Up In The Flat Top Country

Up In The Flat Top Country

The night sets over the mountain land.

The grass sways slowly and the stars smile over the hobbled horses.
The breeze shivers, I stand rocking from the ball of my feet to my heels holding a warm coffee cup with icy fingers.
The spring down off the hill bubbles from the ground, I can hear it over the horses cropping up near the rim of the Pines.
The meadow, mellow gold in the dim light waves back and forth then breaks into a clump of Aspens.
It's quiet up on the flats, the night creatures make distant chatter, the fire crackles in camp, the coffee percolates.
I close my eyes and lay my head back in the meadow flowers and grass, my mind pictures pack horses trailing single file up the mountainside, braids unraveling in the wind, sun making skin glow golden in the high flat top meadows.
The sun rises over the peak, the fire still the first light, heating the morning. 
Standing cold, bundled in the dim fire light, I wander down to the high-line, unhobble the horses. 
Set atop a fading gray, bareback, leading pally and sorrel behind down on to the spring and let 'em water. 
Leaned forward, legs wrapped around, merely an extension of the gray, I ride back to camp and hobble the caballos out for the morning and stand leaning against a stripped pine, I watch 'em graze and sip hot coffee.
Hail like rock salt spits from the clouds in a mid morning shower then the sun runs it off the mountain top.
The day passes quiet, I watch the horses, their curiosity leads 'em past the pines and almost out of sight. 
I climb on one, lead 'em back and hobble 'em out again.
The chipmunks chatter, a pointer pup hangs around camp and bums chunks of grouse meat off me. 
Will James tells me about ol' Smokey and my pen etches my own story on wrinkled paper. 
A grouse hen clucks to her chicks, the ponies nicker when they look up to see me, Sage trots at my feet, her pretty masked face lookin up at me and my heart smiles in the flat top country and I could live here forever. 

I wrote this about a place in Colorado. Beautiful. Once you get on top it's just big parks and pretty meadows. I went up with dad a couple years ago for 5 days and stayed in camp watching the horses while he was hunting grouse. Hobbling horses, taking naps, riding anywhere and everywhere with only halters and barebacked caballos. Nothing like it.

A bad picture, taken off a phone. But I don't care how bad of quality it is, I am very thankful I took this picture because, little Sage was a great dog and we all miss her very much!

Where is your dream country? 

Hugs! 

Gussie!!