River Breaks

The world seems perched on the edge of spring along the Snake River. I love to ride my horses this time of year for a few reasons:

• My horses are fat and rude and require my attention. It is extremely satisfying to watch them trim up and respond to our partnership.
• The blend of warm sunshine and cold winds is so refreshing.
• The sun is slowly peeling back the snow and ice and there are many fascinating treasures to find from winter kill to freshly dropped antlers. Every time I ride I uncover a mystery!

I know the country around our farm so well now, I can tell you something special about almost every nook and cranny in the river breaks, but I still ride out the hayfield gates expecting the unexpected and I’m rarely disappointed. What excellent fodder for my logic, my observation and deduction skills, my ability to hypothesize and make conclusions! It’s a wonderland for the mind out here.

Have you found or observed anything interesting on an outdoor adventure lately? I found a deceased badger yesterday and spooked a coyote off it. I’ve been badger obsessed for years and this discovery was precious to me. Look at those claws and teeth. Such fierceness.