MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

I said in my heart, "I am sick of four walls and a ceiling. I have need of the sky. I have business with the grass."

Richard Hovey

OK... here I go starting with a big fib again; it ain't mine and it ain't Idaho! I just love catchy titles! I don't live in the city but you can't really call it the country either. It is a neighborhood, the homes are just on acre-plus lots. That's how it is that I have room for my horses and my goat collection. The real bonus, however, is my next door neighbors' three acres directly behind our properties. They don't have any livestock these days, so they let my animals have use of it. It's great for the animals; they have some room to roam and there's enough grazing that I don't have to buy much hay (sweet deal for me!) and they get a little help keeping the weeds and brush at bay.

Sometimes two or three weeks get by that I don't take the time to walk back there. When I do, I especially like to try to sneak up on the animals when they're out there and see what they are doing. I guess I'm not a very good sneaker... they always hear me before I get too close! Anyway, as you can imagine, they're usually not up to much - mostly grazing. (I know - big surprise!) The land is brushy enough that once out in the middle, I can almost pretend I AM out in the country. There are so many little things to notice. I seem to lose track of time. I always wonder why I don't set aside a few minutes of EVERY day to take a little walk! Paths meander through the brush and from fence to fence. Across the back fence is a precious little white pony that always drops whatever she's doing to come greet me; she knows I'll give her shoulders a good scratch! There are alot of wild visitors too. I've seen rabbits, squirrels, hawks, coyotes, a roadrunner, a javelina and more species of bird than you would want me to list - trust me! One day from the house I saw a troop of Axis deer traipsing through! I had heard there were some that had escaped and become naturalized around the river, (they're imports from India) but I had put it down to a (sub)urban legend. I was delighted to see them and found myself checking out the window long after they had disappeared into the brush, hoping to catch another glimpse of them. They are gorgeous animals! My neighbor has run into rattlesnakes several times; I haven't. I keep my eyes peeled for them though. I would like to see a "wild" one - just in a situation that I am clearly "here" and IT is clearly "there"! And though we haven't seen them, we KNOW that there are skunks back there too!

Even if I don't get out back as often as I like, I feel good just knowing that little piece of wilderness is there. I'm grateful for the use of it - not just from a practical standpoint - but because it is good for my soul. I hope you have the chance to get away to a "wild place" now and then too... Love, RED

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

Kahlil Gibran