Riding The Crest 2009

THE JOURNEY HOME

October 11 - October 16 

Sunday we drove away from Crater Lake, Oregon. We had talked about driving to California to return Cane in two days. But  Ralph thought we could drive straight through. And we did. We unloaded Cane and put him in his paddock and set up our camp in Leon and Linda's backyard. Leon asked how Cain had done for me and at dinner that night I told him and Linda what a trooper she has. Cain was very inexperienced at the beginning of the summer when Linda joined me for two days on the trail. Though it had ended with her not able to walk she still considered it a dream come true. Now she was walking with just a cane and a soft boot on her foot. When she is able to ride again she is going to be riding an experienced horse that has shown he is willing to go far. They will make an incredible pair. I am so thankful to her giving me the gift of Cain for my continuation and time of healing on the trail.

On Monday Ralph and I made arrangements to go to the Jack Tone Ranch (We had been blessed to stay there in 2007.) and Linda went with us. Our plan was to 'look' at the young horses for a possible mount for me to train. A short forty minute drive and we arrived at the barn and Kathleen H. was there to greet us. I briefly told her about the accident and losing Harmony and Jur. She told me that after I called the day before, she had gotten one particular horse for me on her mind. He was bred and raised by Jan Barrett in Lula, Georgia. (Jan was the one to introduce me to the Fadjur horses (and Kathleen) and to breed Silver Girl to her stallion producing Jur.) The horse Kathleen had in mind was a stallion. I told her I really was not interested in a stallion as I did not have a breeding facility and though I had trained a couple I did not have faculties for one. So we walked the barns looking at the available youngsters. I was not struck by any. We were ready to leave when I said I'd like to see the stallion even though I did not want him. (I could not remember him at Jan’s farm but must have seen him as he was foaled in 2000.) Fadjur’s Majestic is a dark bay, 14-2 hands. Jan had sent him and another stallion, Allah Fadjur, with a mare to Kathleen when she knew she was dying. What impressed me right off was that he was sweet. Mia (a German girl working at the ranch) said he was her favorite as did the woman who did some of the horses’ hoof trimming. Soon I was in the stall and liking him for his personality. I was interested in him, especially when Ralph said  “you ought to get him!” So I turned to Kathleen and said, “I guess we better talk about price.” I was tempted even at the price but told Kathleen I could not, after all the losses we had suffered this trip, put Ralph and I into a financial hardship for a horse. She said she understood and we drove back to Linda's talking about him the whole way. Kathleen called me that evening with a question for me. Kathleen asked, “How do you think Jan would feel about you having Majestic.” I said, “Oh, that is hard to answer but I think of all the people other than you owning him, Jan would smile to know I had him back in Georgia.” Then Kathleen said, “We want you to have [buy] him.” I have no idea what I said but I think after I got my breath I asked if she was sure (for the price was in my range)! She was and I was. Linda and Ralph were thrilled. Though Majestic had ground training, no one was riding him. I was going to treat Majestic like he was untrained. I would start training him when I got home and do a lot of ground work before I got on him. That evening Linda and I were on our laptops looking for saddles.

We picked up Majestic on Wednesday to start the cross-country trip home. It was a journey of smiles, of  hugs and tears. As we drove down all of California Ralph would point out the mountains I had ridden across four and five months before. “Look honey, that’s where you rode across” or “Those are the mountains you rode – amazing!” Already surreal, it seems another lifetime. So much has happened and my life seems to change by the moment. It was interesting to see where I had been from the road and the distance it takes to drive what I had ridden. Once again I was amazed. We saw many of the people we saw on the way north. We just could not resist going by to see new friends and old all the way home.  We shared time with Lori and Buck, Malcolm and Wendy, Donna Saufley and Kari L.,  Lisa M. and the Friday night group at Malcolm’s, Melody and Jonathan and Morgan and Luke and some great friends of theirs, Hank and Suzy in Leander, TX, and Tiffany and Ryan in Slidell, LA.

As we were driving east on I-10 I saw a DSW Shoe Store and told Ralph I needed to stop and shop. He just said, “sorry.” I said, “I’m overdue.” He said, “sorry.” I said, “I’m having withdrawals.” He said, “sorry.” I started panting while staring at the DSW we were passing. He said, “sorry.” And then he said, ”I need the phone number of the psychiatrist you met so you can get counseling.” We both laughed. My joy in life is never far because my God is always near. He saw me through an incredible part of my life and will see it through to completion.

So the traveling is over but the journey is not. I am writing a book (available Fall 2010) and a handbook as well. Why? Because I am compelled to. There was much more to the journey than I was able to share from the road and I have more pictures to show. Again, I want you to see what I have seen and, barring you going and doing the same, you can buy my book (LOL). I am looking forward to seeing the premier of the National Geographic television show on the PCT at 7pm on July 4, 2010. I am riding the trails in the Georgia mountains on Majestic and he is all I dreamed he could be. (Thank you Jan and thank you Kathleen and family!) I am physically well though I have one back muscle that has been a problem since the fall. I am spiritually growing as I continue to see the hand of God in my life. I am emotionally healing as I still receive so much comfort from all the e-mails and notes. This journey has been made better by sharing it with you and by you in turn sharing with me in it. THANK YOU! And God bless you!

So many trails - So little time!

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