i couldn't sleep...feeling anxious....so, i wander over to the computer to pass the time....
i was online maybe a little over an hour or so....when the next thing i know...i type in the search bar...."horses for sale California". now i must point out....that i was not looking to buy a horse....i did not have horses in my life...i wasn't even thinking about horses....at all. i simply typed those words (for some reason) in the search bar. the list of search results appeared, and i scrolled down to a website, and (for some other reason i don't know) chose this particular website that featured horses for sale in California. on that page i scrolled down and saw an add that had the following description .... "6 mo. Sorrel Quarter Horse For Sale"...she was a filly...her name was 'Kahlua'...and the location was Livermore. i thought...wow...that's practically in my backyard...so, i clicked it. the add had a thumbprint sized photo of the horse, which also had me intrigued. from the tiny picture...i knew then, that the horse would be beautiful....i just didn't know how much. when i opened the add, the picture that was a thumbprint grew, and now i could see this unbelievably gorgeous horse. i said to myself..."wow...i wonder what this horse goes for"? i really had no idea what horses cost. i figured $20, 000...$30, 000. i was curious at this point...so, i read on....
$850 or best offer
that's what it said...i couldn't believe it! so, wait a minute...someone like me could own a horse?? i never thought in a million years that someone like myself could own a horse. i thought they were exclusive to wealthy people. Churchill Downs Kentucky Derby kinda people...not me.
then i thought, hmmm. maybe it's possible. i realize i don't have any knowledge of horses...but, i'm willing to learn. i wrote the phone number down, and decided i would call in the morning.
i called the next morning, and spoke to a very nice lady who asked me when i would like to come see her. she said she also had Kahlua's mom, and i could meet them both. we made arrangements to meet that night at her home. i went that night with my friend, and had no expectations whatsoever. i really didn't know if i was going to be purchasing this horse or not. i really didn't know what would happen...i just had to go see her.
when we got there the 'horse lady' greeted us, and offered to take us around back where her horses were. this was a huge property in the middle of the Livermore wine valley.
then...there she was...this beautiful...little...adorable....sweet face. and, she walked toward me. she stood in front of me, and looked into my eyes. i was in love!! then...she bent down and started to eat my shoe. yep. i said, eat my shoe. i thought...'how funny is that?!' i turned to my friend, and said..."i have to have her". my friend knows me. once i make my mind up, it's over...run for the hills...troubles coming. i met Kahlua's momma too. she was also a beautiful creature. i felt bad to take her away from her mother....but, i knew someone would...and, i thought maybe...just maybe it was going to be me.
you have to understand....during this whole event....i was in a fog. a complete fog. it was as though i was possessed....i was me...but, someone, or something else was moving me through all of the actions throughout the entire experience. that's how it felt. i was sort of in shock.
i asked 'the horse lady' what the best offer was that she would accept? she said, "i'll take $800, but, i can't really go any lower than that". i didn't even hesitate...i said "sold". i knew that was exactly how much that i had left in my savings account. so did my friend. she just looked at me, and smiled. she knew that there was a new member of my family...just like that.
then...here come the questions...the 'horse lady' asked, "do you know where you're going to keep her"? i said, "no". then, she asked, "do you have a horse trailer"? i said, "no". so, i confessed (some) that i was new to the horse world, and i wasn't as prepared as i would have liked to be. she was very nice...she said, "look around, and when you find a place for her, let me know, and i will bring her to her new home, and i'll bring her mother along for comfort, that will make things go a lot easier. until then, she's welcome to stay here, and i won't charge you any board". i thought...wow...how lucky am i? this is unbelievable. i can't believe this is happening to me. someone pinch me. for God's sake...i own a horse.
i wasn't sure i liked the name Kahlua. i never in my life thought that i would own a horse...i was pretty sure i didn't want one named after alcohol. that didn't sound like a good start. i thought and thought, as i searched the internet for ideas. then, while talking to my friend...it hit me.
my friend and i are big Nicholas Cage fans. we have seen every movie he's made. one that we like a lot is 'Leaving Las Vegas'. in the movie there is a scene where his character 'Ben', is trying to pick up a hooker, 'Sera', (played by Elisabeth Shue) on the Las Vegas strip. when Sera gets in the car, Ben says...
"hi...my names Ben"
"i'm Sera".
Ben: "with an H"?
