Missed

Wednesday November 16 2011

Gone a week. Return late. Dark.

I can't wait for morning. I hike out into the pasture, feeling my way by my feet, listening for the herd.

I can barely make out outlines of dark furry bodies around the hay feeder. They probably cock an ear hearing my voice, but they keep eating.

All but one.

A white blaze glowing by faint starlight appears out of the blackness.

My horse has stopped his eating to come up to me, for hugs, smooches and scratches.

Stormy loves me. I have been missed : )

(Pictures are from this evening... Stormy is still following me around : )

Welcome Home

Wednesday December 30 2009

An inch of snow greets me the morning I have returned to Owyhee. The cold caresses my ears and toes.

The melodious Owyhee desert silence envelops me like a familiar worn blanket.

A herd of happy Owyhee horses welcomes me when I walk outside. They all drop what they are doing (eating) to come up and greet me. (Well... all except for Dudley and Stormy, the fattest ones, who know I will come up to them!)

I run my fingers through long horse coats, scratch uplifted necks, get Owyhee dirt back under my fingernails.

Jose looks me in the eye. He shoves me repeatedly with his nose, chiding me for being gone. I bury my head in his mane. He smells sweetly of sagebrush and Horse.

The baby has me rub her eye. Finneas bows for me. Kazam gets hugs. Huckleberry hangs out beside me for a while. Stormy searches my pockets for carrots. They really do miss me.

Nothing better than a heartfelt welcome home when you've been gone.