251,987

That's a pretty big number over my lowly seven years dabbling along in distance riding.   You notice I do not presume to call myself "endurance rider." Rather...now and then when the fates smile upon me, I get to attend a ride, and try to do my best.  

Endurance Granny (the blog) picked up steam over the years and on a good month will realize some 5000+ visitors.  Some (probably most) are looking for endurance riding information, and from the beginning when I had such a hard time catching the curve, finding acceptance, I decided that my "goal" was to help others if I could.   Most of my helping has been a result of extensively searching the web and looking for good sources of information.  No credit lies in my experience as I have little, but I am a handy little research assistant when need be.

I've been dressed down a number of times that how dare I offer advice on things related to endurance.  My answer to that is that somebody needed to fill that gap,  and though my experience has huge gaping holes in it, my personal heart for people and their ponies does not.   If you dislike me that is fine, but rather sad too, that you did not get to know me.  Actually know me.   That you did not spend an hour riding with me on the trail, and showing me your way, your knowledge, or your friendship.  I'm kind of quiet, kind of guarded (somehow it has always been necessary), for gentle hearts bleed easily.   Unfortunately my personality is such that a knife in the heart first hurts deeply, and then summarily pisses me off, and I'm done.  But a few folk have stuck around and followed my little blog now hitting the page over a quarter of a million times since I added the counter.   I like to think that some of those kind of get me...as well as my purpose.   I thank you for that.

These days a bit less time is spent at the keyboard for Endurance Granny, and a tad more over on the Green Bean Endurance page as I work to bring traffic to the site and awareness to the newbies out there that there are soft landing places for beginners if you can find them.  There are wonderful people in the sport, if you can avoid the pitfalls of haters on facebook and such and actually get to a ride.  In that regard the internet is both a blessing and a curse.   Doing some personal searching today I discovered more Green Bean groups that I had not even known existed (happy dance).   Though I come late to the Green Bean Movement it is a beautiful, organic, wonderful thing for riders just starting out.   PNER should be proud that this sprouted from among their ranks, Sharalyn Hay should be proud of the diligent work she has done to network people and groups, as well as Jillane Baros (who kindly brought me in).    There are clusters of groups in the Pacific Northwest, Mountain Region, West, Northeast, Southeast, Central, Upper Midwest, Great Lakes...on into Canada.  The green fire just keeps winding its way ☺

251,987 is a big old number.  But if even one found their way, rode the long ride, believed a little that they could, had that light in their eyes at the finish, then my small work has been worth it.