Champagne Sisters Peggy, Nicole and I went for a fabulous ride yesterday in the Cuyamacas. It was a picture perfect day; the weather warm and sunny with a little bite in the breeze that suggested summer is gone and autumn is in the air. We had a bit of a mishap when Peggy’s horse decided to make a break for it through some bushes and trees in his attempt to avoid a water crossing. Peggy stayed glued to the saddle, but got scraped up in the process, leaving her with a sexy, red rash of a war wound on her chin. Other than that, our ride was beautiful and uneventful. We rode trails surrounded by lush green Manzanita, then followed an old dirt road surrounded by evidence of the Witch Creek Fire. It was weird to be riding in an area which was the source of an event that has changed my life so dramatically. Blackened, twisted trees cover the hills, painful reminders of the raging flames roaring through here in 2007. The area is peaceful and quiet now, bathed in the golden light of a Sunday afternoon. The only sounds are the horses’ hooves on the dirt and a constant symphony of unseen insects. Four years ago today I had a beautiful home and a completely different life. But... I didn’t have a horse or my two new friends, and I can’t think of a better thing to do on a lovely afternoon than to go on a horseback ride with my Champagne Sisters.
Making out with Delgado was painful that day. He rubbed my chin raw. And, that tree we made contact with left a few bruises. Still, it was a good ride.
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