First love

When Lynn and I were young--I'm not sure if we were in junior high or high school--I rode her Appaloosa, Bubbles. It was my first time on a horse by myself. I don't know who was more nervous, Shirley or me. We did not go far and I don't think I did very well. It was probably a good thing Bubbles was patient and knew what her job was.

As an adult, my good friend Sandi kept inviting me to join her in the summer for what she said was the best way to revive and rejuvenate. She and her husband owned a packing outfit. They took people into the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area all summer and into hunting season. It was Sandi who hooked me into trail riding. At the time, she did everything for me--saddled, bridled, and held the horse while I got on. It was my first experience of feeding horses regularly, mucking corrals, and the pleasure of just sitting and watching horses interact. We had lots of adventures and the memories of those summers will always be precious.

Brady will always be my favorite horse, but those summer memories lead me to my first horse love, Kibbles. Kibbles taught me how to ride. We went many miles and we were always safe and he always helped me make good decisions.

Another horse that is special to me is Studly. I have not ridden Studly, but my dog, Izzy has! Although the story is way too long to share here, suffice it to say that after one very long ride, my dog needed to hitch a ride home. Studly didn't complain once and Izzy decided that being "ahorseback" is the way to go!

The pictures are of me; Kibbles; a favorite young man named, Terrence; Sandi; Studly; my hero, Jack; & most important of all: Izzy, my baby. This was our trip into Thompson Peak the summer of 2003.