Sunset

The prairie was just pretty and the smell, there are no words to describe the smell of home. It was wonderful. Buffalo beans are starting.

And dandelions are ending.

Found what I’m pretty sure is a badger hole turned fox den but I didn’t see any inhabitants

This little plant is part of what smells so good today, precious delicious smelling sage.

All so pretty. Hope Pic is enjoying a lovely evening like Blue and Pojke and I are.

Tired

Pretty tired today, couple of slightly stressful but happy days at my new job. It’s not Google but next best, indoor type job, the library!

I think it may have been harder to get the job than I realized but the answers at the interview came easily and it’s hard to ignore my love of books and libraries; I think that almost oozes out my pores.

This rotten foot problem made it kind of painful to spend all that time walking and standing. The physio people are working on it and hopefully it will get fixed.

And the dogs don’t have a yard to turn them out into when I go so I’m sure they were bored but they were good and I let them out at noon.

I checked in a very old book. No date but it looks just like one of mine from 1865. I did see another from 1911 and that’s over a hundred years old now.

So fun and a purpose, just what I needed.

Thankful

I took the dogs for a walk (I actually was able to walk some) around sunset last night. It smelled so good out on the prairie, the smell of life, and things growing.

It’s so green right now and meadow larks were singing away; it was warm as the sun kissed the horizon, a very tender moment.

Times like that, and there are lots of them on the prairie, my heart fairly sings with gratitude. I have so much to be thankful for and I tried to mention all the things to Heavenly Father but I’d still be there if I had really said every thing.

Painless

Had a little East Indian Physio Therapist work on my foot and today I walked on the prairie painless for the first time in a very long time.

Blue and I had fun.

Pride

In my book pride isn’t a good thing. I think it’s true that “Pride goeth be for the fall”. At least that is how it’s worked in my life.

But, I’m guilty once again. I can’t help but feel special for having my cowboy in my life. It hasn’t been (or even isn’t now) easy to be married to one. Like I’ve said before, because of him, I’ve been a lot of things: thankful, happy, loved, yelled at, sad, madder than a wet hen, terrified, injured, homeless feeling, broke, (and the list goes on) but never bored.

He’s been wearing a baseball cap lately, looking like the truck driver he is right now (Sigh) so I almost forgot what a cowboy he really is. It took seeing him dragging calves to the fire the other day to remind me.

Slipping in so easy through those bunched up calves, swinging a pretty loop, picking up doubles, dallying on a short line, then weaving carefully through the teams of throwers. Watching him was something that just made my chest kind of swell. I guess if that’s pride, then I’m guilty of it.

A Little Thunder a Little Lightening

Why does it always smell go good after a shower? Nothing like a storm on the prairie, it’s so real and close.

Well the grandkids have been here since Friday and are headed home in the morning. We have had so many good times together and I (of all people) managed to keep the whole crew fed plus, today, I heard the kids say they didn’t want to leave. So not even rain can dampen my spirits. If they love visiting grandma that much then all is right in the world.

Grandma/granddaughter Teams

I would hazard to say that there aren’t too many pictures of sore footed Grannys and granddaughters throwing calves together at a branding.

What a privledge.

A Good Day

Any day I can smell and brush and hug my old horse is a good day.

I’ve so missed Pic.

Long Years.

Today Blue and I just layed down on the prairie and waited for Pojke to finish his laps around and around us.

We both just closed our eyes and I like to thinking we were thinking the same thing.

I thought of all the times in the last thirteen years we have done that, layed down together on the prairie waiting for one thing or another, taking advantage of the break in the work. He’s been a good friend and partner all those long years.

I smiled and told him someday we’ll die and hopefully they will bury us out on the prairie and then we can just stay there together.

Until someone prays for help with their cattle, like I used to, and we’ll be the ones who come. We’ll know just what to do. They won’t see us, but we’ll be there, lending a hand or in his case, a paw.

All Creatures of Our God and King

Today I was singing this song out on the prairie. I tried to sing it in the basement but I was shy about singing too loud for fear someone would here me. In spite of trying hard and even taking a few lessons from a brilliant young teacher I don’t think I sound very good.

But my heart was in it. I love the song, words by Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. I did want all creature , the sun and the clouds to join my song, my feeling of gratitude and I was singing for all I was worth, as loud as I wanted.

I could see a few antelope in the distance browsing. I was delighted to see them moving closer, almost like they recognized the song or maybe felt my invitation to join me. They stopped and were a short stones throw away for a very long time.

I layed the dogs down so they wouldn’t chase them off.

And kept singing.

It was all rather magical. The antelope, the dogs watching, me and the meadow larks singing. And have you ever noticed how a meadow lark’s song sound like the Alleluia of that song? Quite the experience today. I do love the prairie.