Cherry Creek

 The family was headed for a weekend of visiting friends

Eating casino food and reata roping in Reno town

But she opted

To help a friend doctor yearlings instead

Bedroll, check,

Saddle, snaffle, blanket, chinks, warmest coat you’ve got

Happy little gal

Brown hair covered up with a red winter cap

Bounced her way into a bitter spring camp

And spent

A very happy 4 days

Necking her first steer

Doctoring with fingers frozen stiff

Greasy breakfast mornings

And watching the boys puff cigars to help stay warm

Meander along,

Step down

Cinch up

Build to him, poor little sick fella

Yeller’s feet feel awfully slick on this icy, frozen tundra that used to be a pivot

Oh God I feel like an idiot

Boys keeping pace, offering good-humored advice, like swing harder!

Swing

ONE TWO THREE times and throw

Loop sailing, sailing, why does it feel so heavy and slow?

Finally settles clumsily around the neck

And dear lord I think we’re falling,

I’d rather not watch if you don’t mind, so I’ll just squeeze my eyes tight shut

But no, it’s just nerves and cold

Slide a little rope

And hold your dallies like the boys do

A pretty pink cross on this yellow calf’s head to say that’s he’s been done

All right, who’s next?!

Replay and Repeat

And how about a lazy lunch

And waste some time in the machine barn

Roping a dummy

Perfecting that shot till you’re warm with exertion and shoulder is sore

And the days pass and fill up with memories of

Generators and Mel Brooks quotes

Broken in ropes and where it feels right to throw

Before she knows it

It’s time for her to head back

To family and chores and school

But first a nap in the saddle shop parking lot

While she waits for them to open up

An hour there and our little brown haired, red-capped miss

Leaves $100 lighter

And with silver rings glinting in her ears

xo xo Liz