2011

As I move into 2012, I do so with bittersweet memories. 

We lost two wonderful horses in 2011.

We lost Bear.  He was a kind, old soul.  Bear lived a fine life with us but his time to leave arrived in September.

And we tragically lost Poco, one of the Great Ones.

As sad as these losses were, there were also good things that happened in 2011:

In February I was kicking around buying my next horse but hadn't established exactly what I was looking for.  My Cowgirl Pals invited me to join them while they practiced moving some cattle.  It took less than five minutes of watching from outside the fence to realize that this was something I wanted to try. 

In those first five minutes I knew that I wanted a horse that had been around cows.

I found Bob at the end of May.  I had no idea how Bob would change my world.

A few weeks after I bought Bob I got to "ride with the cows".  It was great fun!

Bob (far left) and I started going on adventures with my Cowgirl Pals.

We even went by ourselves, a big step in independence and confidence for both of us.

Bob and I hauled up to our old barn and took lessons from my friend and trainer (Frainer).  We stayed at the barn and took a break.  A few hours later we then rode in Ladies Nights during the evenings.  I'll never forget hauling home in the deep red sunsets, exhausted but so happy and content that I thought I'd burst.

We sorted more cows and started to get better at it.

We watched and we learned.

And we bonded and became one team. 

2011 - It was a year of joy and sorrow, of challenges and accomplishments.  My experiences in 2011 have made me stronger.  I look forward to meeting 2012.