend time with horses and friends on your favorite Grasslands trail. Your particpation will help support research, early detection and a cure for many women and men. See official site for more info.

A TTPA member recently reported that her Trail Magic Stock Trailer was stolen. The incident occurred last week when the area was having heavy rain. Here is a description of the trailer:

1996 Trail Magic 14 ft Stock trailer
Gate system inside and a saddle compartment upfront
Three is a dent in the front on the aluminum strip
On the back flip doors, there is a “Caution Show Cattle” sticker
The plexiglass window in the direct front is cracked.
The license plate has an expired tag.

Please be on the lookout for it and if you see it, contact
the Allen, TX Police Department or Candice at cdrocab@aol.com or via
telephone at
Phone: 214-383-9853
Mobile: 214-906-1005

Please keep your eyes open for a trailer matching the description.

The annual Trinity Trail Preservation Association Halloween Trail Ride is scheduled for Saturday 31 Oct. We will meet at Brockdale Trail head in Lucas at 9:30 AM and ride out at 10 AM.

Hamburger lunch at 12:30 after the trail ride. The club requests a $5 donation to cover the cost of supplies.

We will have a Costume Parade and will do Trailer Trick or Treating after lunch. (There will be no costume contest).

Please RSVP to Berdine Eberhart at 214-215-6141 so we’ll have a head count.

The Cooper Lake Work day and trail ride scheduled for Saturday September 19th has been cancelled due to the recent heavy rain. We will reschedule at a later time.

Trinity Trails remain closed until the rain stops and the trail dries out.

We needed rain, and boy did we get it. We’ve had close to 5 inches in the last couple days and its still raining.

Unfortunately, due to the heavy rains, we’ve had to close all the trailheads. The trails are soggy and riding on them in this condition will damage them. Sorry for the inconvenience.

We’ll open them as soon as they’ve dried out a bit.

Come and Celebrate Maggie Sico’s Life
(a note from Tracy Matern)

UPDATE: Due to 80% chance of rain on Saturday, we are moving Maggie’s memorial location to the Lucas City Hall, 665 Country Club Road, Lucas Texas. It is on the west side of the road across the street and north of Hart Elementary School.

A bright light in our lives has gone out. Our precious friend Maggie Sico passed away September 9, 2009 when she struck a rock while riding her motorcycle with her husband Jim near Kerrville and careened off into a canyon.

Maggie Sico - TTPA member and beloved friend

Maggie probably did not know how many hearts she affected but let’s tell her and her family at a Celebration of her Life at the Brockdale trailhead of Trinity Trail Lucas City Hall , this Saturday, September 12th at 11 AM.

Maggie in Ruidoso (Donna Carmickle's photo)

Please dress comfortably for the Texas weather, bring a chair to sit in and some cold drinks for yourself. If you are able, please bring a story about Maggie to share with her friends. She touched all of us in some way with her wonderful sense of humor and her supportive nature. Sharing these stories will be a tribute that she would appreciate.

Maggie riding in Christmas parade (Ruth Blom's Photo)

If you cannot attend but would like to show your respects, send a story or a note to Tracy at bobtracy AT dfwair.net and Tracy will read it at the Celebration.

If you have any pictures of Maggie you would like to share, please email them to Tracy Matern at bobtracy AT dfwair.net. They need to be at least 300 dpi for proper print quality.

After the Celebration, all are welcome to share lunch at MexiGo restaurant in the southeast corner of the intersection of McDermott and US 75 in Allen.

Donna Carmickle has organized this tribute to Maggie. If you wish to talk with Donna you can reach her at babycarm AT aol.com or via telephone at 214-882-0833

Please pass this on to anyone else who would like to join the Celebration.

Please note that the Workday scheduled for Sat 12 September will be rescheduled to a later date so it won’t interfere with Maggie’s Memorial.

Note from Chris – Maggie’s passing will leave a big hole in our lives. She was a true friend and a dedicated TTPA member and supporter. She had served on the board and was always willing to pitch in and do whatever needed to be done. She had no ego. I’m trying to imagine how she would comfort us if she were here…I think she’d tell us to go ride our horses. Maggie is riding in heavenly pastures now, but she is not forgotten.

If you have pictures or want to leave a note about Maggie, feel free to leave a comment here or send me the pictures at chris @ horsecove.com. I’ll be adding more pictures as I receive them.

Highland Park Trail is open for riding.

Pack your camera in your saddlebags and head for the trail. The Highland Park Trail north to the giant sycamores is back open. If you haven’t been on the trail yet, it is lovely. Most of the trail is in the shade and winds around by some of the largest trees in Texas. See you soon.

Volunteers from August TTPA Work Day

1. Hang out with awesome people who share a love of horses with you.

Working on a TTPA Work Day gives you a chance to meet folks like yourself who love horses and trail riding. With all of us juggling busy schedules, it is hard to meet other horse people. Work days provide us the opportunity to bond with like-minded folks and get to know the trails better (which makes riding the trails that much more fun). Those who sweat together, ride together.

Volunteers driving 4WD John Deere Gator

Have you always secretly desired to drive a John Deere Gator, run a power saw or command a high powered drill? One of the side benefits of a work day is we can leave the computer and cell phone behind and do something that is a complete departure from our normal modern pampered life. Come fulfill your inner craftsman, who knows you may discover a whole new side of you.

Hard working volunteers from Aug 2009 Work Day

3. Good exercise

No doubt about it, moving tree limbs, painting rails, pounding nails is physical. While you might not get a six pack abs from a work day, getting out of the office and expending energy is good for you and you’ll definitely burn calories. Work days often call for walks to and from trail heads. If exercise is what you want, we can accommodate.

Volunteers clear trail of downed tree limbs - August 2009

4. Spend quality time outdoors

Being outdoors is good for the mind, body and soul. It renews our interest in life and gets us back in touch with nature. Work days get you out of the house and involved in a worthwhile project in the fresh air. You’ll come back feeling good about yourself, life, and your neighbor.

TTPA Volunteers walk in the woods

5. Do a good deed that is much needed and appreciated

Trinity Trail depends on volunteers. The work day offers an easy way to give back to something you love – trail riding. As urban development robs us of private riding areas, public trails like Trinity Trails offer a place to ride when we might not have any. Keep Trinity Trail alive by volunteering. A couple hours of your time once a month can make a tremendous difference. The old saying “many hands make light work” is so true. Volunteering makes the organization strong. TTPA needs you. Please consider participating in the next work day.

August 2009 Work Day

Speaking of the next work day, here are the details:

Work Party – Saturday, September 12, 2009
8:00 am
Location: Brockdale Trailhead
Bring gloves, clippers, trash bags, water to drink, and post hole diggers. We will be cleaning and putting up signs.

Contact Charlie Gaines at 972-824-3369 for more information.

See you there.

Horses and Acrobats Performing at Southfork Ranch in Parker Texas

Artania is a Russian acrobatic/equestrian troupe. They are now performing at Southfork Ranch in Parker and are doing performances on Thurs thru Sundays starting this weekend. Tickets are normally $35, but this weekend and next they are offering a $10 discountfor them.

Awesome horses and acrobatics. Well worth the price! Check out their YouTube Video

Tickets are at Southfork Ranch website and you need to call and request the $10 discount. They are performing Aug 20 thru October 31.

Come watch amazing acrobats and horses. See you there.

The north part of the Highland Park extension will be closed temporarily for maintenance. The Corps has asked that we stay off that section of the trail while the work is being done.

We will let you know when the work is completed and the north section is reopened. The trail south from Highland Park is still open.

Thanks for your cooperation.