Lefty's Ranch and The Healing Pond

Leaving my comfortable apartment was not easy for me. Something did not set right with this decision to move out to Lefty's ranch. However, I had no other options; or so I believed. Feeling as though I had failed at yet another attempt to make it on my own, I wandered into the lion's den. Only there were no lions, but plenty of coyotes and serpents. The serpents were the scariest because they would hide beneath the blackberry bushes along the levy. What a surprise to suddenly hear the haunting sound of a rattler as I harvested berries early in the morning. We lost several cats to those evil predators.

The coyotes were always out in the early morning as well, on the hunt for one of our ranch cats. We had quite a few of them and each one had a name. Yes, and each one would come running when you called out to him or her. Then there were the dogs; Nikki, Goliath, and Thunder. Nikki was a Hungarian Vizsla and had been around for nearly twelve years. Her favorite past time was to swim around in the pond, hoping to scare off all the ducks. She could swim forever. Goliath was an enormous English Mastiff and a gentle giant weighing in at 230 lbs. He loved chasing the frogs around the pond and playing fetch with six foot logs. He would roll the log down to the water and chew on it like a twig, then carry that soaking wet log up the hill in his giant jowls. The first time I attempted to hand feed Goliath a bagel, his whole mouth covered my hand. I threw him goodies from that moment forward. He liked it when the kitties would curl up with him for a nap.

Then there was my baby, Thunder. She was a gorgeous Rottweiler, close to four years in age. I rescued her from a very neglectful home. Thunder showed her gratitude every single day. She was the smartest girl with the loveliest temperament. She weighed in at close to 100 pounds. Sometimes Thunder would find herself in a tight spot and have to back up over ten feet to get herself out of it. My favorite memory of her is how she would sit in front of me and wrap her left leg around my leg, leaning into me with a hug.

Aside from the domestic animals, plenty of wildlife lived on Lefty's ranch; even aside from the coyotes and rattlers. The ranch was full of deer, turkey, Snowy Igrids, Blue Herons, and Red Tailed Hawks. We even had a family of muskrats in the pond. Lefty called them Otters, but I knew they were muskrats.

Majestic Oaks blanketed the ranch. There was so much beauty there, especially in the Autumn and Spring months when everything was full of color.

One New Years Eve I called out to God. I told him I did not know how to have a relationship with him. I asked Him to show me what that would look like. Even though I prayed the sinner's prayer many years before, nobody took the time to teach and guide me along. There was so much I did not know or understand.

Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand). - Jeremiah 33:3

What I did know was my life had taken a turn for the worst. Here I was living in a travel trailer with a man who did not love me enough to marry me. I began battling depression and having flashbacks of my childhood which caused me to retreat to a corner most nights. I had began to drink whiskey and smoke pot again and we only associated with those who lived this same lifestyle. We were not taking the bike out anymore and I allowed this man to control who I included in my circle of friends. Worst of all, my daughter wanted nothing to do with visiting me while I lived there. I had become a recluse on this 400-acre ranch which may as well have been out in the middle of nowhere. The courts decided Angelica was better off staying away from 'the ranch'.

All it took was that sincere plea from my anguished heart to set things in motion. The first thing God did was plant a desire in my heart and mind for His word. All my answers were right there and I literally could not put my Bible down. It went everywhere with me and I read, and read, and read. Some of the truths were so fascinating that I had to find the next one!

The Lord had already led me out to the wilderness, literally. The land was sub-leased for a couple different purposes. Half the land was occupied by cattle and another small part was leased to a strawberry farmer.

The road into the property was atop a levy which separated two ponds. When the runoff from the snow melt in the Sierra Nevada mountains would make it's way into the valley, the ponds would fill up. The creek from the top pond to the lower pond would become a fun place for the twenty ranch cats to scale as they were hunting for frogs, polliwogs and other goodies along the bank of the creek. I wanted to hear the answers and see his hand at work, so He led me to Solomon's Prayer for wisdom and spiritual discernment. I was so tired of believing the lies and the deceptions of the devil. I could not tell the difference of good and bad in my most vulnerable moments.

When I was out in the wilderness, the Lord provided a pond at which I would take my Bible, my writing, and my coffee. I encountered tremendous healing and deliverance at that pond. I encountered Jesus.

Lovely Outlaws - Half Ton

What makes a person want to run with pirates?

Acceptance
Understanding
Escape
And so much more..

Half Ton was a man of few words. I looked forward to hearing what he had to say. There was just something about him. He also did not let very many get too close to him. Though he was prospecting for the VNVMC/Legacy Vets and always surrounded by his brothers, he really was more of a loner type. Getting to know Half Ton (formerly known as Jeffrey) was not easy. He guarded his heart with an invisible breastplate; a true warrior, in need of the healing love of Jesus.

Jeffrey had a beautiful wife and daughter. He also had a fulfilling career as a first responder after serving his country.

Life was good.

He was the Life-flight pilot on duty that night. As he and his crew came upon the scene, Jeffrey listened to the description of the vehicle over the radio.

"That sounds like my wife's car.."

When he arrived at the scene, he saw it was his beloved wife and precious daughter. Jeffrey used the 'Jaws of Life' to cut his way through to them. Their injuries were fatal. He did all he could to save them but they were already gone.

Not only did he lose all that mattered to him in his life but Jeffrey lost himself in the process. And he continued to lose everything else he loved in life; all he had worked for simply fell away. He was broken and destitute.

See, Jeffrey's childhood was a tragic one also. His beautiful life with his two precious girls seemed like the second chance at love he never had as a young boy.

Fast forward a few years.....This is when I actually met Jeffrey, but he was known as Half Ton, a prospect for a local chapter of the Vietnam Vets M/C. Many weekends I watched how Half Ton had to prove his loyalty and dedication to the brotherhood which required him to fulfill many unlawful acts. He watched the backs of his brothers when they were in trouble and they watched his. True blue. No judgment. No questions. Just love. Family...finally.

The Too Much Fun Club hosted a gathering on some property of theirs on the Northern California coast. Half Ton always seemed to go to these things riding solo. I was happy to get an invite and rode up with him and a couple brothers. Half Ton had my back on winding Highway 1. It was my first ride on that road on my bike.

Before heading out for a ride, the Chaplain gathered us for the blessing of the bikes. As he swept the burning sage over each club brother (and guest), the Chaplain prayed a blessing one by one with our bikes. When he came to Half Ton, I witnessed something very powerful. I was in no way following Jesus at the time, but God was with me. And he was with Half Ton. The Chaplain felt it and I felt it. Our brother was so hungry for healing in his heart that he wept as the Chaplain prayed over him. I heard the Chaplain later tell the club president, "This is one special brother you have here".

So true.

Military, brotherhood, camaraderie..Half Ton knew the support and loyalty of his brothers in the marines. When he lost everything he had, he looked for the same; a group who 'knew' him and whom he 'knew'. A familiar home he felt safe with.

What had life offered him? It took all he loved. He threw in the towel, so to speak. No more trying to make life happen according to life. Life did him wrong.

But God was pursuing Half Ton. He wanted to do heart surgery on him. It was right after this that I built up enough boldness to ask Half Ton about his life. I wanted to get a glimpse into his tender heart. I saw he did not fit in with this outlaw life. I was blessed that Jeff would open up to me and share that pivotal moment that sent him over the edge. Oh how beautiful it would have been if God's word were spoken into Jeff's heart that day. This Chaplain did not speak God's word.

I pray Jesus came and ministered to Jeff in that moment.