07/05/2025
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Just a few block walkđ
When I dreamed of expanding to offer group rides, I had no idea it would require this much grit⌠or this much peanut butter.
I checked out several locations, weighing every option. Then came a gift from above: Driftwood Inn made a generous offer to let me use their land below the bluffâprivate property, with rare beach access. It felt meant to be.
But I had to stretch every dollar to make it happen. For months, I lived on peanut butter and bread for every mealâsometimes Iâd fancy it up with a slice of banana if I was feeling wild. Ramen was a luxury. I needed legal help, and by another miracle, someone stepped up and offered free counsel.
The land was roughâburied driftwood logs, rusty metal, and more sand than I knew what to do with. My chainsaw chain went dull again and again. The driftwood was massive. I started to wonder if Iâd traded my life for a never-ending episode of âAlaskan Ninja Warrior: Horse Edition.â But then a kind member of the church came out with a Zoom Boom, cleared the impossible logs, and even donated leftover sheet metal that became the roof for my horse shelter.
I used driftwood for fence posts. Friends donated trees they were cutting down. I dug every hole by hand and hauled 400-pound logs by myselfâevery single one but one. For hay, I drove to Palmer, borrowed a trailer from a friend, and met my uncle halfway with his. I alone loaded 225 bales, hauled them back, and had to hand-transfer them to my truck the one bale at a time onto my pallets on the beach because you canât drive a trailer down there. A peanut butter sandwich never tasted so hard-earned.
Now itâs all built. The horses are here. The joy is real. And the group rides are finally happening.
But the work didnât end when the fence was done. We now provide 24/7 supervision for the horses. We donât get to go home. We haul every. single. piece. of p**p. off the beach by hand to keep the area pristine. This isnât a jobâitâs a lifestyle powered by prayer, sweat, and Skippy.
If youâve booked a ride, told a friend, or supported us in any wayâyouâre part of this story too. Thank you.
Because this isnât just a horse ride. This is a dream built on community, driftwood, and way too much peanut butter.