I lived on Fox Glove Lane in Boulder Creek, California, during my final year of graduate school at UC Santa Cruz. Our home was perched high on the mountain near a ridge-top trail that stretched for miles through the wilderness. Towering redwood trees surrounded us  heir presence both grounding and majestic.

A family of wild turkeys often wandered through our property, crossing into the open space you see depicted in this artwork. Foxgloves grew wild, their vibrant blooms dotting the landscape with dots and splashes of colour.

Some of my most exhilarating—and challenging—horseback rides took place on the wilderness trails. It was a land where cougars cried, rattlesnakes rattled, and bobcats roamed freely. I reveled in the untamed beauty of the place.  Our house was high on the mountain, close to a ridge-top trail that went for miles and miles. Giant Redwood trees grew all around. 

I did my most challenging horseback riding up there, where the cougars cried, the rattlesnakes rattled, and the bobcats roamed. I called my mare Abla Zarah, 'my little Alpha Romero' because she was screaming fast and could take tight turns at speed.  I was not always up to her talents.