America's State Parks announced that all 50 state park systems will sponsor free, guided First Day Hike Programs on New Year's Day 2012. America's State Parks First Day Hikes offer individuals and families an opportunity to begin the New Year rejuvenating and connecting with the outdoors by taking a healthy hike on January 1, 2012 at a state park. First Day Hikes offer a great way to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome the New Year with friends and family.<br><br>We passed the junction of Old Pine (1.1 miles) and a small group of hikers sitting in a small grassy meadow dotted with for-get-me-nots, having lunch. We came to Baldy Trail (1.3 mile) and decided it was time to head downhill. The trail was narrow, so we had to step off trail - avoiding the poison oak and stinging nettles - when we encountered two equestrians. Our descent through the Douglas fir forest was steep at times, but since we carry hiking poles, we didn't feel at risk of slipping.<br><br><img src="http://web.mnstate.edu/stockram/images/Kickback_driveway.jpg" width="450" align="left" /><br><br>Dead horse ranch SP: 9 am. Meet at West Lagoon parking lot. It will last approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours and cover 2 to 3 miles. Hikers will meander along the Verde River riparian area as well as the 3 lagoons that are on the park. Dress in warm layers, wear sturdy shoes and bring water. Participants may also want to bring binoculars and a camera; the day might be good for wildlife photo ops. Ranger Margie will be leading the hike.<br><br>Whether you're feeding them or taking them on walks, pets are a responsibility. Several Flash video games explore this relationship between pet and owner. For instance, in "Doggy Day Care" you must play with, feed, walk and tend to a puppy's many needs. Other games take a more specific approach. In "Doggy Chef," for instance, the player's only task is to prepare a meal for a picky puppy. "A Walk in the Park" has players walking their dog through a park, solving puzzles as they go along.<br><br>I immediately dropped the watering hose and ran over to the gate. I guess my emotionally state and anticipation must have kicked into high gear as I was breathing a lot harder and could feel my blood pumping throughout my body. I'm sure that a lot of my inner feelings were that this was the time. I stood there at the gate almost paralyzed with my left hand tightly grasping at the latch, eagerly ready to enter, but instead paused, almost frozen, waiting to see whether this was the beginning of a new adventure. There, only ten feet away, Holli stayed lying on the ground for another two or three minutes before she stood and gained her composure.<br><br>One was her passing her fifth kyu test at West End Aikido. As a time to set an actual test date was quickly approaching, Kelly was asked to run through her test during a Saturday morning class. She began demonstrating one technique after another with precision and power. Kelly was asked to continue. After demonstrating all the techniques, she was told she had passed her fifth kyu test with flying colors!<br><br>This whole book has been dedicated to our horses and donkeys and our first foaling experience. We had preconceived ideas about how everything would happen and from what others had told us. Nothing went according to our plans or was ideal for the situation. Although the outcome of this event of our horse ranch's growth and our personal experiences was not what we had expected - the foal was healthy and a very sweet colt, later named Chief Squanto. <a href="waiting for link from Web 2.0 Blogs (T2 B)">best equine ranch</a>