This message is from: BRIGID WASSON <epona1...@verizon.net>
Hi All- I recently posted about finding a home for my Johanna. Shortly after, I was perusing Dreamhorse -- "just looking" at the available Fjords as I like to do -- and there was an ad for a 4yo gelding for "sale or trade." The ad said they would trade for a registered mare unrelated to their stallion and guess who fit that bill? I agreed to drive to their ranch today in Woody, CA, which is in unincorporated Kern County. I love traveling, and driving, so this adventure was right up my alley. I loaded up Johanna and hit the road about 9AM, going over Pacheco Pass which is not far from my home them heading South on I-5. There's not much to see on I-5 in either direction, so I cruised along that just listening to music and stopping once for gas and a drink. I drove 98 miles South and that's when things got interesting. GPS and Mapquest told me to take the Utica Road exit which I did. This road went on for 20 miles through a landscape that looked like something out of a science fiction movie. It was a wasteland of dry, flat plain surrounded by ditches with water in them. The road was so long and flat that it shimmered and seemed to disappear into the sky in the distance. thanks goodness the GPS told me where to turn because everything looked the same and there wasn't anything resembling a sign, in fact some of the street names were spray-painted on concrete blocks. I came out of the wasteland in a town called Alpaugh which looked like a third-world country. There were no houses, only trailers, all very run-down with tarps over them for shade. There were big heaps of rubbish in the far corners of the properties with trailers on them. There were no businesses that I could identify except for a market with a piece of paper taped over the sign with the new proprietor's name on it in felt pen. Finally, I made it to Garces Highway in Delano, the street on which the ranch is located. Entering Delano, the first thing I saw was what appeared to be a prison, followed by a cemetery, then a hospital. Leaving the town, it was another 20-mile drive through nowhere to the ranch. By the time I got there, the landscape had become much more pretty, with oak trees and large rocks. The nearby hills reminded me of the East Foothills here at home. I had no problem locating the ranch and was met by the owners of my new Fjord, Gunnbjorn-Knutsen. They have his sire, Knut, who looks great especially considering that he is 27 years old, a gelding named Wulfie, and a mare whose name I can't recall. They loved Johanna, I loved Bjorn, so we agreed to the exchange and, after some pleasant conversation and sharing of Fjord pictures, I was back on the road home. I am going to send them the link to get on the Fjordhorse List because they were not aware of it and seemed very interested. Bjorn is in the pasture now with Rafael trying to convince him that he is his new best friend :-). Brigid Wasson SF Bay Area, CA Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
