A Plume of Dust

The last of the hammering ceased at about two that afternoon. We had hoped to be done with the camp before noon so we could ride out and locate the herd, but several of the split rails in the corral were rotted out and had to be replaced. Danny cut the lumber and I hitched up the gelding, Monty, and dragged the new rails to their designated area. The hammering was Danny and Larry finishing up on a small makeshift shelter in the corral.

In winter the sun set early, in the mountains, even earlier. It was half past four when I decided to saddle up Yote and take a ride up into a pass in the mountains I had been eyeing all day. The last of the sunlight to reach our little nook in the hills was coming from that pass, like golden gates beckoning me forth with white shafts of light stretching out into the culvert.

It was a short ride, with Yote’s bountiful energy he was quite happy to take a jog up the mountainside. As I passed through the blinding light I found myself on a spit of rock overlooking a large clearing, out in the distance the ancient mountains sung a hymn to mother earth as the sun set on another day. Yote suddenly perked his ears, I followed his gaze to a black mass below the rocks, no way! The overo stallion let out a whinny to his family, who snapped to attention like a herd of startled deer. The big buckskin stud at the head of the herd was quick to spot the threatening stallion overlooking his harem. With one quick swooping gallop, Cherokee rounded up his band and they thundered away around the bend and out of sight, the only evidence of their existence was a departing plume of dust.

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AH! we found the herd, this is so exciting! I promise the next pic will be one of Danny, Larry or I catching an unruly yearling, I already have a great idea for the first horse, hope you like it!

FOR MORE INFO ON PAIGE STUD’S TRIP TO MONTANA SEE MY JOURNAL [link]