Tuesday

Photos:

Morning, "I was afraid to stir lest I disturb the sleeping angels.

The Mustangs

End of day, Boise Idaho, "I'm pooped."

We awakened in Bend Oregon.

We thought of staying in Tahiti–a.k.a. the motel room--for the day to allow Baby to rest and recover from the sniffles, but he seemed okay for travel, smiling and happy, so we prepared to hit the road.

Before leaving the motel the dogs and I took a morning walk and there to the west more snow capped mountains than I had ever seen in my life rose like titans behind the rooftops, glorious in the morning sun. Never could I capture their magnificence in a photo. "Big Sister, Little sister, The Brothers, Broken Top, Mt. Bachelor," more perhaps, I don’t know.

We left Bend Oregon driving through south eastern Oregon, leaving behind the big trees, driving through pines, followed by abundant juniper trees, then junipers sparse as hen’s teeth. Finally only sagebrush and tufted grass as far as the eye could see. High dessert. Once in awhile a single tree would raise it glorious head saying that barren dryness could not squelch true nobility.
Fascinating how appreciative we are when something is scarce.

Burns Oregon, my mustang Sierra’s birthplace. I wrote of her adoption in my book It’s Hard To Stay On a Horse While You’re Unconscious. We visited the B.L.M. Wild Horse and Burro holding facility. Daughter D had never seen it. Since my last visit about 5 years ago the B.L.M. has added an Auto Tour. We were the only vehicle, and from the van we viewed the pens, saw many horses and many foals, tiny babies on spindly legs. And snapped the photo of a herd running.

From Burns on it was new territory for both of us. Fun to drive on a two lane highway with few cars, to watch the countryside rolling by, and to see that ground exists that is not covered by buildings or people. We do have room to spread our arms and run with antelope.

Daughter D said how wonderful it was to have no time constraints. The only thing we planned was to have a place to spend the night. I can feel myself unwinding.

So, we awakened in Bend, tonight we sleep in Boise Idaho. I like Idaho, it greened up a bit the moment be crossed the state line. Vale Idaho has murals on 3/4 of the buildings in town, and we ate ice cream there and skipped dinner which we shouldn’t, but weren’t hungry, and wait until morning we will be ravenous.

The crew fell asleep on me.