Mongolian Adventure with a BIG Horse!

From whatever angle you look at it Elko's
Cowboy Poetry Gathering is a spectacular success.


Last year featured guests were from Mongolia!
My husband John takes people on tours to local
ranches. Last year he took those Mongolians,
and it was an adventure!

The interpreter was a young woman, "Bobo,"
from the University in the capitol, UlanBator.

Early one fresh-air morning we were at Chauch Evans'
Belgian ranch. It was cold and silent--nothing
new for Mongolians--and white everywhere. Blue-white
mountains against an alabaster sky; open, snowy fields,
frosty horses in the pasture waiting to be fed.

Troy took us into the barn, where we lined up
as Tseye came in to look at the horses. Tseye lives
in a ger on the Mongolian steppe. His horses are
small, maybe up to Tseye's shoulder. Belgians,
on the other hand are TALL, MONSTROUS!

Tseye rounded the corner of the barn, glanced at
the horse, looked again, and turned to us, eyes
big as saucers, arms gesturing wildly. Troy lifted
the horses foot. Tseye put his hand over the shoe.
Big foot, BIG HORSE!

We all laughed. An excting moment that forged a
bond with these wonderful people from the other side
of the world. We hopped on the flat bed loaded
with hay bales, and Troy drove the Belgian team
across the snowy field to feed horses. Then Tseye
drove the team! Was he proud! We were, too.

Cowboy Poetry is almost here--end of January.
Wonder who will fit into our adventure this year?

Wild goats half an hour from my house!

We had snow early this winter--in September. Not so much
that we haven't been able to drive into Lamoille Canyon in
the Ruby Mountains.

The last three times we were there we saw wild goats, wild
sheep, and wild turkeys! This is about half an hour from
our house.

The week after Thanksgiving we didn't drive very far up,
since there was snow on the road. We stopped on the road
by Camp Lamoille, pulled over, got out the binoculars,
and scanned the south side of the canyon.

And, there they were! The goats--mounds of white hair,
sharp black horns on narrow, angular heads, and puffy
white bodies--were rooting for moss beneath mahogany
trees on the mountainside. They clamored over cliffs,
disappeared momentarily in the trees and reappeared
higher up the rocks. Then as a storm moved in, misty
clouds descended and hid the mountaintops. Snow spit
at our faces, and the goats disappeared into the falling
snow.


A few days later John took Texans up the canyon and when
they rounded the corner right in front of the van was a
small herd of wild sheep. Right on the road! The male
with big coppery-colored, curled horns calmly surveyed the
van and finally led the band across the road and up a
mountain side.
John and the Texans were thrilled. They even stopped for a
snowball fight!


John usually takes folks into Lamoille village before heading
back home, and just on the side of the road they spotted a
big group of wild turkeys! We've seen turkeys around here,
but this "passel"(?) was led by a peacock! Strutting his stuff
with the big boys. What a show.

Rides into the Canyon from now on would have to be by snowmobile
or snowcat since the mountains are getting snow today. From my
living room window they've completely disappeared in a foggy
white blanket. The road up the canyon is probably humming with
snow mobiles and maybe a few hardy cross country skiers.


Makes for a good holiday season--all this snow. Hope yours is
not too busy and mostly with friends and family enjoying good
conversation and memories.