SUMMERS HERE!!!!

Summers have been my favorite part of living on the mountain. Sarah hates (hates is an understatement...loathes would be better) the winter and snow! I love it. The brisk, quite, pureness of a freshly fallen snow to me is wonderful. The cold and snow only reminds me that there is something better in a few months. Summer! Its now here! Sleeping with all the windows in the house open. The fresh clean cool smell of the morning air. Kids playing in the creek. The entire neighborhood swinging in the big tree out front. Parades, BBQ's, Softball, Wagon rides. Up here it seems so much more personal and memorable then the sweltering heat of the Valley! The best part for me, as selfish as it may be, is the smell of sweaty horses hooked to a mower, plow, or wagon. The feeling of driving a dozen head of cattle across a dusty pasture on round up days. The respite of a shade tree with split reins in hand. Word are hard to find when summer hits the white mountains!!!!!! Wylee and Bird wanted to ride the girls last Saturday. They took Mattie and Star bareback around the pasture, around a block or two, and then we took them out for a wagon ride.

Wylee and Bird on Star and Mattie!

There is not a better smell then fresh cut hay and sweaty work horses. When I work the horses even the dust is tolerable. Sarah often tell me I was born 100 years too late. I would agree until we run out of ice in the freezer. I could not imagine a drink of water without ice!

Doc and Doll mowing hay

Mattie Doll and Doc disking

Mattie Doc Doll Midnight Delilah and Major disking

Legend and Mattie on the hay wagon

Midnight and Blue on the harrow

I cannot wait until summer!

Brutus

For the past three years I have had Brutus spend the summer at our place in Taylor. I have used him in a number of parades and around the farm for fun. He is 36 years old this year! Hard to imagine he was born when I was two. He is an old logging horse that has been in the Reidhead family for years. A few years ago my good friend Dean Reidhead asked if he could pasture Brutus at our place for the summer. I agreed as long as I could use him. He has been back every summer. He is a sweet old horse and as gentle as they come. I am sure like me the Redhead's have bought, used, and sold many horses and Brutus is the one that is part of the family. My Mattie is like that. I have had many horses go through our place but I could never sell Mattie. Maybe I will still have her when she is 36.

Sarah taking Winston and I for a ride.

Waylons Wagon

I found this picture of one of the rides I did for the Snowflake Taylor Heritage Foundation. Over the past few years we have provided this service to the town the Monday after Labor day, Memorial day, Forth of July, and Pioneer day. It has been a great opertunity to celebrate the history of our great little town. In this picture is Doc and Mattie.