11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
People are asking Deb and I how we met and what led to our wanting to ride the Colorado Trail on horse back so here is some recent and not so recent history:
People are asking Deb and I how we met and what led to our wanting to ride the Colorado Trail on horse back so here is some recent and not so recent history:
Deb grew up as a cowgirl - raised in Utah Deb was riding fence at 12 years old, worked on a ranch and even painted a horse once with her best friend Clifford - which is a story for her to tell if you ever meet her. From what I know of my good friend now I would guess she has always had the adventurous side to her - she has been involved in motorcycles, she has written and published a cook book and been on Junk Yard Wars where she built some crazy kind of boat - another good story to hear when you meet her.
Maybe these experiences have finally led Deb to Westcliffe after raising her three kids mostly by herself to her dream job of being a horse wrangler/ranch hand at the B-B Ranch where she cares for over 30 horses every week and loves every aspect of working with the horses, her team mates, the horse boarders and the owners and their guests.
I grew up on a small piece of land in Texas that we called "The Farm" - my dad was 71 when he bought the place and moved us out of Dallas. We attempted to raise feeder calves ( my sister and I cried our eyes out the day they all went off to market after having fed them by bottle and cared for them since they were 3 days old. Needless to say my dad decided no more of that kind of farming), raised an orphan pig that began to think he was a 270 pound dog, had motorcycles and a few horses that that old man taught us kids how to ride. I appreciate that about my dad now - it factors into that adventurous side I have to some degree and led to my working on a ranch in Pagosa Springs in the 80's riding cattle and fixing fence then later to my becoming a motorcycle instructor in Las Vegas when I needed a way to supplement my income while I raised four kids alone. He and my mom instilled in me through their hard work and actions the leadership skills to run a division of a sign company where I spend the majority of my time when not training my horse and pups for this ride or writing a blog for the first time.
For the more recent history of the two of us and the ride : Deb and I met in the kitchen of the Wild West Cowboy Church in Westcliffe over a sink of dirty dishes. As I washed and she dried I asked her those introductory questions, how long you been here ? what do you do ? etc...
With great enthusiasm Deb told me about her job at the B-B and invited me out to see what the ranch was about. A week later I went out with my husband and friend and Deb gave us the tour- introduced all the horses to us by name and personalities and within the hour had all three of us astride horses riding in the arena.
Here is where I have to back track a bit though to explain why meeting Deb and visiting the ranch that day is extraordinary to me and part of what I see as God's plan for this journey, the ride and our lives that now are interconnected.
After my husband Mike and I bought our home and property in Westcliffe and got ready for our move he asked me if I ever thought I might want a horse again as I had shared photos and stories of my childhood and younger days. I told him " No, I think I am too old for that now. " Not too long after that conversation I had a dream and in that dream I owned a horse named Cash (possibly due to my husbands question or that I haven't forgotten the comments from my dad about how much they cost to keep- or maybe from something else). Maybe my husbands comment planted the seed but the day we were at the ranch with Deb she introduced me to a horse named Kash, a Morgan mare with the sweetest of personalities and stated that of any of the horses on that ranch Kash was the one she would own if she could.
I remember I couldn't believe that I was meeting a horse with that name after just having the dream and in my little world took it as a sign ( ok I am in the sign business so maybe I take things too literally). Oh and it just so happened that Kash was for sale for a little bit more than I had sold my last Harley for. I chose not to share the dream with my husband until I got home that day.
I began to spend some time at the ranch with Deb where I had started to hang out and help clean stalls on Saturday mornings. One day while my husband and I were at the ranch Deb asked me to bathe Kash who I had become fond of during my visits. My husband told me then as I led Miss Kash around, all shiny from her bath, that he could see how happy being around horses made me and I should buy Kash. So...... whoever he complains to that we have too many horses - I say he started it!
So now a year later my husband and I own five horses including Kash who will take this CT trip with me. Maybe I will write a blog soon titled "A small herd emerges" or " Knee Deep in it".
So to end this short part of the story - I bought Kash based on a dream, or a sign or what I prefer to think of as God's whisper in my ear and after a thirty three year hiatus began a friendship with a horse and an old cowgirl who had a dream - to ride the Colorado Trail, from start to finish. Then through the pastor's words over dinner one night the dream became a cause we both hold dear to our hearts - and the journey begins.
Riding the trail was on Deb's bucket list - I am still afraid to ask her what else is on there....
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