Cloud Nine!

Today has been incredibly great and life changing for me and I am still pinching myself, even though it hurts, to make sure it's not a dream.

This morning, at 9:32, after eating breakfast with Will and saying goodbye to him, the phone rang—it was Carol, so Tony took the call. After he visited with her for a couple of minutes he said, "Nance, Carol needs to talk to you."

"Please tell her I will call her right back," I said, because Nature was calling and at my age when Nature calls—I listen. One minute later I returned Carol's call. "Hi, Carol. What's up?"

In a very serious voice Carol says, "Nancy, I want to give you Maya, if you want her..." And believe it or not I was speechless, for one of the few times in my life. "I love Maya and I know that you love her, too and..." As Carol talked, beautiful visions came into my head of Maya being my horse and me getting to ride her whenever I wanted to. "Maya is only eighteen years old and she is still full of pep. I really want to give her to you—if you want her." So I pinched myself, above the elbow and it hurt.

"Carol, OMG! Are you serious?"

"Yes. I really want to give her to you."

"Carol, I've got goose bumps right now. And yes, I would absolutely love to have Maya! I cannot believe this. Are you sure about this? She is such a wonderful horse and..."

"Yes, I really want you to have her."

"I definitely want her, but let me talk to Tony and Kinky first, to see how they feel about it and Ronnie too. I will call you back within the hour," I unintentionally lied, to the other half of our Cowgirl Sisterhood, because four minutes later I called Carol back. "Tony, Kinky and Ronnie are all for it! Carol this is a dream come true for me. I will never be able to thank you enough. You cannot imagine how happy you've made me. This is a life changing event for me and I love it!"

"Not as much as I love it, Nancy. You're going to love Maya so much and she is going to love you back even more. I am so happy about this. I love that we're keeping her in the family and from now on you are no longer a part-time or a wannabe cowgirl, because now you're an official cowgirl—horse and all..."

Before we hung up, we talked about going to the tack shop, in Fredericksburg, real soon, so Carol could help me pick out the right bridle and hopefully a beautiful, pink horse blanket for Maya, that my saddle will rest on. "Come on over this afternoon, so you can ride your horse."

I was literally on Cloud Nine when Tony and I went outside to do our morning chores. In fact, I was grinning the whole time, from ear-to-ear, as I cleaned the dog pens, dreaming of Maya being my super horse and getting to ride her whenever I wanted to.

Around 4:30, I braided my white hair, put on my pink bandana, cowboy hat and blue jean jacket and grabbed some carrots, that Maya loves to eat and then we picked up Will, over at the Lodge and then Buttermilk took us over to Carol's ranch, so I could ride my horse for the very first time and here are some great pictures that T. took of The Cowgirl Sisterhood riding their horses.

Right after I had first mounted my horse, Maya.

As we took off, Carol's smile says it all.

The Cowgirl Sisterhood Rides Again!

Maya laughing at my joke, even though Pistol didn't seem to get it.

One of the happiest days of my life—thanks to Carol!

Best Friends Always Ride Together.

After a really fun ride on our horses Carol invited Tony, Will and me to come inside her beautiful ranch house for happy hour and after taking off our muddy boots, outside on her steps, we went inside and Carol literally blew-us-out-of-our-saddles when she showed us Maya's impressive lineage papers. "She comes from some of the best, most famous King Ranch Quarter Horse breeding stock," Carol said, proudly.

As Tony, Will and I looked at Maya's papers, I pinched myself again, but on the other arm above my elbow, because I could not believe that Maya was actually my horse, with big time bragging rights. "Y'all, I am going to have some fun, name-dropping her lineage to Quarter Horse snobs," I said, as I gazed out the window at Pistol and Maya grazing together in the pasture.

And that is about it for tonight. I still cannot believe that I am now the proud owner of Maya, one amazing and awesome horse that my dear friend Carol gave to me. I am one very lucky cowgirl to have a great friend like Carol. "Thank you, Carol for being such a great friend. I will love yours and my Maya like she has never been loved before."

Y'all have a great evening! I need to go pinch myself, again.