Bay Beauty

It was Sumer of 87’ when I got a call from my aunt and uncle from BC and asked if I would like to work at thier gas station and wharf on Maine Island BC. Thier son was getting married and wanted me to watch the business for two weeks.

On the plane ride from Ontario to BC was not a first as my grandparents lived in Victoria and I visited a few times when I was younger. I was so excited because at the end of the summer whales go through active pass and have been seen every year from Maine Island. Killer whales and horses are my two favourite animals.

The island was very small, the teenagers got a boat ride every day to go to school. There was a deli, a restaurant, a gas station and not much else. The pier was very long, and vehicles could go on it. The gas station off of the wharf was a floating dock attached to the dock, it would go up and down as the tide moved in and out. The ferry passed through would blow thier horn to let the boaters give ample time to move before they entered. I loved it, and soon met lots of teenagers my age. I was 17 and shared a room with another cousin (whom I never met) to help during the two weeks that my aunt and uncle were going to be away.

I worked at a gas station for years in the town where I was from so learning the ropes was a breeze. The wharf is where I liked it best, I love the water and filled yachts, fishing boats, and divers boats with gas and met lots of people from the other islands.

My aunt and uncle told me that there was a horse down the street that lived in a field with goats and had a very small barn. They said the horse didn’t get much attention except from the small kids waiting for the bus every day. They would pet her and braid her main but the owners were never around. Well I was excited, every day after work I would go and see Bay beauty.

I went everyday after work to talk to her, she looked sad. She walked with her head down, and her eyes were sad. I could tell that she was getting used to me and would wait by the fence everyday. One of the girls I met had her own horse and told me that she new the owners and would ask permission for me to go into the field and brush her in the barn. When I got permission, all I wanted to do was spend time with her.

Once in the field it was scary as Gus the goat ( that is what I called him) would run after me and chase me to the fence. Bay would run in between us and snort at him to leave me alone. I brushed her and talked to her for hours and hours. We were becoming best friends in no time at all. In the evening after supper I would ride the bike back to the open barn and spend most of my nights there. There was no place on earth I would rather be.

It was very dark riding back to my aunts house as there were no street lights. One night I fell off of my bike and scraped my knee really bad. A boy stopped and asked if I was ok. I was very embarrassed as I wiped my eyes, I’m sure I looked pretty bad and smelled pretty bad as well. He was taller than me and asked if I needed a ride home. I shook my head sure, and very easily he picked up the bike in one hand and placed it the back of the truck.

He said, “I noticed you the other day at the gas station filling up my uncles truck. I work with him as a ranch hand. Where are you from?”

After I told him, and gathered myself together I couldn’t quite help but notice that he was my age, and super cute! He had big arms, blonde hair and blue eyes.

He said, “I noticed you with Bay Beauty, how on earth did you get the tangles out of her hair and main? I can’t get close to her at all. I have been trying for years, as I have wanted to buy her and bring her to my uncles ranch for a horse of my own. She is wild!” Looking at me with a smirk.

I couldn’t tell if the smirk was sarcasm, or interest in me! No it couldn’t be, he must have a girlfriend. Playfully I said, “well first off I’m a girl so there is that!” Then shrugged, looking at him with puppy dog eyes.

He let out a laugh, looking at me quickly. He responded, looking at me again “I know the owners and I’ll ask if we could try to ride her and bring her to the ranch, then back to her field. Are you interested?”

“Yes!” It came out of my mouth before I even gave it a thought. We both laughed. “Alright then, I’ll pick you up after work tomorrow? Does that sound Ok? We will stay at her field for the first while before we take her to my uncles. I want her to feel safe, and she really does like you”.

The next day after work I hopped into the shower quickly and put on a pair of jeans and a button up shirt tied at the waist. He was very prompt and we went to go see Bay.

Bay ran to greet me and suddenly stopped when she saw Dak. She looked at me and stepped back. Gus came to the rescue and chased me to the fence. Dak and I both laughed. I approached Bay very slowly to calm her. While doing so Dak came to us very slowly. He talked to her from a few feet away while I pet her.

We both walked to the fence to sit and talk watching Bay Beauty run around bucking and showing off her flowing main. When she stopped showing off she came to both of us and only let me touch her but closer to Dak.

Dak and I did this for a couple of days before she would take an apple from him. We both brushed her and he fixed her hoofs to be more comfortable. Afterwards, Dak and I would go for ice cream at the deli, sitting on the dock talking. One night he put his arm around me and asked to be his girlfriend. I was very shy and said yes!

I wrote letters to my friends back home to tell them about Dak and Bay Beauty. Soon My aunt and uncle had to go to the wedding so I had longer days, but still managed to fit time in with Dak and Bay.

When Dak picked me up one day he had a saddle in the back of the truck. I looked at him and said, “How do you think she will do?”

“Honestly I’m not sure, she still has that wild look in her eyes. But she has come a long way!”

I said, “I hope so, are you going to try first?”

“Ya, I think that might be a good idea. I know you have ridden many times but I have ridden very difficult horses before”.

I said, “Ok, sounds good to me”.

As soon as Dak got on the saddle Bay bucked, and snorted. So I tried to approach her and put the saddle on her back and didn’t do it up. I kept praising her. Then took it off, hung it up in her barn and walked towards the fence. She followed and nudged my arm. We laughed and played with her for a bit before Dak took me to a beautiful beach.

The two weeks went by very quickly and my aunt and uncle came back. Which gave me more time with Bay and Dak.

We were now able to place the saddle on Bay and do it up.

Dak looked at me smiled, and said, “wish me Luck!” He jumped on the saddle and she bucked, snorted, and bucked him off. He flew in the air and landed on his arm. Clutching it, he stood up with tears in his eyes and asked me to drive him home.

His truck was a standard, and let’s just say he was laughing so hard when the truck took off bucking.

“Kind of ironic”, now it’s you driving the bucking bronco”, we both laughed and talked while I drove him home. His mom was a nurse and decided they would take the ferry the next morning to get it checked out. By this time he was in a lot of pain.

Finally at the end of the day, he came to my Aunts with a cast! I think he was more upset that his mom had to drive him to see me, as his right arm couldn’t shift. We spent the evening together watching movies in the basement, and it was my turn to take care of him. We had popcorn and snuggled. When his mom came to pick him up, he was very bashful, but cute being so vulnerable.

The next day when I went to see Bay, she was nudging me, and wanting to play. I tried the saddle and she had no part of it! So I jumped on her back with no saddle. She nodded her head, made a few noises and let me lead her by her main. She had no bridal. She loved it, and so did I. I couldn’t wait to tell Dak.

The rest of the summer we rode the horses at Dak’s uncles farm, we had picnics and took the horses in the water. Bay Beauty let Dak ride her bare back with hesitation but I was right there beside her with one of the other horses. She loved the farm.

At the end of the summer Dak decided to buy Bay and keep her at the farm. He was happy to have his own horse to call his own. It was hard to say goodbye to Dak, my aunt and uncle and especially Bay.

She will always be my marigold in a sea of daisies. She was so special to me and I think of her often. I never went back to Maine Islsnd after that summer, but will always remember that I trained a wild horse to live her best life. And, I did get to see the killer whales too! It truly was the best summer ever!

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Thank you to my aunt and uncle, the friends I made. Thank you to Marrianne for meeting me in BC and having sushi in Vancouver. I still miss Bay, my merigold❤️