Jill and I truly were "one spirit" for much of our childhood, always knowing what the other one was thinking, always on the same wave length. We met in middle school, were attached at the hip for most of high school, roomed together in college, married our high school sweethearts (who were also best friends), got pregnant at almost exactly the same time with our boys.  Our lives paralleled each other's for so many years, and I have many memories to share.  I'll start with this one.....

I met Jill just after the new year, in January of 1971.  We were in the 7th grade, and she and her family had just moved to Gulf Breeze, FL from Biloxi, MS. She was the "new girl" in my art class, and as we got to know each other, our mutual love of horses brought us together. Little did I know that she would remain my best friend for many years to come

The Dixon's lived in Gulf Breeze proper, meaning in the city, just about a mile from me.  The first time I went over to their house I remember being greeted by their 5 little fluff balls they called dogs. They were all some mixture of pomeranians, all very friendly as they yapped and bounced around.   I could tell right away  that not only was Jill a horse lover, but she loved any animal that walked, flew, or swam in the sea.

That first summer Jill and I  spent almost every weekend at horse shows in the Pensacola area.  Her parents would drop us off in the mornings and pick  us back up late in the afternoon. We watched every event, dreamed of owning our own horses one day, talked about taking riding trips together, and drank Fanta orange. A few years later, Jill did get her horse, and we took "day trips" together on Gingerman, packing a lunch and riding together for most of a day.

Jill and Gingerman together were truly a thing of beauty. That beautiful horse and his beautiful rider looked like they were made for each other.  I use to hang on the rail of the paddock watching her put him through his paces.  When she was through, she would give me a hand and pull me up behind her and we would take off riding up and down the dirt roads around her neighborhood.  One day we actually made it to the beach and took Ginger into the water.  We probably weren't suppose to do that, but it was a wonderful afternoon.