The second highlight to the trip was to visit Jo Deibel of Angel Acres Horse rescue to meet Jake. Jake is the horse that Jo saved from slaughter and allowed me the honor of naming in memory of my my little dog Nicky that I lost to a brain tumor on April 3, 2008. We had made several attempts to meet before but, due to one conflict or another it just didn't take place until now- although Jo kept me well updated on how Jake was doing all along. It seems that Jo had finally found the "right" home for Jake and he would be going home in the next two weeks.

I had contacted Jo when Nicky died because I was so disraught with grief and so consumed with losing him that one of my close friends suggested that I start a memorial fund in his honor. Jo went a few steps further and dedicated a page to Nicky on her website. Then Jo notified me that she was pulling a new horse all together instead of just receiving a few to the horses that she already had rescued. And I got to name him!

So it went down in history and that is the story of Jake. The funny thing about it is when Nicky got very sick toward the end I used to leave the television on for him when I went to work so he would think that I was still home with him. I left it on VH1 or MTV so he was listening to music and when that night hit and the final decision was made to bring him to the vet there was a song playing...I heard it for about a month after and haven't heard it since. On the way to Jo's barn it played in the car on the way there. And it played again once we got home that night-it was a weird thing.

So we were off to meet Jake- it was love at first sight! To look at him he isn't anything out of the ordinary, but once you get to meet him and know him...he is exceptional. There was an instant love affair. He is one of the sweetest most good boys I have ever known and another funny thing is Jake has an injury to the same eye that Nicky had to have removed. I felt an instand bond to him, and I only wish that we could have kept him ourselves but, knowing Jo I know his new home is nothing other than perfect. There will be another added someday to our crew that will need us much more than he does. Meeting Jake was a blessing and I love him very very much he is very special to me.