Sunday, May 24, 2009

Back in the Saddle Again


Saturday , Jamie and I were able to ride horseback over a portion of the 10,000+ acre ranch the Driskill family homesteaded in the late 1800s.

I don’t get the opportunity to ride much anymore but I sure do enjoy it when I do. In the last few years my riding has been rodeo parades, filming movies or photo shoots. But nothing takes me back to my teenage years like riding horses.

Jamie was even up for the adventure. I’m pretty proud of her. We crossed the Belle Fourche River twice and once jumped the “Red Canyon.” Well, I told Jamie we could call it the Red Canyon but it was really more like a red clay ditch. Nonetheless, she did a great job keeping up with Matt and me as we rode in the backcountry. Along the way, we spooked a turkey, several deer and even a red fox.

Devils Tower is spectacular from the road but seeing it from the backcountry on horseback is simply euphoric. If perchance you are looking for a perfect wedding site, keep in mind Devils Tower.

I’m not sure how many acres we covered or even how long we were out. But the one thing I do know is as we were riding home the sun was setting over our nation’s first national monument. As the American flag gently waved in the cool mountain breeze all three horses stopped and faced the setting sun. It was inspiring to take in that view one more time.

As night fell we thought it would be a good idea to stoke the campfire, make smores and roast hotdogs. And yes, we did it in that order. If you have never made a smore follow these simple directions:

Build a fire
Find a small tree branch (or wire clothes hanger)
Stick a couple of marshmallows on the stick and roast over fire
Break a graham cracker in half
Break a Hershey chocolate bar in half
Sandwich the roasted marshmallows & chocolate between the graham crackers
Eat
Email me simply saying “Thank You!”

Sitting around the fire I couldn’t help but think about days gone by. As a kid my parents would load up the vehicle and search out a campground. Many a vacation was spent under the stars roasting hot dogs, building smores and making memories.

Living in this hurry up, hustle & bustle world, I want to encourage you to slow down long enough to make memories your children will always cherish. Truly, it is the small things in life I hold dear – family time, a good saddle, campfires, and being immersed in nature.

Forever West,
Jeremy