Pleasure

Today we weren't cattle-ranchers or students or employees.

We were like all the other fools who come out to the Lincoln National Forest with one purpose in mind - to enjoy it. The only difference between them and us is we step out our front door, mount our 4-wheelers and take off. They usually have to travel here.

The kids didn't have school today and it was Elsie, Micah and I who withdrew ourselves from the work atmosphere of home and took advantage of a sunny beautiful day and the 32,000 acres we live in the middle of.

We are so glad we did.

It was Micah's first long ride on his dirtbike and the clay-ish mud made it slow going but I'd rather he take it slow then be stupid and wreck. Elsie and I were on our respective 4-wheelers and Skye ran free. She was in her element. At one point, she flushed out 5 cow elk from the woods and got a hold of the back leg (twice) of one. She ran it into a fence, heading straight towards us but at what seemed like the last minute, they veered off. Skye chased it for about seven minutes and then circled back.

Eight miles later, we were back at the same place and ran into a flock of about 45 turkeys. She chased them too.

There wasn't much conversation on our trek given that we were all on seperate vehicles but we were content with our own thoughts and the sun shining on our faces.

I'm still picking mud from my hair.