A memoir: Evil Dwells.... part 1: where posted 12/6/2006 8:49:03 PM | 6 kudos what's this?     report abuse tagged: horses, riding, fears, associations

redtigr

Several blogs ago, I wrote of a place I once lived in the Ozark hills of Southern Illinois:
... I rented a big old farmhouse way out in the country. Dirt road, no neighbors for a least a mile on any side, 1,400 acres to roam on, a pond, a big barn and miles of cornfields and pasture land. Heaven.”
Heaven, yes, in so many ways, it was heaven for me. But something was wrong there – something connected to that place. If you were to ask me if I believe in the Devil as a personification of evil, I would say no – but I do believe that evil exists; it is the question of where evil dwells that plagues me…

Though I had grown up in a small town, I had never actually lived out in the country. It was my dream to live on a farm, keep a few chickens and ducks, perhaps a pet milk goat with “kids” and best of all – have hundreds of acres upon which to hike and ride my horses. And ride, I did. In those days, I was not only fearless, but nearly inexhaustible. Early in the morning I would saddle up “the Goose,” my 16 ½ hand dapple grey gelding, and off we’d go; often traveling 30 or more miles over open land, through woods and down obscure dirt roads, returning – spent - in late afternoon. Goose was the perfect all-around horse, with big gaits, a love of galloping flat out and a knack for jumping. We were buds.

Our rides were mostly small adventures, the highlights of which were things like seeing deer or an owl, discovering a forgotten cemetery or an abandoned homestead or perhaps just eating my small lunch in some quiet place while Goose grazed quietly nearby. The Goose was a trustworthy mount; sensible and willing; he saved my bacon more often than I deserved. We were pushing our way through a dense thicket one day when he just planted himself - refusing to budge even when I smacked him. Turned out there was a 40 foot bluff just beyond the bushes I had been urging him to plunge blindly through. Another time he wouldn’t approach a creek that we normally crossed without any hesitation. He danced and reared and backed up and seemed so utterly spooked that I finally dismounted to lead him across. That’s when I heard, rather than saw, a huge timber rattler sunning itself on the rocks in our path. We detoured.

On one memorable ride, we came crashing through some tall brush right into the path of a lone hiker. He was a city boy from Chicago, a college student who had wandered off the trail of nearby Giant City State Park. After walking in the wrong direction for a couple of hours, he was thirsty, grumpy and a little unnerved about being lost. He stood frozen in the path, expecting a bear from the noise we had made, poor fellow. I remember thinking just for a brief moment how vulnerable I was; he was a large man, and in good physical condition. But he was friendly, relieved that we were not “a bear” and a little embarrassed - and I was sitting up on that big horse. We shared my lunch and water and I gave him directions back to familiar territory. Those were the good rides...

....to be continued

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Blogs by redtigr: An open letter, or blog, for FrumiousB... I need a man... no, really! Straw into gold: signs for 2007... This is the last time... 500 miles... misc. travelin' notes... Take two of these and don't call me... a bit of debris A memoir: Evil Dwells... part 6: conclusions.. A memoir: Evil Dwells... part 5: what.. A memoir: Evil Dwells... part 4: what.. A memoir: Evil Dwells... part 3: more of "when" A memoir: Evil Dwells.... part 2: when A memoir: Evil Dwells.... part 1: where December, one quarter to full... ... half an ounce of prevention.... ...he smiled with his eyes "Look at Me"..... no, please listen...... where have all my kudos gone.... silly email received today.... An edited, but shameless repost: Baggage and Experience musings on winter .. or Parabolic Trajectories With a Twist..... ...Toto_2 A Personal Soapbox (get up here, mailorderannie).... The dust is heavy today.... Halloween Doesn't Like Me... Hard Lessons # 2 and 3