July 19 2008
Back home in Idaho, back in the saddle in Oregon!
The Raven went to the Bandit Springs endurance ride in Oregon, just in case I could find a horse to ride. I didn't, but, a special circumstance came up. Melissa, whom I'd met last year in Australia, was at Bandit Springs to ride 100 miles. Melissa had not met the Raven in Australia, because by that time, the Raven had disappeared in Brisbane, : (
However, Melissa (and about half of Australian endurance riders) had heard of the Raven and his exploits, and so here at Bandit Springs, Melissa was thrilled to meet Raven II. She offered to take the Raven on the endurance ride with her!
Whoa! The Raven riding endurance with someone other than me!? It made me kind of nervous, but the Raven was all for it, especially with a visiting Australian, so, at the second vet check, I tied the Raven bag onto Melissa's saddle and stuffed the Raven in the bag
... and off they went! 
The Raven had fun riding on the big paint.
Melissa was very protective, always worried the Raven might fall out of his Raven bag on the trail, so she kept reaching back to check on him.
At one point Melissa reached back and didn't feel the Raven, and she started to panic, until she found he'd just slipped down in the bag. So, just to make sure he wouldn't fall out, she stuffed him way down in the bag, and cinched that bag tightly. (So I wouldn't have to go searching on foot in the dark for the Raven!)
Throughout the day, 
on into the night they rode. I waited anxiously for them at the finish line, which they crossed about 11 PM.They had so much fun together, maybe this could become a habit - the Raven racking up more endurance miles with special Aussies - a cultural endurance exchange!
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