** I am re-posting this blog from when I originally wrote it back in September 2011. Sorry for the long delay but I will soon be adding more chapters very soon.**
A strange feeling of nostalgia comes over me and I feel the need to write these thoughts in my head down. Oddly enough, I have a notebook in my car. Isn’t it crazy how life works out that way? At the weirdest times you get what you need. A notebook and a pen was what I needed on this rainy Friday afternoon.
As I begin to write, I’m surprised of how many things I remember, both good and bad. I guess this is what you get when you sweep 27 years worth of thinking under your brain rug.
As I begin to write, I’m surprised of how many things I remember, both good and bad. I guess this is what you get when you sweep 27 years worth of thinking under your brain rug.
I laid down all the back seats flat in my Durango so Blaze and I can stay out of the rain and have a little play area. Thank God it’s raining because we and all the creek beds have suffered through a summer’s worth of 105 degree heat with not a drop of water. They say it will take at least 5 years to recover from this drought, not to mention the thousands of acres that has burned up due to it being so dry.
Tears well up in my eyes each time I see the neighbors pull out of their driveway with a trailer load of cows to take to the sale barn. All of that hard work, all of the early morning feedings, working the baby calves, vaccinating, and the overall maintenance to keep cows on their ranch just gets loaded down in a sale barn chute and auctioned off at a fraction of what they are really worth. The horse sale barn reached a history record of the number of horses up for sale last week. Horses around here are going for $200. That's just sad.
That's these rancher's last resort because all of the grass has burned up and all the stock ponds have gone dry. Hauling in water is too expensive and hay prices have skyrocketed. It seems like every prayer I overhear, I hear the people pleading with God for his mercy and to send some rain our way.
Blaze just turned 1 last week and being a mother is the last thing on Earth I thought I would add to my resume before Clint and I found out we were expecting. Clint is my husband of 3 years. We will get to his role in this whole thing later. But let's talk about this Blaze character.
Blaze is the most wonderful creature I have ever laid eyes on. If his icy blue eyes and wheat colored hair don't make you fall in love with him, his personality is sure to get ya. He is the most easy going little human being I have ever met. He only fusses when he's hungry or sleepy. It's rare that I see him without a smile on his face or that concentrated look of gears turning in his head. I know everybody thinks their baby is smart and I'm no exception. It is crazy to me how much he pays attention to things. He never meets a stranger. He loves everybody that gives him the chance to. He loves to swim and already an animal lover, that's where I see myself in him the most. He opens my eyes to the simple things in life. He has completely changed my life and he doesn't even know it.
Tears well up in my eyes each time I see the neighbors pull out of their driveway with a trailer load of cows to take to the sale barn. All of that hard work, all of the early morning feedings, working the baby calves, vaccinating, and the overall maintenance to keep cows on their ranch just gets loaded down in a sale barn chute and auctioned off at a fraction of what they are really worth. The horse sale barn reached a history record of the number of horses up for sale last week. Horses around here are going for $200. That's just sad.
That's these rancher's last resort because all of the grass has burned up and all the stock ponds have gone dry. Hauling in water is too expensive and hay prices have skyrocketed. It seems like every prayer I overhear, I hear the people pleading with God for his mercy and to send some rain our way.
Blaze just turned 1 last week and being a mother is the last thing on Earth I thought I would add to my resume before Clint and I found out we were expecting. Clint is my husband of 3 years. We will get to his role in this whole thing later. But let's talk about this Blaze character.
Blaze is the most wonderful creature I have ever laid eyes on. If his icy blue eyes and wheat colored hair don't make you fall in love with him, his personality is sure to get ya. He is the most easy going little human being I have ever met. He only fusses when he's hungry or sleepy. It's rare that I see him without a smile on his face or that concentrated look of gears turning in his head. I know everybody thinks their baby is smart and I'm no exception. It is crazy to me how much he pays attention to things. He never meets a stranger. He loves everybody that gives him the chance to. He loves to swim and already an animal lover, that's where I see myself in him the most. He opens my eyes to the simple things in life. He has completely changed my life and he doesn't even know it.
