The Next Chapter: May 2012

As much as I would love to reignite my zest for blogging, I'm really dragging my feet. These days it seems like I'm dragging everything! In any case, I'm compelled to share with you my past week.

My Dad is due to retire from his job as a Pasture Manager with the PFRA. What's that? Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration. Basically the Federal Government owns the land & Dad runs it. Local farmers in the area bring small herds of cows & calves each Spring & put them in the pasture. Dad & one hired man look after the animals all summer long. They make sure they are not overgrazing the fields, they have ample water & salt blocks. At a certain time they will let the bulls out to breed the cows. In the Fall, the cattle are gathered & sent home for the winter until the following year.

For whatever reason, the Federal Government has decided to close approximately 80 of these pastures across several provinces. It's really quite tragic. For reasons I won't get into here - it's a lot of information & that's not what I wanted to go on about!

Dad asked me to take some photos of 'the end of an era', so I happily said yes for the chance to shoot & ride - for old times sake!

I drove to Saskatchewan on Saturday afternoon, leaving 3 hours late on true Taylor Time. I arrived about 9 p.m. Dad had been helping the neighbours brand their cattle & they had a long day of hard work. They were just coming in for supper, so Dad & I joined them.

After dinner, Dad & I went out to the truck to realize that the girls had locked the door & the keys were inside! Oops! Luckily there was a spare key hidden on the exterior! Silly dogs!

Sunday I drove to Swift Current to visit my Grandma B for Mother's Day. I picked up a few dozen roses for her & a couple of cards & joined her & my Aunt Patti & cousin for brunch. We had a nice visit & managed to bump into my brother's Godparents, whom I haven't seen for DECADES! We stopped to see another cousin & his family - 2 ADORABLE children!

I headed home early, as I knew I had a full day ahead of me on Monday.

I grew up on the PFRA for the majority of my childhood. We moved there in 1989 & I left in 1997. Horses were part of my life since I can remember. 4-H, rodeos, horse sales, brandings, etc, etc. I'm certainly the odd duck of the family - choosing to travel, while the balance of my family could easily slip into a Marlboro ad unnoticed.

Before I left Alberta, I tossed my saddle into the trunk with my chinks (short chaps) my mother made for me. I grabbed my most cowgirl-like pair of Italian boots, as my cowboy boots are in storage somewhere. I'm about 30 lbs heavier than high school, so I had only one pair of skinny (stretchy) jeans that would fit. I tried my chinks on before I left & I had to ask Mom how fat people put chinks on. I could barely bend around to do them up! Sad!

Well, Monday morning I realize I have no cinches on my saddle. I have no belt. I can't find my cowboy hat. So. I use Dad's old saddle, a progress string for a belt (one step up from baler twine) & I throw on a wide headband to keep the hair out of my face. My cowboy hat has disappeared over the years - unbeknownst to me until this morning! (And don't forget I'm wearing Italian boots with my classy outfit!) Of course, getting on was a sight to be missed! As I mentioned, I'm a little pudgy, the chinks are tight & getting on I nearly pulled the saddle round the side every time. *hangs head in shame*

I was given Earl to ride. Earl will forever have a special place in my heart. Earl is in retirement - he is lame. He did really well the day I rode him & I couldn't tell he was sore. He stood rock solid still when I needed to take photos & when I wasn't taking photos - Oh. Yeah. Baby. Earl's got cow. Seriously. If I had Earl when I was in high school, I am positive I would have been a cow girl & not a sailor. In case you don't know what 'cow sense' is - check out this video:

Earl was a cow eating machine! If I gave the slightest suggestion that he should go after the cow or calf, he was ALL OVER IT! AWESOME!!! What a great horse!

I had a great day with Earl. It was sunny & windy, so I was pretty burnt by the end of he day, but it was worth it! Spending the day under the sun, on a horse, in the middle of a sea of rolling grasslands... life is beautiful!

On Tuesday morning, Earl was a little sore from the adventures of the previous day, so I was given a different horse. We were NOT a match. He got excited about cows, but he didn't know what to do with them. He didn't neck rein, was rougher than a riding a jackhammer & when he spooked & caused my camera bag to fall on the ground, that was it. I was done. I wasn't going to risk a $5000 expense because of a boneheaded horse.

Dad, Greg & April had to move the cows & calves to a different pasture yet, but they had to do it without me. Unfortunately it was a bit of a challenge & they certainly could've used a few more hands to help out. I felt bad, but riding the bonehead, I'm sure I wouldn't have been much help.

