An Introduction

Hello cyberspace!

Ok, I know... that was cheesy. My name is Bobbie and this is my blog, sparse as it may be at the moment. I struggled with a name for the blog, because my interests and the things I will probably write about are pretty diverse. I finally settled on "Horses etc" because my number one interest and favorite topic is... you guessed it, horses. I also had a bit of a problem trying to decide what my first post should be about. I suppose an introduction is in order.

I was born in a little town called Rifle, Colorado. What, you haven't heard of it? You're not alone. I'm used to being met with a blank stare when I offer that answer to the question "where are you from?" Legend has it that way back in history when a group of settlers decided to stop in the area and make it their home they found a rifle leaning against a tree, hence the name of the town. I can't tell you what Rifle is like now, because I haven't lived there in many, many years. I can tell you that growing up as a kid it was a great place. Rifle was a small town in a ranching and farming area where the county fair coming to town each year was the big "to do". I remember my Granny entering her flower arrangements, baked goods and beautiful tatting projects in the fair. I remember going on camping and fishing trips with my grandparents all over the area. And I remember my Granddad and I walking the sidewalk along Railroad Ave ("main street") as he walked me to their insurance agency after school. Whenever we would see someone along these walks, Granddad knew them by name.

When I was 11 my mom moved the two of us to Aurora, Colorado and I hated it there. I was, and always will be, a small town country girl at heart and the city was like a prison to me compared to the wide-open spaces and beautiful views of Rifle. I did have some good friends there in Aurora and I had some good times, but I spent a lot of time hiking out on the open prairie nearby. It was the closest I could get to the "wild".

At 18 I left home and began my travels. Over the next several years I lived in Florida, Arizona, Georgia and California. All those trips were made in my first car, a 1985 Chevy Cavalier CS station wagon. I crammed everything I owned into that little car and set off across the country without a second thought. I did have some company, a retired racing Greyhound named Trudy. She was my faithful traveling companion and she is the one who started a lifelong love of the breed and an affirmation that I will always have a Greyhound in my life.

I was married at 23 and moved to California. He had enlisted in the Army and we were stationed at Fort Irwin, just north of Barstow. We were married just shy of 4 years and it was a train wreck. It was Hell, but I'll spare you the details... We split up and he left on orders to Texas. I stayed in California, lonely and miserable for another year. I'd had enough of the depressing brown desert and I longed for things like green grass, trees, water and yes, even snow. I missed those things so much that it hurt. Finally I escaped and moved to South Dakota, a place I'd visited many times and even lived in a couple of short times. I've always loved it up here and had always said I wanted to come back... So here I am!

As for what I plan to write here in my blog, I'm not quite sure yet. Most likely various odd rants and ramblings, whatever pops up I guess.

Stay tuned!