Mending Fences

The Words:

cowgirl riding hard, calves jumping, horses galloping, sunset, juniper berries, acorn in the oaks, horse tails, leather smell, saddle squeak, water down the creek, frogs croaking

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In the long run, everyone forgot that this was once the ranch that had given birth to hard riding cowgirls. It had been fine with long fields of jumping calves and thoroughbreds lined up for breeding season. Once upon a time it was probably mustang territory, horses galloping in grand sunsets, chewing off juniper berries when they could find them.

Lena was the last of her generation and she was left to mending fences. It didn't bother her much, having only one horse tail to brush each dawn, no cows to herd and a rooster to keep happy. The smell of leather never did please her, and saddle squeaks were unheard of. She would rather let it all fall back to the earth, sitting peacefully all the while, counting acorns falling from the oaks, watching water flow down the creek or listen for frog croaks.

It was the day Kathy came trudging into her life with her stick horse and pregnant mother that Lena realized she had any care in the world at all.