The One that got Away~ Divine Creature~ part 9

As soon as my father's estate was settled, I hit the saddle. I had not ridden in months. Dealing with all the estate issues had become a full time job and had left little time for much else.

I was thrilled to have all the legal matters behind me. Perhaps I could have my own life back.

I found myself spending more and more time with my mare, Maggie. Each day we set out on a new adventure.

We lived about 30 minutes, 45 if you're pulling a trailer, from the Grasslands; a 23,000 acre nature preserve. Set aside as a nature preserve by LBJ while he was in office; it was a favorite place of many riders. Some would haul their horses as far as a couple of hundred miles to ride and camp.

The trails were well maintained and well marked. On weekdays I felt as if I had the whole 23,000 acres to myself. I so enjoyed the solitude. Weekends were usually busy, especially if the weather was nice. Lots of campers and the trails could actually become crowded.

And the hunters! It was a nature preserve ! "No Hunting" signs were posted all over the preserve yet that did not still the gun fire. I worried some fool would hit me or Maggie.

We finally quit going out on weekends.

I felt safe during the week and this became how we planned our trips. How I learned to love the Grasslands! Because of the sheer size of the acreage, each ride provided new sights and sounds.

Depending on my mood, the ride could be challenging, with steep, rocky inclines. Other trips I would choose an easy trail, flat and sandy, moving in and out of the woods. Sunlight and shadow dancing across our bodies. These were the rides I came to love.

My mind would empty in a way that no amount of prayer or mediation could attain. I could lose time, my consciousness suspended. At the same time my awareness would become heightened;

as if I were taking in the world for the first time.

Colors, sounds, aromas filled my head. And always the feel of Maggie's body moving beneath me. The leather saddle creaking, reminding me it was time to clean and oil the old leather. The rhythmic sound of her hooves moving over the earth. Her ears, swiveling like radar, listening to all the sounds surrounding her. Above all her smell. A smell I have loved since childhood. That smell, buried in the limbic system of my brain. If I lived a long, long time, so long I didn't even know my own name; I would know that smell.

If you love horse you get it. If not it cannot be explained.

I loved an old cowboy once. I was a teen, he in his sixties. The common thread which drew us together was the love of horses. It became a deep and abiding friendship which lasted until his death.

We became riding buddies, mentor and student. I yearned to read and understand the subtle language of the horse, the way he did. Every day I spent with him I learned something new. I know our relationship was a curious one to outsiders, but there was no other person I would rather spend my time with.

I had stopped attending church months earlier, and this concerned my grandmother greatly. There was in fighting going on over some issue and the church was split right down the middle.

I figured life was enough of a fight 6 days a week. I had no intention of spending my Sundays listening to the adults fuss and fight at church. Tom decided I was old enough to make up my own mind, but my grandmother felt differently. I thought I would ask John Walker his opinion.

On one late afternoon ride, I asked his opinion on the church issue. A long silence followed.

I could see he was gathering his thoughts, aware of the impact his answer would have on me.

Finally he spoke. "I reckon I can find God sitting in the saddle just as easy as I could find Him sitting in a church pew." His answer made perfect sense to me. In my opinion, the horse was one of His most divine creatures. Why wouldn't I find God when surrounded by one of his most magnificent creatures?