I suppose everyone has special places. Places that have a special story or bring about a special memory. Nearly every inch of our ranch has a special story or memory for me. I can tell you where a Hereford bull took my little paint mare, Splash and tried to knock her down when I was maybe a nine year old. And I can also tell you where another bull, many years later did knock down a big bay gelding named Woody. I can relate stories about carrying baby calves through knee deep snow and riding a scoop shovel down a big snow-packed hill. I can tell you about being in the right place at the right time to witness some sort of natural phenomena that will never leave my memory. I call it history...you can call it whatever you wish.
My dad is the same way. His stories go back quite a bit further than mine, of course. Just the other day Dad and I were riding over west of his house, when he told about a little black mare he rode as a very little kid, not yet in school. No saddle....(I had to learn that way too. So I didn't get hung up while learning. Of course, you DO learn to fall off pretty good). He was about in the spot we were at that time AND he had a new quirt. You know how little kids are with something new....he could not WAIT to use that new quirt, he said. Anyway, the mare had been turned out all summer and was full of grass and feeling lazy. She didn't want to move from her spot and Dad was supposed to bring the milk cow in from pasture. The perfect chance to use the new quirt!!! So Dad laced her a good one over and under......in his words, "AND SHE LAUNCHED ME!!" It was his first experience with a bucking horse. Apparently, he liked it, because he grew up to ride bareback horses at the rodeos.
Long ago, when Okie was a three year old, we were gathering pairs to bring home from summer pasture. I rode to the top of a big hill to have a look around. I was riding toward the west looking down toward the next hill and saw one of the most amazing things. I could see Okie's and my shadow cast perfectly on the next hill.....but surrounding us was what looked like an aura. All sorts of rainbow like colors radiating off that shadow of Okie and me. It was beautiful!! Of course it was the sun coming up behind us, but I took it as a sign from God. A sign that this horse and I would do great things together. And, well, maybe it was and maybe it wasn't....but I always believed that's what it was. And we did end up doing some pretty great things together.
And just the other morning, I was gathering some pairs over west of my house a mile or two. On the southwest side of that pasture is an old grove of Cottonwoods, still in decent shape, considering they are at least 65 years old. The sun was just peeking over the east hills and starting to dribble onto those old cottonwoods. There was just enough breeze that I could hear the leaves tinkling....one of my very favorite sounds on earth. A few pair were resting in the trees and four old horses turned out for retirement were peacefully grazing there. It was a beautiful sight! One that most definitely made a new memory for me. I will be adding it to the childhood memories I have of that particular place.
Maybe I'm just sentimental......well, I know I am. This place and the land is part of me and who I am. All the memories that are tied up here are a big part of what makes it so special to me. I know I talk about being grateful a lot, but I truly am grateful. Grateful that God saw fit to put me here on this land, doing what I do, having the opportunities to see what I see and create memories that will last me a lifetime......and beyond, I think.
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