I've been exploring the woods lately while Cowboy builds fence. I'm thankful that Ranch Hand & Future Esquire are around to help him...since my fence expertise stops at knowing the difference between wood and wire. Traipsing through the woods with Harry and Aussie Pup is my kind of excitement......fence building?...uh, not fun. Remember US History class where we learned that Lewis & Clark needed Sacajawea to help them out? I like to think of myself as the new & improved Sacajawea (except, I don't want to help out on an expedition...or wear buckskin.......I have always wanted moccasins, though). I love to look for artifacts from long-ago settlers and Indian tribes....and, really, anyone who has been here before me. If I could, I would trace these roots all the way back to day 3 of creation -- I'm goofy like that.
Cowboy makes me take a 2-way radio with me for ...safety, I guess. Sacajawea didn't need a 2-way. Oh, well. The first day of exploration, I walked the dry bed of a stream (more like: stumbled on the big rocks in the dry bed of a stream). I was so excited when I found a piece of slate sticking out of the bank. I wrestled it out and carried it to the top of the hill to show Cowboy, who was not as excited as I was...boo. I noticed then that I lost my 2-way somewhere along the way. OH NO!! I was hoping to find it before someone realized I lost it. I retraced my steps; quickly, carelessly. I, in full-out 3-Stooges fashion, stepped on the end of a big branch which brought the other end up and clocked me, slugged me, right in the face!! -- the left cheek, to be precise!!! It didn't knock me down but it bruised my face and could easily have won me $10,000 on a funny video show---oh, if only.
Day two's trek took me to the eastern edge of the farm. I visited a tiny pioneer cemetery with just a handful of stones. Three of the stones were carved. They marked the graves of children. I did a pencil-rubbing of them to preserve them. I got a little choked up over the thought of it all. Forgotten graves, forgotten children.
I ventured on (actually, I trespassed) to an abandoned road and another cemetery. This one had more graves and was well cared for. A cow and four calves greeted me. I was alarmed at first and thought "Great! This is my punishment for climbing the fence and getting into the cemetery!" What would Sacajawea do? I considered radio-ing Cowboy for assistance....he would have been SOOO not happy if I had. The cattle seemed harmless enough, so I mustered up some courage and climbed the fence out of the cemetery and walked back toward the farm. They didn't seem to want to follow me....whew!! Aussie Pup found me and walked along with me. We scared a rabbit into a hollow tree....we investigated the tree looking for the rabbit or maybe keebler elves. Didn't see 'em. Too bad...I was kinda hungry for some Fudge Grahams.
No comments:
Post a Comment