My Journey Begins.......part two

When I was 9 years old,

My sister was 7

and my little brother was 2.

My Father DIED!

It crushed me!

I remember crying for three days.

I got so sick from all the crying.

At the time, me and my sister were in Montana.

I was staying with an aunt, and my sister was staying with 

our grandmother, (mom's mom)

Mom had gotten very sick, and before they had diagnosed that it was her Thyroid, 

she sent us kids off for the summer with relatives.

Me and my sister rode a train to Montana, and 

I remember hugging ole Ralph the whole way there!

While there I had gotten THE phone call my father had died.

I wanted to go home right then and there

But...

My aunt told me I would have to ride the train ALL BY MYSELF!

I was crushed! 

I was Nine years old!

The experience of the trip up there I was dreading not to repeat.

So Daddy was buried with out me.

It was many years till I got over that.

My life was about to change again.......

Stay tuned for part three........

My Journey Begins...Part One

My life started out normal and good.

I had two wonderful parents, and I was a "daddy's girl"!

My first memories are of living on a big Chicken Ranch in Redmond Washington.

My mom tended and sold eggs for the owner of the property.

I would gather eggs along side my mom, 

and at the age of 6-7 could pack them just as fast as she.

My dad would go on Sundays to the dump.

Back then when you needed something you visited the dump.

Dad was a fixer and never bought anything.

He always fixed what ever broke.

We would stop at a local neighborhood grocery

and get an ice cream.

We had stray cats all over the place and in my little mind

I had counted 35 of them.

I was probably way off because those were the ones I could SEE!

My days were spent looking for the baby kittens.

I remember finding a litter of kitten's and was so excited.

By the time I ran into the house and told mom about them, 

then headed back out to admire my find,

They were GONE!

I was crushed.

We rented our large pasture to people for their horses and cows.

I asked my mom one day how you get milk from a cow.

She was busy and offhandedly said: "you pump their tail".

Next thing she new, I was at the tail end of a little black cow,

Pumping its tail.

It was a boy!

I remember the deer coming into the pasture and eating the apples from the trees.

When we ate our breakfast we would gaze upon the beauty of the magnificent animals.

The kitchen window was our TV in those days.

One winter I remember wanting to taste the ice on a post.

Yep! My tongue got so stuck to that metal post!

Thank goodness my sister was with me, 

because I told her to go get mom 

the best I could while that metal post held tight to my tongue.

A little warm water gave me back my tongue.

Yes life on that chicken ranch was the best.

But then when I was 9 years old

My world turned upside down...........

Stay tuned for part two....

Watch for........

I have just finished putting together 

a five part series of stories

to understand where I have come from.

Watch for them.

Each part to be posted 

5 days in a row!

If I can get the automatic posting correct! LOL

Hope you enjoy!

Libby is home now.

I brought Libby home today.

She has been at my friends down the road.

I did not want to bring her home Saturday and

be gone all day on Sunday.

I wanted to keep an eye on her for her first few days here.

Here she is checking the cows out.

Then she looks at me, like I'm nuts!

But goes right to eating!

She has a cute butt!

I can't wait to bond with her, and go for lots of rides.
She snorted at all the newness in the pasture
and at the lean to.
I hope she learns to like the lean to.

But when she got a whiff of all that grass,
all the newness went by the way side!
She was more interested in eating.

Let me Introduce you to.........

LIBBY!

My good friend found her on DREAMHORSE.com

Made a phone call, and the owner was kind 

enough to let her bring her home

so that I could get to know her,

try her out and see if we would be a good match.

I have to say, "R" is very good at matching horses with people and picking out good ones too.

I have come to trust her instincts, because she is ALWAYS right!

I am falling in love.

I have not taken this task on lightly and Libby has been through the drills.

I have put in a lot of thought into this.

I took her to my lesson on Tuesday and my instructor says Libby is a very good horse.

She is a good size for me.

I don't even need a mounting block.

Libby knows all the leg cues, neck reins and stops on a dime.

Her owner out grew her and so Libby has pretty much been a pasture potato for the past year.

She has been shown 4-H English and Western, so that is a plus.

Libby is totally at ease in an arena setting.

I won't do the show thing, just not me.

But I feel we will eventually get along on trail rides just fine.

My friend even took Libby for her daughter's lesson the next day.

Libby has been checked over, felt up and down, sideways, examined, and scrutinized.

By me, my friend and my instructor.

We went for a small trail ride and as long as Libby was following horses,

she does awesome.

Being around other horses does not bother her at all. 

Unlike Sissy, who thought she had to socialize with EVERYONE!

I don't ever plan on riding alone anyway, so this is not a problem.

In talking with the owner I found out that when 

Libby gets nervous her bottom

lip quivers. 

This is great because then I know to start talking to her, 

before I know it, her lip is still again.

She is cute when she does this, but my heart breaks knowing she is nervous at any point.

I look forward to long walks, 

(I need more exercise)

Long saddle rides.

Brushing her long beautiful tail.

Letting her mane grow out!

(I know she is show clipped but I like shaggy!)

And just hanging out with her. 

I will make my Motel 6

FEEL

like the Marriot!

She trots so nice, and I even CANTERED on her!!!!

I was scared to death when my instructor asked if I was ready to Canter.

My bottom lip started to quiver!

But Libby talked me through it, and I calmed down.

It was AWESOME!

Nice canter! Very rolling kind.

Sort of like being in a boat on water.

Grey is not my favorite color of horse,

but I am not buying for color.

She has a sweet, sweet personality, 

and I look forward to bonding with her as much as I did with Sissy.

(During the day my mind is already consumed with thoughts of Libby all the time.

At night my dreams are still of Sissy.)

But Grey does have its advantages too.

Look out Easter Bunny!!

You have competition!

I will be the only one with a colored horse! 

Isn't she just adorable?

Yes I do believe I have found my forever horse in Libby.