The small side road with "creek" in the name lived up to my hopes, and as Jamie and I continued down the soft muddy gravel road we finally came to this.........
As Jamie continued to mark territory and sniff every sage bush we came across my heart-rate finally began to slow down.
I am still fighting a heart that races too fast and a brain that races too fast.
Still trying to consciously find ways to slow everything down.
It is a constant battle that I only sometimes win.
But the other day, in unexpected early April snow there was not a sound around me.
It was very very quiet and for just a while it felt like there was only Jamie and only me in the world...............
We walked to the end.
The end of the road.
At the end of the road was private property, BLM (Bureau of Land Management) property that could not be accessed from the road we were walking on, and this very cute sign...........
Scenes like this remind me of Juneau.
The mountains were "out there" somewhere - completely obscured by cloud and fog.........
A typical "Jamie" pose.
I saw an ad in the paper the other day advertising the need for family dogs to be inoculated against rattle snake bites.
Her strong canine drive to sniff and investigate, and her complete lack of knowledge and experience with such things as rattle snakes are unnerving in this western environment.........
A barn in the snow...........
And one more bucking bronco insignia on the side of the barn..............
After taking a bunch of pictures at the end of the side road we turned around, headed back the way we had come, turned left and wandered even further down yet one more road.
As I was walking with my beloved dog, deep in thought and greatly enjoying the complete silence you can only find after a snowfall I was jolted out of my introspection by sudden movement to my left.
I turned to look at whatever was heading in my direction so quickly and saw this wonderful beautiful horse.
He was still running towards me as I rapidly processed a few important pieces of information:
What was moving towards me was a horse - there was a fence to stop him - he was neither scared nor aggressive - with the gray and whiteness of both the landscape and the horse, this beautiful creature looked almost ghost-like to me.
I was a little stunned.
Stunned at his spirit-like appearance. Stunned that I had not seen him until he was close to me. Stunned at how intelligent and aware he looked. Stunned at how beautiful he was.
I stopped in the middle of the quiet gravel road and watched him come to a halt beside the fence, and then watched him watching us.
Or more specifically watched him watching Jamie.
As James and I started to walk again, we moved slowly and the horse walked along the fence line following us as best he could.
He was quiet and calm and very very interested in my dog.
After moving slowly and taking a number of pictures of this lovely animal I pulled Jamie over to the opposite side of the very muddy gravel road and up onto the bank into the snow...........
By this time in the afternoon the temperature was warming quickly and the snow was melting rapidly.
Which meant that the gravel roads were quickly turning into a muddy mess.
My shoes were sinking as we walked, and I looked at my dog who was very happily and joyfully muddy from the bottom of her feet to the underneath of her belly.
Scenes from the top of a small snowbank across the road from the ghost-horse...........
More pictures of the horse taken on the way back..........
Again he followed us along the fence line until he could go no further.
Watching Jamie curiously and without fear the entire time...........
A whimsical wooden figure on the side of a small horse trailer in someones yard..........
I have never lived in horse country before.
I know very little about them (and remember asking someone jokingly - though not really - how you "put this thing in reverse" - many years ago and the last time I rode).
They are a little overwhelming - big, beautiful, slightly mysterious to me.
I like seeing them in the fields and inside they make me smile............
LC arrived back at the house about 30 minutes after me and James.
I had to give Jamie a quick bath outside before letting her in the house.
And LC walked in with a new Colt 45 in tow.
These last two pictures are of horses in back of the property we are renting.
I had to give Jamie a quick bath outside before letting her in the house.
And LC walked in with a new Colt 45 in tow.
These last two pictures are of horses in back of the property we are renting.
Our elderly-lady-neighbor is anxiously awaiting a new foal.
Due this coming Sunday.
So a new birth any day now.............
In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer....... Albert Camus
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