Horseback riding in Lakeside has changed a lot over the years . . . it ain't what it used to be. Horsewoman Meave Hall, told me about some of her experiences in the early 50's when she was a teenage girl. It seems that Meave and her girl friends would go horse camping up in the Laguna Mountains every summer. Hardly anyone had horse trailers in those days, so they would pack up their horses and ride all the way to camp. It was a two day trip just getting to the Laguna Stables. Her Grandmother had a cabin in Descanso, so the tired riders and horses would rest up there. Of course the days were very hot and there were no trees for shade between Lakeside and Japatul so they would take off riding at night. They would wait for a full moon night so they could see better. The girls would laugh and sing and have the best times, sometimes they would ride side saddle or backwards just to give their bottoms a rest. Meave said that their voices would be just about gone by the time they got to horse camp.
  After a week of camping with no place to bathe, one time the girls decided to take a bath in the cow's watering trough. "We were up to our necks in the water when along came the cutest cowboy I had ever seen in my life, he didn't like us bathing in his cow's drinking water, but I'll bet he had some good stories to tell back at the ranch house."
  One year Meave's girl friend couldn't go when they had planned, so Meave took off on her own thinking her friend would arrive later. After a week of camping by herself she was getting lonely but said she never was afraid. Since her Father was a ranger and Meave knew a lot of folks from all the years of camping, she just didn't have the fear. Also she was entertained by the cute Air Force boys who were stationed up there.
  Finding out that her friend wasn't coming after all she decided to come on back to Lakeside, unfortunately she had waited a little too late in the day to start out. Now the full moon was gone and it was pitch black out there and she was on a borrowed horse that had thrown her earlier. She admits she was getting scared because there was barb wire across some of the trails and she would have to get off the horse to open and close gates as she crossed some of the large ranches. "All of a sudden some white faced cattle would jump out and scare us." By the time they had hurried home the horse was all lathered up and had wet and dried sweat all over him. Wouldn't you know that the owner of the horse showed up right about that time?  Meave was so embarrassed . . . but they had survived.  Nowadays Meave lives at her Palm Row Ranch, her historic ranch house and barn were built in 1910 and she still rides, boards and trains horses and gives riding lessons.

 
  For weeks and weeks we searched for a volunteer to place the memorial bricks so many of you have provided the wording for and, at the same time, making donations to the Lakeside Historical Society.
  The Red Letter Day has finally arrived. Bud Hottell and his friend George Spirz labored in the hot sun on one of the warmest days so far this season to place the bricks in their rows. Come admire! Thanks guys.