I was really, really hoping that heading would get your attention,
and generate some response. I am writing on behalf of my friend Lisa Keeley.
She is a rider, and you can find her on AERC records, under Lisa M.
Keeley, or by her Arabian horse "Travis". She is a very nice
person who sold me my mare "Summer", over a year ago, and we have
remained friends since. How unusual is that!
Lisa and her family, daughter Anna (18?), sons Jeff (17) and Robert(14)
were recently victims of the Cedar fire in San Diego Area, that burned
hundreds of thousands of acres. They had been planning to go horsecamping
in the Cedar camp area, and luckily cancelled, because of the boys had already
gone there the previous two weeks. If they had gone, they would be dead today,
they never would have outrun the fire. The fire came upon their home in the
middle of the night, the police were shouting with bullhorns to evacuate, but
they never heard them. A concerned neighbor called and woke them up, and
when they looked outside their front door, the hill across the street was on
fire. Jeff got the horse Travis, and ran with him down the road, handed him
off to a volunteer. Unfortunately, he did not saddle him.... When Jeff got
back, they loaded the family in the car, with a dog, two cats, a few photos
and papers, and ran for their lives with a police escort. They had fifteen
minutes from the time of the phone call, to the time they left.
They kept calling their house every few minutes, until at 8:00, the answer
machine did not pick up any more. The house was burned, and and almost
completely destroyed. They are now all living in separate
homes. Lisa had built her own feed shed in the back yard with her own
hands, she is a single mom. She had just purchased her entire winter's stock
of hay. Her custom saddle was in there, and believe me, it was nice. I tried
to buy it from her at least 5 times!! I hope she doesn't regret that. The
saddle burned to a crisp. Her garage was not destroyed, but later
looted. I am going down there next weekend , we are going to pick
up thousands of nails off the ground,from the burned fence, so we
can get Travis back in the yard. Maybe we can rig up a temporary shelter for
her feed, to keep it dry. I am providing a following link, from a newspaper
article, so you ridecampers can see that this story is indeed true, and now
see the hassle that she is getting from her homeowners associ ation, that
doesn't want her to have her temporary trailer on the land. FEMA and the BLM
both have been helpful to her. Lisa was given clothing by friends, but then
the weather shifted from 100 degrees down to the 40-70 range, with rain.
If anyone wants to send her any token...I am providing her address. Her and
the kids, they could use clothing, or gift certificates to places like Home
Depot, Walmart, Target. If I can get 100 people to send her $5, it would be a
lot. She needs stuff for her horse too. She has a bridle, and a halter. That
is it. No grooming supplies, no shampoo, no feed supplements, nada. Anything
anyone would send would be appreciated. If anyone wants to just pray for her,
or send her a cheerful note, that would be apppreciated. If anyone wants to
email the newspaper about the following story, that would also help. I am sure
if she gets more than she needs, she would share it with the other neighbors
who also lost several homes, and they are all horse people. Thank you
riders, lets get this family of e questrians, back on the trails!!!
