08/06/2025
Giving all of you an update:
After a chaotic and stressful day and a long night, we are evacuated due to the Lee fire which has grown to over 23,000 acres. The critters are doing really well at their temporary pastures and the ranch was still standing as of this morning. We had multiple members of the community, most who we had never met before, help get us evacuated, including two gentlemen who saddled up their own horses and moved the horse herd down the highway about 2 miles to a less threatened area. I didn’t catch their names but we could not have done it without them. We also couldn’t have done it without M&M Cattle (I believe that name is right, if not please correct me) providing corrals in a safer area, or without the help of Cindy Day, Jessica Haynes (I hope I spelled that right), or Jessica’s mom Kathy in transporting critters, or without Stacey Bosworth and Dustin Harris giving our critters a soft spot to land. We are so so thankful for you guys, I can’t even put it into words. It was a lot we’re safe and ok and critters are content.
Also kudos to Chester for being a brave pony and leading the herd out down the highway while packing my struggle-bus stressed out mess. Also Kudos to Hickory for being a really good boy all day, including loading into a tiny slot in a slant load trailer in a new and chaotic environment. That was his 3rd trailer ride in his life with me, and the first one was hauling him home wild. He never had been in a slant trailer at all before and with the chaos I thought he’d have to go with a run in load in the stock because he doesn’t typically handle chaos well, but yesterday he acted like that was his everyday and I’m really proud of him. Patriot was also his normal cool as a cucumber good boy self all day and helped get the herd following Chester and the other gentleman leading horses out.
