Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Beautiful. Thanks.

 

Regards,

Mike Sherrell

Grizzly Analytical (USA)
707 887 2919/fax 707 887 9834
www.grizzlyanalytical.com

-----Original Message-----
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Debbie Kirchner
Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 6:05 PM
To: ridecamp
Subject: [RC] Riding alone

Yesterday I took Jewel, my gaited Morgan, over to my friends farm and rode alone again... I use to ride alone a lot as a kid, but after getting hurt, I quit doing it until now...

 

What a wonderful ride we had... the bluebells were out, the river was running fast and sounded so wonderful as we walked and gaited through the forest...acres and acres of bluebells surrounding us... I had taken my trimmers along and trimmed tree branches for about an hour... Jewel was getting so he knew which trees I needed to cut, and was the best partner... of course he was allowed to eat while I cut and tossed branches to the side... it was amazing... he had stuff all over him so many times during the day, a branch would fall on his neck, his head, his butt, he did not care... once one got caught in his tail.. no big deal to him at all... he just kept on walking one step at a time or backed up as needed... we trimmed trees on hillsides and he stood rock still... but after an hour he was tired of this program and told me so with some major crow hopping up one hill... that was so funny.... I said, "ok, lets just ride," so, we did...

 

 What an incredible ride we had... we flew up the hills... and trotted around the bends, dodging tree limbs as we went... I kept thinking, I have to get back over here again soon and trim this trail or that one as I was ducking branches while flying down the trails...

 

At one point we came around a bend and there was a huge blue crane... We spooked the big guy and he took off, away from us, I was amazed at how he was able to fly straight up into the sky through the trees... he darted around tree limbs as he weaved his way into the sky... then he soared high and circled around me/us to get back to the task of the day... FISHING further down the valley... the wind was blowing and large birds of pray were playing on the wind currents high above me as I sailed around another bend in the trail... Squirrels scolded us for coming to close, but Jewel just moved on out, his head just a nodding, ears forward, happy to be out on the trail too...

 

On top of a hill Jewel stopped his front feet higher then his back, under two trees that formed a lovely archway... the view of the farm stretched out in the valley in front of us... the Red barn on the right and the cute white 2 story home on the left... a boulder had been placed near this spot only weeks before... we stood there, taking in the moment together as the wind blew his black mane and thick forelock... I thought of my dad... and cried... I wondered why I missed him so dam much, it is not like I talked to him all the time... but when I needed him he was there... "he was my rock," my brother said... and in that moment I understood what he meant by that... going through all the discussion of selling the land/house has beem so darn difficult for me without him... I decided to find an Eagle to attach to my saddle, a symbol for Dad, he rides with me anyway on these independant soul searching journeys...

 

I returned to the farm happy and feeling elated that I am back riding alone, happy with a safe friend, my partner Jewel....As an Eagle sored overhead...  it does not get much better then this...

 

Thank God Spring has come again...

 

 

Debbie In SE MN