Judy Robertson:  

My family came here from Illinois to be in warm, dry weather for mom's health. We shipped some of our horses, (had 12) took 3 with us. Mom's health was back to excellent, in no time. We moved to Phoenix first, then out to no man's land, White Tanks, AZ. But I must admit, I did not want to live in AZ. I hated it, it was nothing like the rolling green hills, all our relatives, snow, etc. Now a small rural community of dust and heat. But we had all we needed, lots of friends to hang out with, on horses always. Ginger, Brad Schulz and I even road our horses to the last day of school at liberty, Somehow, it seems Rhonda Shumway was with us too. We made forts, breakfasted with our horses on the Dike, rode to Froggy Bottom, Waddell's and never had a lack of things to do. High School came fast that summer, we were totally unaware what we would run into there. My other sisters and I started to realize freedom was short lived and we had to study. Most of our lives our good grades came very easy, I still was the one who rarely studied, although always on the Honor Roll, even though starting to fail chemistry and having to drop out, I still made it. It was always allot of fun for me and I think it was for my sisters too. Then after all the great high school times, Off to college, I went to the local junior college (Glendale Community College) because I wasn't sure about committing to the others. Made some best friends on the Song Leader Line and just couldn't have had any more fun. Well that's about all I did was have fun, what else, I was 17! After that, I began a work career starting with the Maricopa County Community College District, I liked being a part in the community college district's business end. Then there were many other workplaces and I finally landed on a passion, Land Development, Construction and Management. That was a lifetime for me. I was part of building cities, ski resorts, roads, infra-structures of all sorts, multi-family, single family, estates, and commercial. I did maximum boating, water sporting, snow skiing, swam with the dolphins in the Keys, canoed down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, parachute jumped, snow skied and water skied the same day, trips to Maui, went to modeling school,was engaged 4 times. Fell in love a few. I know I don't have much of a Bucket list now, except wanting to be piloted in a Harrier Jet. I was still enjoying most of this when I retired in 2011 in Prescott. The lifetime of excessive heat made me promise myself when I was very young, that I would leave the heat hell and get to a beautiful, mountain, clean air place where I could live in harmony with nature, hike, be cool, have more horses, learn to upgrade cooking to a more expert level. Wine pairing is something that I enjoy doing, was a catering sales manager at the Sheraton Resort up here. I loved every minute of it. And I worked so hard in whatever I did. Land development could keep me on 6 day work weeks, often 15 hour days, so could catering. I finally married at 45 (for the wrong reason) and then again when I was 55 and married the most incredible man in the world. I had only 13 years with him, but never had love like that, or knew anyone who came as close to his magnificence! He passed away from chemo treatments.for lung cancer in 2017. Tore apart my life-- and trying to build a new one now. Mom passed away from cancer in 2006, Dad lived 'til he was 91 and left us 2013, Still having allot of fun but miss having my partner like nothing else ever. My sisters also live up here in Prescott. I still have no family though. I have outlived all my horses and pets, live on 2.5 acres in a modest 2200sf country home and with some help from Ray who keeps the property and lives in his RV here. We have lots of la...Expand for more