I was 5 years old when I first told my parents I wanted to be a veterinarian. As the third of three kids, there were not nearly as many photos of me as there were of my older brother and sister. Nevertheless, nearly every photo of me included an animal of some kind… dogs, horses, […]
Horse Emergency Preparedness: ID Tags That Save Lives Read More »
Alan and I rode to Odessa Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park three years ago. In fact, we rode a little past Odessa to take a peek at Fern Lake. The Cameron Peak Fire had caused significant wildfire damage around Fern Lake. I wrote about our first foray to Odessa Lake. It is a very
Odessa Lake Take-Two… A FREEZING COLD and WINDY Ride Read More »
I regularly see posts on Facebook from people inquiring about horse identification options. In my opinion, not nearly enough people are proactive about having identification on their horses. As a retired veterinarian, I am passionate about good animal husbandry practices. Therefore, I am always glad to see someone inquire about what types of identification are
Horse Identification… What is Safe, Stable, and First Responder Approved? Read More »
I raised a daughter whose mantra has always been, “Whatever happens, happens.” She had a rough beginning in life and did not join my family until she was a toddler. Between her early childhood trauma and her genetics, she has decided that she has little to no control over how her life unfolds. If she
No Decision IS a Decision Read More »
I recently attended an Emergency Preparedness Clinic sponsored by several organizations within Boulder County, Colorado. The clinic was held because recent events here demonstrated that very, very few people have a disaster emergency plan. Are you one of those people? Late last December, the Marshall Fire burned over six thousand acres and destroyed over a
Disaster Emergency Plan… Are YOU Prepared? Read More »
Alan and I are no stranger to wildfires threatening us, our home, and our animals. Our Colorado home was within a couple of miles of the Cameron Peak Fire in Colorado late in 2020. As close as that was, it is even scarier to have a wildfire burning along the other side of the fence
TERRIFYING WILDFIRE RIGHT NEXT DOOR! Read More »
I first encountered the term risk tolerance as it applied to questions our financial advisor asked my husband Alan and me. Our advisor wanted to know how safe we wanted to be when it came to deciding how to invest our funds. If we risked more, we could potentially make more, but we could also
What is Your Risk Tolerance? Read More »
Right before Alan and I left Colorado for the winter, I wrote about our ride to Kruger Rock in Homestead Meadows. Imagine our dismay to learn that on Tuesday, November 16th, high winds blew a tree into power lines and started a fire in that area. First the floods… As I have mentioned in the
The Kruger Rock Wildfire in Estes Park Read More »
My husband and I own horses so that we can trail ride and enjoy our equine company. Our summers are spent in one of the most beautiful areas of the country. We have done our best to schedule two days a week to hit the trails, working around a myriad of other things on our
WILDFIRES! HURRICANES! Reality Intruding Into Our Lives Read More »
Instead of telling you about local trails this week, I am going to tell you about our trip over the Continental Divide to badly damaged Grand Lake. I have been going to Grand Lake since I was a child. Alan first visited this beautiful location when he was 16 years old. The wildfire of late
Grand Lake, Colorado… After the Wildfire Read More »
Now that Covid restrictions are easing a bit, and spring is in the air, people are starting to hit the road again. I thought perhaps both travelers and hosts at horse camps might benefit from some feedback on what makes a positive experience for both parties. Before I divorced and remarried (and retired), my previous
Last week, I preempted my original blog schedule to write about the fire that was threatening to consume our home. A week later, Mother Nature’s snow has assisted the incredibly hard-working firefighters and police officers… but we are far from out of danger. But happily, at least for now, our home is still standing! On
A SECOND Devastating Fire Forces Evacuation of Estes Park! Read More »
Never again will I encounter a firefighter that I won’t acknowledge my extreme indebtedness for what they do. In last week’s blog about the medical evacuation by helicopter from 4-J Big Piney, I indicated I’d talk about Coldwater Ranch this week. Things have changed. The feature photo is a view of the fire consuming much
Wildfire Burning ON OUR MOUNTAIN! Read More »
We had just returned from a 9-mile ride. I was in the trailer preparing to head to the mess hall for lunch. Suddenly, a deafening noise interrupted the usual sounds of horses whinnying for missing stablemates. I rushed out of the trailer in time to see a Lifeline helicopter landing in the open space a
LifeLine Helicopter is NOT the Preferred Way to Leave Camp Read More »
Colorado, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming are all experiencing wildfires. Actually, those are not the only states, but some with the worst problem right now. Let me tell you, living on the bubble of imminent evacuation is super stressful. I have preempted several previously scheduled blogs these past few weeks to describe what is
On the Bubble for Fire Evacuation! Read More »
I was prepared to write about something else this week… but then this amazing article appeared in my inbox. Two weeks ago, I wrote about Fire in My Backyard! As of this writing, firefighters have zero containment of the Cameron Peak fire. Briefly, a second fire threatened our safety. Fortunately, they got that one extinguished. However,
What Should You Do if Faced With an Advancing Fire? Read More »
It is very scary to awaken to the smell of smoke. Colorado had more than average snowfall last winter, but the summer has been very dry. As I write this, a forest fire burns a mere 35 miles from our location on Storm Mountain. This photo shows smoke in the sky, as viewed from our
Forest Fire in My Backyard!!! (And Rattlesnakes Too!) Read More »
Last week, I blogged about a gal who had a serious horse wreck. She remembers nothing about what happened. Just as I was completing that blog, I received a Nextdoor neighborhood alert that one of my neighbors had lost her horse at a local trailhead. Both scenarios exemplified for me why having medical information on your
Are Microchips the Answer? Read More »
Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans! That was my thought when I read a post on the AHI Facebook page this past week. I know there will be ladies here who can relate to my latest (mis)adventure? while trail riding a week ago. I came off my steady Eddy Ace,
It Will Never Happen to Me… Read More »
Thankfully, Hurricane Dorian created less havoc on the east coast than residents feared. Sadly, the people and animals in the Bahamas did not fare as well. As I write this, 50 people are reported dead with the death toll expected to climb. In this incredibly sad story, Grand Bahama Humane Society workers describe their heartbreak
Disaster Emergency Preparedness Part Two Read More »
This is not a post I intended to write. It is a post that will likely generate some criticism and negative comments, but it is absolutely not my intent to offend anyone or “take advantage” of a horrible situation. This is a post about the horrific events occurring in California and my heartache over the
The Crisis in California Read More »
