Ranch Chick

I was born in Washington state, but I claim Oakdale "Cowboy Capital of the World" as my hometown where I spent the better part of my childhood. Yes, my parents willingly up and moved from the beautiful Evergreen state where we lived in the middle of the national forest to... the Central Valley of California. I am eternally grateful for their decision to take me out of the woods, however, because I was given the opportunity to grow up on a ranch.



I feel as if I was destined to be a ranch chick. However, there were times when I didn't quite "embrace" the ranch chick look.



 

"Oops, did I do that?"


With that said, I loved growing up on a ranch. There was never a dull moment. Just when you think it's OK to relax - a cow jumps into one of the troughs and we're out of water; a chain broke on a gate and now a corral of 200 cows are in our front yard eating my mom's roses; the power's out and now we have a freezer full of meat going bad; you go outside to find your neighbor's horse farm engulfed in flames.





"Rosie"

You know what the best part of growing up on a ranch was? The ability to carry out every little girl's dream - owning a horse. Many of my peers growing up were "riding horses before they could walk" or were "horseback before they were born". I, however, had two parents who were Windsurfers. Kayakers. Hikers. Two people with a very minimal interest in horses. How I ended up with horse fever is still an unsolved mystery. With that being said, I was the proud owner of my 20 year old sway-backed mare "Rosie" at the age of 6.

Growing up in Oakdale and living the ranch life is something I will always remember and cherish. Thank you Mom and Dad. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for giving our family the opportunity to live and work here.