Paradise lost: A woman struggles to reclaim her life after the Camp fire

DailyBreeze.com - Full Article

By KEITH SHARON | ksharon@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: February 10, 2019

Dippi taught her to push harder, to fight through.

When JayaMae Gregory was down, she loved to head out on Dippi, over the trails outside Paradise, where she had moved to start a new life. JayaMae trained Dippi to be an endurance horse. The plan was for JayaMae’s teenage son Jakob to compete with Dippi in 100-mile races.

Dippi was a grey mare, half Arab, a horse with the countenance of a freight train. Huge strides on the trail. Dippi’s given name was DC Reindeer Dippin, shortened to Dippi because it fit her personality. The DC stood for “dream catcher” and Reindeer Dippin is a famous bull.

Dippi would let strangers rub her ears. The kids dressed her up for Halloween. JayaMae wrote that Dippi didn’t understand why she couldn’t just jump in your lap for a snuggle.

On a recent Friday, JayaMae, 36, and mother of three, talked about Dippi and the impact that horse had on her family. The conversation shifted to fear, devastation and, ultimately, hope.

She was staying in Southern California with her father because there is nothing left in Paradise.

The Camp fire, which began Nov. 8 and became the deadliest fire in California history, took nearly everything from JayaMae Gregory.

Nearly...

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https://www.dailybreeze.com/2019/02/10/paradise-lost-a-woman-struggles-to-reclaim-her-life-after-the-camp-fire/