Last weekend I was given a wonderful gift. I met up with Peggy, Leslie, and Cindy in Wallowa County, Oregon on a lazy late fall day, with snow on the Eagle Cap Mountains, yellow and orange cottonwoods and quakers in the draws, and my fine mare Tilly in the trailer. Peggy, who in her own right is a piece of NE Oregon history, with her husband being the grandson of the western movie actor, Walter Brennan, had arranged for the four of us to ride a bit of land that is located about 15 miles from Joseph.
We had a small job to do in gathering some pairs into the lower meadows of this high prairie country that stretches out towards the Grande Ronde river, off to the Zumwalt Prairie, and edged with the Seven Devils on one side, and the Wallowas on the opposite. This was the land in which the Dorrance family grew up. It was impossible to not be effected by a profound sense of heritage, of the resilience that these early homesteaders employed, and the sheer beauty of the place. It was a spiritual outing.
As we rode along, I heard the voices of Tom and Bill Dorrance, felt for the lightness and soft feel of my horse, and joy of partnership, friendship, and a connection to the place. Before returning to Enterprise, we drove a short distance up the road to see the Dorrance Family barn. Built in 1915, it still stands proudly today, in the light red/pink paint that was just the amount the Dorrance's could afford at the time, along with the corrals that are still used today as the area ranchers gather and ship. What a treat to feel the ghosts, hear the voices, picture the draft horses.
The marvelous gift helps me to once again thank the Creator for this amazing and beautiful place in which I get to live. The importance of the place, the land, the people, and the horses in shaping who I am becoming. The necessity of observing with integrity...every single day. What a gift this day was for me. Thanks girls!
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