As a child I lived in the city but my family had a charming little A frame cabin in the county and a father who absolutely loves wild animals, being in a boat or four wheeling up, up, up to a really high mountain top where we would walk out to some really amazing ridge and witness natures magical formations from a birds eye view.
I can vaguely remember when my grandfather cut a dirt road that led the way up and into our property, the vehicles of family members with chains and some kind of a wooden boxes with screen and boards or something that after several passes made the road a little easier to drive upon.
The only other structures that I can Remember that where near our cabin was my grandparents they built a foundation and brought in a cute little one bedroom house that sat a little bit above ours and my Aunt and uncles amazing log cabin that they built a few years later a little lower and to the east, Mr. and Mrs Clarks that was down lower right before the red rock formations and a family from California that had brought in a trailer further down the road towards the west.
My dad had an old topless army jeep that had the capability to travel over just about any terrain and my dad loved to pack us kids and my mom into it and drive off as we explored areas we hadn’t yet traveled. Often times on our drives wild horses would run along with us. I can remember being so excited and in awe of their beauty and fierceness with their manes and tails blowing in the wind as they kicked up dirt and traveled along at times galloping and others running at full speed. I can still here the sounds of the hoofs hitting the dirt, the nayyy’ sounds and the sound that almost seems like really loud huge nostrils blowing a snotty nose, sometimes when I close my eyes and drift back in time into these magical moments, I loved watching them rare up and throw their heads into the sky. Wild horses are really amazing creatures.
To the east of the cabin was a sand wash that had sand formations and red rock, it was dry most in the spring, summer and into fall. I use to play make believe in it, it seems like when I was there nothing else but me and with what ever rock I would pick up, my nature friends and fairies existed. Wild paintbrush dancing in the wind while birds and other winged animals drifted in and out of there dimensions letting me be a witness to their beauty every now and again.
Off the front of the cabin was a large deck that didn’t have rails, I loved laying upon it and staying up way late at night until my eyes could hardly stay open as I drifted off into the sky with the twinkling stars, the big and Little Dipper and what ever other planets aligned and shown bright that night.
It was always a treat to eat yummy s’mores with marshmallows roasted on a crackling bon- fire that we cooked at the end of a whittled Willow stick that we crafted with my dads sharp pocket knife after a delicious meal my mom prepared and cooked in the coals in a old cast iron Dutch oven. My mom is a classy women, she loved things to be just right and it seems she made sure the table was properly set and had some pretty kind of table cloth, and special decorations even when we where camping she made sure to prepare a space that signed her signature of elegance.
One tree that set maybe 5 or 6 feet away from the cabin was struck by lightning a few times. That tree had a throng spirit, no matter how many times it was hit it never fully lost its will for life. Amazing, right?
I loved playing with blue belly lizards and horny toads, the horny toads moved a little slower then the lizards and they didn’t seem to mind being held, the lizard on the other hand would loose a tail if they had to, their only goal was to be left alone and as I have gained a little wisdom I can certainly understand why. I can kind of remember my oldest brother Kym catching a double headed lizard one time, to be honest with you, that lizard kinda scarred the day lights out of me but for some reason curiosity got the best of me and I forced my self to check him out.
One time in the early spring we found chipmunk babies left behind by their momma underneath the cabins bathroom sink. We took them back home with us to the city and cared for them with feedings out of a dropper and kept them until they kept getting loose in our house and scaring my mom, she would scream and scream in fear to get them away from her and out of her house. I don’t blame her and they really didn’t belong caged up in the house.
When I travel into my past I can really acknowledge the gift of the country. I still love outdoors and at times relate better with nature than I do with people. Nature truly has been my best friend and the experiences in nature some of my greatest teachers.
Thank you Mom and Dad for gifting me this love and for so many magical childhood experiences. I truly honor all you have gifted me. Most importantly, you gifted me access into this life and the tapestry to emerge into the being I am. I love you..
​kristyLee💖StarFire