A Simply Great Man

I first met Carl years ago while I still lived in Nebraska and Leon Olsen introduced me to  him and another great man John Hoyt.  We didn't become friends but when I would see him again at big shows he would always say "hi" and ask how things were going.  Some time later when I landed in Oklahoma and was training horses on my own I again ran into Carl at one of the shows in Duncan.  I had lived there all of three weeks and didn't know hardly anybody else.  At the end of the day I wandered to one of Duncan's finer motels and there was John and Carl sitting on the 2nd floor balcony drinking beer.  The air conditioning wasn't working and there weren't any more rooms and they were outside trying to keep cool.  Carl invited me up for a beer and we sat and talked until the sun went down.  It was probably the first time that I ever felt like I "belonged" being a horse trainer. 

Years went by and I would see Carl and then Karen at shows and we became horse show friends.  I was always showing too many horses and doing too many events and from time to time I would volunteer to show in the cow horse to make the numbers work.  Slowly while showing Carl would give me pointers and I learned to show a cow horse and later reiners without being embarrassed.  From time to time if I had a good one Carl would be kind or professional enough to tell me so.  No matter what event I was showing in. 

Many years and moves and horses later I was showing in Paso Robles to Karen and when the driving class was over she said my husband would love that tie.  I frequently wore a very colorful tie that Kathy Pettit had given me of the cartoon Tasmanian devil shredding a bunch of balloons.  It was one of my favorite ties.  At the end of the day, when the show was over I gave that tie to Karen to give to Carl.  Sometimes especially in the horse business its fun to pass the fun things along.  Knowing Carl how I did, I could see him liking that tie.  Two years later while showing in Bakersfield CA I saw Carl walk in to the arena to judge wearing that tie.  It made me smile.  For me some things bring back great memories and that was one of them.  I wore that tie, and another colorful tie exclusively the year I showed The Wild West Show to the High Point Driving title.  Interestingly at a show earlier in the year another judge, Alan Mitchell's had criticized the very tie I gave Carl for being inappropriate. 

Since I've stopped training I've only seen Carl one other time at the world show.  I had been waiting in line for about an hour at the check station leading to the main drive to load up and go home.  The line of trucks and trailers was around the corner and down the drive towards the street.  In typical Carl fashion he took control of the situation, closed the cattle panels and let us all down the drive to load up to go home. 

Rarely do you get to go through life and have the privilege to say that you knew someone who always treated you as and equal, with respect and as a friend.  The horse industry, humanity and mainly Karen have lost a simply great man. That hollow feeling inside is going to last a long time. 

An Open Letter.

An Open letter to anyone who has the guts to print it

The day after Christmas the most tragic example of how out immigration policy, and our government is a glaring failure.

On December 26th Newman California Corporal   Ronil Singh, was on duty  working in Stanislaus County CA.  While conducting a routine suspicion of drunk driving stop.  He was allegedly shot and killed by  Gustavo Perez Arriaga.  An Illegal immigrant who was living in the Sanctuary state of California.  Arriaga has previous DUI arrests, 

Ironically what makes this such a glaring example of Immigration policy failure.  Deputy Ronil Singh was also an immigrant.  He came here legally, did the work, studied citizenship and English language passed the tests, paid the fees and became a naturalized citizen.  His life long dream was to be a police officer  He is survived by a his wife and 5 month old son.  

Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Shumer, and every single person who believes in open borders owes this young mother an apology.  They need to explain to this woman, just exactly why this man was allowed, and protected under California's sanctuary immigration laws was allowed to stay here.  

Since I became of legal voting age in 1982, we have been promised by every single presidential candidate that they would fix our broken immigration system.  A wall isn't going to fix it.  Just giving dreamers citizenship isn't going to fix it.  Relaxing the laws and giving every one who comes here political Asylum is not going to fix our immigration system.  

Our government has failed.  They failed Ronil Singh, and they have failed everyone citizen who immigrated here legally, and they have fail the rest of the American public as well.  

Its time that we held our elected official accountable for their lack of action on this issue.  Its time we held them accountable for their lack of action for the last two years.  The very people who have been elected to run this country have let us down.  We need to write our Congress and Senate, We need to write our local news papers, We need to write our local news stations, we need to march in the streets until our elected officials get back to work doing the jobs we elected them to do.  

Everyday Is Christmas for me.

I used to hate Christmas.  I have since I was a kid.  I can count on one hand how many were ever a good time.  My only good memories all revolve around spending the holiday with my grandparents.  My Grandfather would dress up like Santa Claus and deliver presents and hang around with all of us for a while.  I was an all in believer in Santa Claus until I was told to go and get groceries out of the car one time and I Opened the truck and there were as all the presents from Santa Claus.  I secretly suspect that my mother did that on purpose.  Why else put the groceries in the trunk and then hand your kid the key and tell him to go and get them.  We lived in Northern Indiana at the time and it was snowy and cold as hell.  It could have been an honest mistake, but that's  highly unlikely.  When we would get together with our Grandparents the cousins would all be there and the Aunts and Uncles and I liked those Christmas's the best.  

As Ive gotten older I've come to realize that a for me, Christmas has nothing to do with presents.  For many years when I trained horses the holiday was spent on the road.  Hauling horses to some show circuit trying to finish out the year end points race. Usually alone.  I don't miss that one bit.  

At this point in my life everyday is like Christmas for me.  I've had a pretty good life.  In spite of trying to screw it up most of the time. I really have enjoyed most of it.  I fell extremely fortunate to have been born in America.  For all its faults, no matter what you hear on the news.  The rest of the world wants to be us.  I am healthy.  Sure right now I am struggling with my back, but I've been through that before and basically I'm a tough bastard and I will trudge along until I get it fixed this time as well.  I have a great dad and sister that love me I don't get to see them enough, but they too are healthy and getting along well.  Over the years I have collected a group of friends that without question I am fortunate to have.  Some of them I don't see often enough, but I always feel their connection and love.  I've been privileged to made a living what I loved to do.  While I trained horses I loved it.  I had good stock, good customers and it allowed me to show all over the United States and see the country that we live in.  There is diversity and beauty everywhere here.  Ive been lucky enough to have the loyalty and love of many good dogs.  At one point I traveled by myself with 4 or 5 of them.  It was like a never ending circus of canine entertainment and love.  Living in America has allowed me to have hobbies that I never thought I would and I need to remind myself not to take for granted.  Camping, Traveling, a stint trying to fly R/C planes, FAILURE, Snowmobiles, fishing, and now sports car racing, as well as owning a large and fantastic group of cars along the way.  

Most of all, I now have  married into an extended family that brings joy to my heart everyday, and a husband that literally fills my heart with love. When my nephew was married my dad stood up before everyone and gave a little speech on how special marriage was.  It was totally unlike him to do something like that, but you could tell without a doubt how he felt about my mother and how serious the institution of marriage was for him. Until I was married, I had no idea what he was talking about.

 Waking up to Brian's smiling  eyes every morning is like being born again.  If I was able to, my gift to the world would be for everyone to get to experience the same thing.  So today when we sit down to dinner and I look across the table at the man I love I will know that I have everything in life that is important.  So Everyday is Christmas for me.  

Merry Christmas everyone!!!