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[RC] moving to CA from NY - Alair DavidsonJenette- I moved to CA from Chicago 7 years ago, and despite the ups and downs, don't regret it for a minute. This year is definitely an El Nino year (even if the forecasters are still in denial) so we have had much more rain than normal. We have a lot of mud, but the hills are emerald green, the sky is this incredible aqua blue and temps in the high 60's today. So happy to leave behind that dirty gray that seems to overtake the trees, ground and the sky in the midwest from Nov to April. Also left behind the "horse flys"... we certainly get flies here, but very few of those oversized, swarming black/brown stinging nasty buggers... I live in the San Francisco bay area, and we refer to the area you will likely be living as the central valley. You will be within trailer range of two of the best equine medical facilities in the US, UC Davis and Pioneer. If you ever have a lameness issue, Pioneer has some of the best docs in the world that can help find out why. There are thousands of miles of trails, most of which I can only hope to see in my lifetime. Every endurance ride or training ride I've gone on, it never ceases to amaze me when I take a deep breath and look around (when my crazy for the trail Arab gives me a chance)and marvel at how wild and majestic the open spaces are. We will climb up the side of a hill or mountain and if I look back, I often feel my stomach flip at how far down the trail is... or how high we have climbed. The vistas will often make me ask, "How did I get here?" After that brief philosophical moment, I look at a trail map and figure it out so I can come back again. It is a far cry from the tag games we played in the August corn fields. If you want to do endurance, this is the place. Lots of rides to choose from, great vet teams, awesome training and, in my case, incredible people with whom to train. If you are going to spend all of your free hours out on the trail, do it with people you love ... I feel so fortunate that I have the most incredible friends that have taught me so much about the sport, provided the motivation to climb those hills and keep me laughing during those 20 mile, dusty August training rides. The first few endurance rides are overwhelming as there are so many people. After a few rides, you start to learn the names and faces. I look forward to seeing everyone in ridecamp and finding out what they have been up to. (The ones with living quarters have usually done a ton of rides since I last saw them ;-) You'll see a wide array of people... some in tents, some in luxury live-in quarters. Everyone just pulls in and sets up. It is a bit of a challenge to find a good place to keep your horses. I always thought the horse people in IL were a bit off, but most of the managers/owners of boarding facilities out here are certifiable. If you can find a private/small facility that meets your needs, go in that direction! We have a website: www.bayequest.org that has a chat board, vendor listings etc. It isn't quite as rambunctious as ridecamp, but it caters to a much more diverse crowd. The property costs, state income tax, cost of gas and utilities have been a bit of a shock. Better where you are headed than the bay area. I must admit, when I relocated out here, I was taken aback at my first paycheck and tax filing. Uggh. Good luck on your move! I moved here in March... wonderful time of year to come and appreciate the contrasts of eastern winter vs. CA. Drop a line if you need anything... -Alair (still doing LD...not because the horse isn't ready, but working until the rider is conditioned;-) Please Reply to: Jeanette Mero drjmero@xxxxxxxxxxx or= ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== Hey all I don't usually post, just a lurker. But I would appreaciate= some input, advice, throughts from all you westerners. The good= and the bad. I am a born and raised easterner about to make a= big change. I am moving from upstate NY to central CA near= Yosemite. I am a horse vet that has had to work on way too many= cows over the years and heaven is waiting for me out in CA with= an all equine vet practice. Of course I am bringing my= endurance horses and plan to continue to ride and vet rides. = Yep I am already entered for this year's Tevis. Any thoughts, advice etc on anything about CA and what it is like= to live out there - i.e. I am bringing little kids and need to= know about the schools and what the environment is like for= kids. And of course the move itself is going to be monumental= - moving a farm here to a ranchette ( I guess that's what they= call them) out there. I understand I have to put up with rattlesnakes, enteroliths,= sand colics, hard to find grass hay and of course the usual CA= issues of earthquakes, floods, and fires. It all seems worth it= to me for the climate and the ability to ride from my back door= into 3000 acres of the Sierras. But maybe I am missing= something? Thanks Jeanette (Jay) Mero still snowy and freezing here in upstate NY Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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