Durango days.

My digs (above) are amazing and I'm defiantly living the good life on my friends horse ranch.

I feel calm and tranquil here. For a visitor that doesn't have to clean the tack room, help move the manure hill, buy the supplies, check on the brood mares, exercise the bull, move the cattle, feed the ducks/geese and daily move 50 bales of hay to feed the horses, it's a dream vacation!

During these first few days I've had some powerful upwellings of pure joy and it made me realize I'd come to Durango with expectations. Even though I know better (keep your expectations low) I'd imagined that I would have those feelings, but I no idea they would come with such intensity and consistency. This view is from a hike up in the Aspen groves and looks down onto the ranch below.

Idillic.

After a morning hike, an amazing lunch and an afternoon nap (for me) it was time to saddle up. Chico is the gentlest of their horses and perfect for a newbie like me. We wandered up hills in thigh high grasses spooking deer and chipmunks alike. "Lets gallop" said Michael "I'm not sure about that I replied", "It's way easier than trotting" he said and with that we headed into a small arena. With my helmet on, Chico took off and I have never felt anything like it. In that first moment of speed I got why people love to ride. There was such grace and connection that I teared up and did it again and again and again (both the galloping and the crying)!

Explaining myself to 11 year old Lehua later, she quizzed me "did you gallop or lope"? Bloody hell, I thought, in my imagination I galloped like the wind, but now I'm guessing I loped...what ever that is?! I'm sure when we ride again she'll whiz by me in a blur and demonstrate my options!

Coors Light and a game of pool anyone?

Yes, that's me with two left feet doing the dreaded western dancing-praps if I get a Cowboy hat I can hide my shame under it and loosen up a bit more?