I sold my saddle

When I first bought Blue in late 2005, I needed a saddle.  So I went to the nearest place that sold tack at that time and checked out their used stock, sitting on saddles and trying them on for size.  After doing all that, I finally ignored size and fit and just bought the one I could afford:  a huge, very old Circle Y saddle with a seventeen-inch seat for $350.00.  
Once home with it, it took me days to get used to lifting so much weight up onto my tall horse's back.  I wish I had thought to weigh it, just to see how heavy it really was.  The seat was far bigger than I needed, and the saddle was not the best fit for Blue; it tended to shift side to side.  But I put two saddle pads under it, and it served me and Blue just fine.  
After the loss of Blue, I knew I wouldn't be needing a saddle again.  My knees simply won't let me ride for a long enough time to be worth investing in a horse.  Plus the fact that I just don't have the heart for another horse.  

So Cliff and I took some pictures of the old Circle Y and I put an ad on Craigslist asking $300.  
The phone started ringing.  
One man way out in Kansas wanted it, and asked me to go measure the seat.  He'd call back, he said.  
A lady about ten miles down the road called, almost breathless with anticipation.  She wouldn't be able to come until evening.  At first I told her I couldn't hold the saddle, it would be first come, first served.  
"Well, someone else will get it then," she said.  "But I want to tell you that you need to ask more for that saddle."  
"It's old, though," I told her, "and I only paid $350 for it."  
"I don't care; even used-up Circle Y saddles sell on Ebay for $500."  
Because she was kind enough to tell me this, I told her I'd make an exception and hold the saddle for her until evening.  And I kept the price at $300.  The man in Kansas did call back, and I told him I thought the saddle was sold.  
The lady showed up that evening elated, with cash in hand.  For all I know, she may have made some money on Ebay with her purchase.  But at least the saddle isn't sitting in my barn rotting.  

*It's amazing the emotions this entry stirred up in me.  I only wanted to share the story of the saddle, but by the time I was done, I was all teary-eyed thinking of the places I've been and adventures I had, sitting in that saddle.