When I first began this blog, I was living in a house set up high amidst the the hills encircling Lake Arrowhead. I had a stunning distant view of the lake from our deck, was a short walk to the forest behind us, and literally had a bird's eye view from the treetops. As a result, I wrote about the ravens who frequented our trees, the wind that often shook our house, the fingers of fog that traveled down the canyons across the lake, anything and everything that I saw looking out my back door.
A couple years later, we moved to a lovely house in the north east corner of Lake Arrowhead on close to an acre of land. Still surrounded by trees and steps away from the forest, there was plenty to write about. In fact, I have seen on our property: mule deer, a bobcat, coyote, raccoons, and, gulp, a very large black bear. In addition, my neighbor saw an enormous mountain lion right next door to our house! Lots to write about here.
But now there is even more! Initially, the focus of my blog was to keep a nature journal of sorts as I experienced and studied the wildlife and the wild life that comes with living in the mountains. But very soon, Lookin' Out My Back Door will have a new and exciting focus: my two horses, Jack, a quarter horse, and Luke, a miniature horse, will actually be out my back door! We are putting a two stall shed row barn on our property and bringing my guys home this spring. I am excited and nervous. So much to learn. A 24/7 responsibility.
So in my blog I plan to write about this whole experience. My joys and worries. My challenges and accomplishments. My setbacks and mistakes.
For starters, I have to admit that I am both confident and terrified at the same time. I ask myself, "What the hell do you think you are doing taking on this huge responsibility at the age of sixty-one?" But the answer, of course, is, I am living my dream. How many times have I imagined how awesome it would be to have my horse...now horses...right outside my door; to sit with a cup of coffee and a book under a tree, listening to them munch their hay; or to be able to ride Jack or drive Luke on the spur of the moment? Now that I live on a cul de sac where there is rarely any traffic, I can hitch up Luke to his cart and drive round and round and up and down without any worries. When it snows, I won't have to freak out about driving in snow or ice to see them; I can just pull on my boots and trudge out back.
Yes, I am in my sixties, but think how healthy this will be for my husband and me. No way can we become couch potatoes now. We HAVE to get up and out the door to muck and feed, groom and exercise our horses--every day. If a day comes that this becomes too much for us, well, we will deal with that then. But for now, what the heck am I doing? I'm pursuing my dream.
