Gathering – Thoughts From The Middle of Nowhere

Two days with rain in a row. A record for this year. I was going to start gathering my far pasture yesterday to get ready to ship. About 3:00 AM it started raining so after looking the weather forecast over I decided I could wait a day and try today. Why ride in the rain when when it was going to be nicer today. Well this morning rolled around and they were predicting some showers so we took off to gather. As soon as we started riding it started to rain, and rain, and rain some more. IT WAS WONDERFUL!! n nI decided since we had started all ready to keep going and do our gather. The only thing I was concerned about was the country that we were going in was fairly rough and in slick conditions can be dangerous. You know the <a href="http://www.nowherethoughts.net/pics/flatland9142004.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.nowherethoughts.net/pics/flatland9142004.jpg','popup','width=660,height=500,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">flatlands</a> of Eastern Montana, or so <a href="http://www.nowherethoughts.net/sarpysam/archives/000535.html" target="_blank">some people think</a>. We kept riding all the way to the end of the pasture, about 8 miles from where we unloaded the horses, and finally come across some cattle. They were hanging in an area where part of last years massive 35,000 acre <a href="http://www.nowherethoughts.net/pics/burn9142004.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.nowherethoughts.net/pics/burn9142004.jpg','popup','width=850,height=500,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">fire</a> happened. Luckily I only lost about 1000 acres which made me luckier than others. Finally got some cattle together and started <a href="http://www.nowherethoughts.net/pics/moving9142004.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.nowherethoughts.net/pics/moving9142004.jpg','popup','width=730,height=460,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">moving</a> them towards home. Even through our slickers we were pretty wet by the time we were done and my poor hat must have weighed 15 pounds it had soaked up so much water. But again I will say, IT WAS WONDERFUL!!! n nProbably the best thing I saw all day, and the rarest was this: n<!–more–> n<img src="http://www.nowherethoughts.net/pics/rainbow9142004.jpg"> n nThis was taken in the morning before we ever left the house. It's pretty rare to see a rainbow in the morning in the western sky around here. It was beautiful. n nMy heart leaps up when I behold nA rainbow in the sky: nSo was it when my life began; nSo is it now I am a man; nSo be it when I shall grow old, nOr let me die! nThe Child is father of the Man; nAnd I could wish my days to be nBound each to each by natural piety. n nWilliam Wordsworth