Sera: "no, with an e....S E R A....Sera".
i was online maybe a little over an hour or so....when the next thing i know...i type in the search bar...."horses for sale California". now i must point out....that i was not looking to buy a horse....i did not have horses in my life...i wasn't even thinking about horses....at all. i simply typed those words (for some reason) in the search bar. the list of search results appeared, and i scrolled down to a website, and (for some other reason i don't know) chose this particular website that featured horses for sale in California. on that page i scrolled down and saw an add that had the following description .... "6 mo. Sorrel Quarter Horse For Sale"...she was a filly...her name was 'Kahlua'...and the location was Livermore. i thought...wow...that's practically in my backyard...so, i clicked it. the add had a thumbprint sized photo of the horse, which also had me intrigued. from the tiny picture...i knew then, that the horse would be beautiful....i just didn't know how much. when i opened the add, the picture that was a thumbprint grew, and now i could see this unbelievably gorgeous horse. i said to myself..."wow...i wonder what this horse goes for"? i really had no idea what horses cost. i figured $20, 000...$30, 000. i was curious at this point...so, i read on....
$850 or best offer
that's what it said...i couldn't believe it! so, wait a minute...someone like me could own a horse?? i never thought in a million years that someone like myself could own a horse. i thought they were exclusive to wealthy people. Churchill Downs Kentucky Derby kinda people...not me.
then i thought, hmmm. maybe it's possible. i realize i don't have any knowledge of horses...but, i'm willing to learn. i wrote the phone number down, and decided i would call in the morning.
i called the next morning, and spoke to a very nice lady who asked me when i would like to come see her. she said she also had Kahlua's mom, and i could meet them both. we made arrangements to meet that night at her home. i went that night with my friend, and had no expectations whatsoever. i really didn't know if i was going to be purchasing this horse or not. i really didn't know what would happen...i just had to go see her.
when we got there the 'horse lady' greeted us, and offered to take us around back where her horses were. this was a huge property in the middle of the Livermore wine valley.
then...there she was...this beautiful...little...adorable....sweet face. and, she walked toward me. she stood in front of me, and looked into my eyes. i was in love!! then...she bent down and started to eat my shoe. yep. i said, eat my shoe. i thought...'how funny is that?!' i turned to my friend, and said..."i have to have her". my friend knows me. once i make my mind up, it's over...run for the hills...troubles coming. i met Kahlua's momma too. she was also a beautiful creature. i felt bad to take her away from her mother....but, i knew someone would...and, i thought maybe...just maybe it was going to be me.
you have to understand....during this whole event....i was in a fog. a complete fog. it was as though i was possessed....i was me...but, someone, or something else was moving me through all of the actions throughout the entire experience. that's how it felt. i was sort of in shock.
i asked 'the horse lady' what the best offer was that she would accept? she said, "i'll take $800, but, i can't really go any lower than that". i didn't even hesitate...i said "sold". i knew that was exactly how much that i had left in my savings account. so did my friend. she just looked at me, and smiled. she knew that there was a new member of my family...just like that.
then...here come the questions...the 'horse lady' asked, "do you know where you're going to keep her"? i said, "no". then, she asked, "do you have a horse trailer"? i said, "no". so, i confessed (some) that i was new to the horse world, and i wasn't as prepared as i would have liked to be. she was very nice...she said, "look around, and when you find a place for her, let me know, and i will bring her to her new home, and i'll bring her mother along for comfort, that will make things go a lot easier. until then, she's welcome to stay here, and i won't charge you any board". i thought...wow...how lucky am i? this is unbelievable. i can't believe this is happening to me. someone pinch me. for God's sake...i own a horse.
i wasn't sure i liked the name Kahlua. i never in my life thought that i would own a horse...i was pretty sure i didn't want one named after alcohol. that didn't sound like a good start. i thought and thought, as i searched the internet for ideas. then, while talking to my friend...it hit me.
my friend and i are big Nicholas Cage fans. we have seen every movie he's made. one that we like a lot is 'Leaving Las Vegas'. in the movie there is a scene where his character 'Ben', is trying to pick up a hooker, 'Sera', (played by Elisabeth Shue) on the Las Vegas strip. when Sera gets in the car, Ben says...
"hi...my names Ben"
"i'm Sera".
Ben: "with an H"?
Sera: "no, with an e....S E R A....Sera".
just love the way she says that line. so, it was official...Kahlua's new name would be Sera. it fit. Sera has a little bit of an attitude about her just like the character that Shue plays in the movie. definitely...a mind of her own. but, beautiful??!! i'm not sure i have ever seen, nor will i ever see a more beautiful creature.
i positively, absolutely, LOVE this story! so glad you wrote and posted it!
ReplyDeletedevine intervention i say! -and it's so beautiful and funny
the way you just followed your heart and your instincts despite everything else
ever owned a horse? "no"
know anything about horses? "no"
have a trailer? "no"
place to keep her? "not yet"
BUT.. just enough money and just enough love and faith
that sera is yours. -write where she belongs.
this is a great example too, i think, of steering by starlight. martha beck is smiling and so am i
love you! look foward to meeting sera
~s.