Day 13: Motoring Away - 85km (Trailer & Ferry)

The long awaited day had come, the ferry day! It wasn't the ferry I was nervous for, but loading Lux on the trailer. With our previous 5 hour experience, I wasn't betting that we'd get on the 11am ferry to Saint John. The night before talking to Tom definitely helped though. With his reassuring and positive attitude that Louis was great at loading horses and Lux would just walk right on, we had a plan, and everything would go well.

And it did! We had Louis leading Lux with food and treats, then Karen to the rescue started tapping him continually on his rear end while Louis kept some pressure at the front. For the first hour, it was just Louis trying. He was so patient, and everyone had such a positive patient attitude, I felt very relaxed. Then after that didn't work, Karen tried the tapping. I was a bit hesitant as last time we'd tried he started rearing. But this was a different day with different people, and Lux was much calmer. We also gave him some chill that Omega Alpha sent us, and rescue remedy. Eventually he got annoyed with the tapping and Karen and James and Louis got him on! My endless thanks goes to them.

I had gone to the post office to pick up a package my mom had sent and arrived just in

time, and to send some stuff home and to friends. I was telling the kind ladies at Canada Post that I was hoping for a text that said "Lux is on the trailer!" but hadn't gotten one yet. It was now 10:30am as I was pulling out of the post office when Jewel sent me that very text! I was so excited and received, and when driving back I passed Karen and James with the trailer heading to the ferry. "They're leaving without me!?" I thought, but quickly realized I'd get a ride down.. that or Jewel was sick of me.

We had a super quick goodbye to the sweet O'Neil's, and boarded the ferry in a hurry. The horses were happy and we headed up on deck. I was SO excited. I don't know if it was the extra coffee, or the pure disbelief that Lux had loaded on the trailer, let alone in time, and we were now on the ferry to New Brunswick. It was one of those moments that don't seem quite real. One that I'd thought about often and here it was, all had gone smoothly and we were in the beautiful water headed out to the next leg of our journey. I said to Joseph and Jewel, it felt like we won the lottery being on that ferry with our horses below. The way everything had worked out, how kind Nova Scotians were to us, we felt like winners. It was a moment I will never forget.

The ferry took less than 2 hours to dock in Saint John, a bit to our disappointment as we were enjoying having our feet up and reading. Mike White met us at the ferry port and kindly led us to his beautiful stables in Rockwood park. He was so kind to us! Since we got there early, we had some time and he offered to take us for a tour of Saint John in his big tour van! Mike gives tours to people who come off the cruise ships that come to Saint John, in the van or by horse and wagon! We saw the reversing falls, the old market, Uptown, and he even bought us some dulce to try, a strange purple seaweed that locals love. I think Joseph was the only one that liked it, but I was happy to try it, and figured my mom would have some things to say about it's health benefits.

After a nap in the horse trailer, Mike took us for a beautiful dinner at the restaurant on the Lake called Lily's. A not for profit restaurant that sustains the community building. The food was incredible, we really loved the coconut cheesecake! Barb joined us too, and we all swapped funny stories about horses. Below is a picture of Barb and Spider, a 35 year old leopard appaloosa who has gone blind, but is still enjoying his glory days at Rockwood. Might I add Josephs photography is getting really good!

Mike invited us in and between us and Mike and Barb, we got some phone numbers and they helped us plan our route for the next day. It was a special night, and we got a beautiful sunset before hunker down.

And one important thing I couldn't squeeze in at the top, Joe, a kind farrier had come out very last minute and before his other appointments at 7:30am to trim Ora and Lux's feet. We really appreciated that he came out to help us, and he gave us a special deal! What a day, from he horses trimming, trailering, ferrying, and now at another new barn, they are such troopers. We were all excited to see what else New Brunswick would bring the next day.