Way Out West

I have learned to love riding my horse way out here in West Texas.  I remember in the beginning, I complained about there not being a tree in sight, unless is was a scrub mesquite bush.  What I saw at that time was just red dirt, nothing green and nothing pretty.
Since then though, the fact that there are no trees has been a huge blessing.  I can see the skyscrapers downtown in one direction and as far as I can see the other direction.  There is nothing to block the way.  And I can see a LONG way in all directions.  It's refreshing. It's the wide open spaces.  And I like it!  You don't see the same things as back home like deer and hogs and cotton tails.  On a West Texas ride you might see poisonless snakes, soaring hawks, pokey turtles, slithering lizards, scampering quail, jack rabbits, butterflies and prairie dogs.  You'll hear the the sound of a train whistle in the far distance and the roar of a jet plane somewhere overhead.  Everything seems far off.  You'll smell the sweat of your horse and the sweetness of sunflowers.  You'll see fields of blowing wheat or snow white cotton.  And the sunsets are beyond description.  Being able to see for miles leaves the whole sky in view.  Those I will probably miss most.

It will be different going back home and riding the roads in the trees.  It'll be greener and more humid.  I'll most likely be hearing the buzz of mosquitoes in my ears.  There'll be more gravel, more pump jacks, and more traffic in the once quiet solitude where I use to ride.
I guess I'll get use to it, like I got use to this.  I guess I'll love it, like I learned to love this.  I guess as long as I've got a pony to ride and a trail to follow I'll remain a cowgirl at heart, no matter where I am.

Encourage One Another