Just Us Girls

 

 

I just spent the afternoon with some of my nearest and dearest friends.  And the funny thing is, I didn’t know any of them a dozen years ago.  They all came into my life because of horses. 

 

Tammy M & Jules

 

Today I sat around the table with Tammy M, who introduced me to trail riding after she sold me a horse.  She stayed, the horse didn’t.  Then there is Jules, who I met through Joni and I’ve never told her this, but her spirit and quiet way has always reminded me of my mom which makes her so easy to be with and I tear up now just writing that.   

 

Joni & Kathy

 

Joni, who is “the high school friend I never met” and if we had, we would have had so much fun and been in so much trouble!  Kathy, who put an ad in the paper asking for help building a horse trail to Loma.  We built it all right, but more importantly, we built a treasured friendship.

 

Me, Robyn & Tanya

 

Then there is Robyn, who called me out of the blue about 10 years ago (that long already?) about a ride I was hosting and who gladly accepted a Mike’s Hard Lemonade from me following what was a harder ride than she bargained for.  Tanya, from my home town, who is not quite young enough to be my daughter but I’ll claim her as my baby sister.   

 

Sharron & Shari

 

Sharron, whom I can’t remember ever meeting the first time but has always been there to share some fabulous riding trips.  I should also mention that her horse Boomer is the love of Windy’s life.  Really!   And Shari, who has not only taught me so much about distance riding, but has shared the trails with me in competition.  There were others around the long table who, if it weren’t for horses, I would not have met. 

 

Jessica

 

We talked of Jessica’s impending marriage, we did a quick run down on our kids and grandkids.  We commiserated about our diets, jobs, hot flashes, cold weather and the winter doldrums.  We laughed about what some people (not us!) post on Facebook!  But most of all, we talked horse. 

 

Deb & Janelle

 

At some time over the last twelve years, I have shared the trail with these women.  l know their horses’ names, breeds and ages better than I know their kids.  They cried with me when I lost Ginger and Maddie and Ritz and I cried with them when they lost Chivas and Chase, Dancer and Ol’ Red. 

 

Alice & Me

 

We are the girls of Cowgirl Weekend.  A multi-generational bunch of women who each fall, leave our husbands and our kids and load up our ponies for an all horse (long) weekend.  We ride, we eat, we play games and yes, we have been known to sing a song or two.  And in the cold of winter, we play dress-up (kind of) and go to a fancy restaurant and relive those crisp autumn days all over again and plan for the next one.   

 

 

And then after we eat, we hit the local western store and drop a few bucks into the local economy. 

 

Life is good.

 

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