We have lego’s, trucks and Goldfish snacks scattered all over the car. Being that it's Friday, my brain gives off a buzz from the last 5 days. It's the residual buzz of all the stress, phone calls and dealing with rude people of the week. I find myself letting that stress follow me into the weekend as I get a little frustrated that I look away for 2 seconds and Blaze turned the entire bag of Goldfish upside down and little orange fishes lay in a pile. Then I look at Blaze in the face. He thinks this is the funniest thing he has ever seen. He turns the bag upside down to make sure he didn't leave any fishies out. All of the whole fishes along with all their crumbs lay in the coarse grey material of the car's interior.
I see him not giving two hoots about the fact that we are in the back of my car or that it's raining. He is happy in this moment. Completely content. He has snacks, toys and his loving parents close to him and that's all that he cares about. And that right there ladies and gentlemen, that little moment of innocence and purity from the second person to shake my world to the core, is the reason for this epiphany.
I see him not giving two hoots about the fact that we are in the back of my car or that it's raining. He is happy in this moment. Completely content. He has snacks, toys and his loving parents close to him and that's all that he cares about. And that right there ladies and gentlemen, that little moment of innocence and purity from the second person to shake my world to the core, is the reason for this epiphany.
The radio is turned on an old country station, the type of old country that was made well and made to last. Coincidentally enough “Rockin’ With The Rhythm Of The Rain” is on. I think the radio station knew what they were doing when they played this song because they knew most of the residents of our rural community are rejoicing that we are finally seeing rain again. We didn't think we would.
I do my best Wynona Judd impression and Blaze looks at me right in the face and gives out a good laugh. I just love his toothy little grin. I’m not sure if he’s laughing at me because I’m not the rock star I think I am or he’s just having a good time with the music and picking up Goldfish and putting them back in the bag again. In my mind, I’m going to tell myself that he’s just having a good time so my dreams of one day becoming a rock star can live on and my ego stays intact.
I do my best Wynona Judd impression and Blaze looks at me right in the face and gives out a good laugh. I just love his toothy little grin. I’m not sure if he’s laughing at me because I’m not the rock star I think I am or he’s just having a good time with the music and picking up Goldfish and putting them back in the bag again. In my mind, I’m going to tell myself that he’s just having a good time so my dreams of one day becoming a rock star can live on and my ego stays intact.
We have the back hatch open so we can watch the roping. We decided to ride along with Clint to get out of the house. When it's this hot, you go outside only if necessary. Clint is flagging this one because he's not quite back to competing yet after his shoulder surgery two months ago.
When I say roping, I mean team roping. It's a partner sport to where you have a header and a heeler. Each person is mounted on a horse and each have a rope. Each person is in their own box on either side of the chute, and a steer is in that chute in the middle. When the header knods, the steer is released from the chute and the time begins. It is the header's job to chase the steer and rope the steer by the horns and turn the steer to the left so the heeler can come from behind and try to rope the back feet of the steer. When and if the header and heeler rope their respective ends and are facing each other, the flagger gives the signal for the time to stop. If the heeler only catches one foot, 5 seconds is added to the time.
Team roping is a sport that I'm all too familiar with. A sport that I can't help but remember how it fully engulfed my childhood. A sport that I tried my hardest to stay away from since becoming an adult. A sport that was destined for my future.
**** More in Part 2. Coming soon***When I say roping, I mean team roping. It's a partner sport to where you have a header and a heeler. Each person is mounted on a horse and each have a rope. Each person is in their own box on either side of the chute, and a steer is in that chute in the middle. When the header knods, the steer is released from the chute and the time begins. It is the header's job to chase the steer and rope the steer by the horns and turn the steer to the left so the heeler can come from behind and try to rope the back feet of the steer. When and if the header and heeler rope their respective ends and are facing each other, the flagger gives the signal for the time to stop. If the heeler only catches one foot, 5 seconds is added to the time.
Team roping is a sport that I'm all too familiar with. A sport that I can't help but remember how it fully engulfed my childhood. A sport that I tried my hardest to stay away from since becoming an adult. A sport that was destined for my future.
Thanks for reading!
Love,
Kaci
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