Another day out in the sunshine, I was pretty tired by the time dinner rolled around. In fact, I'd had a bad headache from the sun/wind the day before. I didn't have much of an appetite, so I headed for bed. At 8 o'clock. That's a world record for me!

I'm not sure what happened to me, but at 3 a.m. I woke up & felt my lower lip feeling a little puffy. I went to the loo & got a bit of a fright when I looked in the mirror. It looked like a midnight Botox session had secretly occurred while I was dreaming! Only somewhat scary! By the time I woke up at 6:45 my lower lip was even bigger & blistered! I couldn't even drink properly! Water dribbled down the front of my shirt & talking was also a challenge! Try to say 'metformin' when you have an extra 50 psi in your lower lip! It wasn't a pretty sight! Never in my life has anything like this happened!

Needless to say, I didn't ride that day! I googled 'sunburned lips' & found out that a tea bag was supposed to help soothe the lips, so I spent the morning with Earl Grey stuck on my face. April & I went for a walk & since it was sunny, I stuck a tissue under the bridge of my sunglasses & away we went. I looked a little like Michael Jackson meets Angelina Jolie! Oh the joys of coming home!

By the afternoon, my lips looked normal & Dad asked if I wanted to ride. I said sure, but Earl was still sore. Boo. I took the truck & trailer out, along with the girls & followed along behind Greg & Dad as they gathered the field & moved the cattle to the other field. It was still a challenge that day, but they managed to get the job done. Dad said for 20 years one bunch of the herd had been going East & another bunch North. Now that he was trying to take them all West, they were confused. Thankfully the 2 of them got the job done. I enjoyed taking photos from the truck & when a few stragglers wandered near the truck, I took the stick & whooped & hollered to send them away. At one point I realized that the lone cow headed in my direction could've been a little aggressive & being on foot, I was helpless with only a stick. There were no trees to climb & but for one fence post I could run circles around, I would be buggered if she decided to show me who's boss. Thankfully she headed the other direction!

We spotted a few antelope on our way out & back, which is always a nice sight on the open prairie! That night my lip swelled up again, but not as bad. Thankfully it went down again by noon the next day.

I have decided to hang up my hat on playing cowgirl. But wait, I don't have a hat. Well, in any case, I think it will be awhile before I sit in the saddle again.

That afternoon I was getting ready to leave for Alberta the following morning. I thought I best load my saddle, seeing as I wasn't going to need it again! The girls followed me to the barn & the horses were sniffing them out. When I left the barn, the girls stayed close & just as I got to the gate, all hell broke loose.

Most of the horses had just been walking along behind looking & sniffing the girls' trail. One of the horses, from 20-30 metres away, picks up a trot, marches right over & steps on Oceana. I had just told the girls to hurry up & get out of the way & this horse was on top of her in an instant. I heard this horrible yelping & crying & turned to see dust, hooves & Oceana caught in the middle of it. I threw my saddle down to spook the horse & he got out of the way. But the damage was done. Oceana crawled under the gate & under my car.

I tried to reach her & pull her out to assess the damage, but she tried to bite me every time I reached for her. I started the car, thinking it would scare her out. Nope. I tried a treat. Nope. Finally, I took a 1x4" piece of wood & nudged her out from under the car. She was holding her rear right leg up & crying & whimpering.

Off to the vet's we go. I did about 130 km/h & prayed I wouldn't meet a cop. If I did, I was just going to wave out the window for him to follow me! I was so scared for poor little Oceana! We got to the vet's & I couldn't get them to look at her fast enough! The girls had been to this clinic on Boxing Day when they ate rat poison at the house where my brother was staying. (Saskatchewan is now declared a hazard for my dogs!)

The vet was wonderful. They sedated Oceana, did x-rays & found out that she had fractured her pelvis in 2 places. She is now confined to her kennel for 4 weeks. Yay. (It has been 4 days & she's doing much better already!)

I drove home the next afternoon & said 'Farewell' to Saskatchewan for a few more months.

I'll miss the stunning sunsets, the vastness of the never-ending sea of rolling grassland, the cattle dotted across the landscape, the random antelope stopping to look my way, the smell of the air, the amazing night skies, hawks catching a tailwind, gophers standing up to see what they can see & the dilapidated barns & homes that could write a history book of their own if only they could talk. But most of all, I'll miss the yard & house I used to call home. Another chapter comes to a close.

xxxx Maria Valentina & the girls