Discovering Old Friends
Amy and Brigitta spend Saturday grooming and riding a pair of Arabians named Stoker and Neptune. Brigitta took Amy along an east-facing trail under a sheer rock face cliff moving northward until they reached an open meadow. The view to the northeast was breathtaking as the Rocky Mountains reached to the heavens. Amy knew that facing this direction was her home country of Canada and the providence of Alberta. Somewhere out there was her family - grandpa Jack and Ty, her sister Lou and friends.
The Richards home place was cleaned and prepared to receive company later in the afternoon. Steaks were taken from the freezer and placed in the fridge to thaw for grilling. The wine was chilled. Things were coming together for Brigitta and Amy's visit.
Dean has spent the late morning and early afternoon working down in his northern meadow on the Rist Canyon community's slash pile. The slash pile was a site for people to bring their tree branches, pine needles and organic debris to be ground up and recycled.
Amy and Brigitta headed back to the stables around 2 pm following the trail back to the south. As they continued on the trail, a pair of eyes followed them from the ridge line to the west. The predator had just finished a meal...
Once back at the stable, Brigitta and Amy unsaddled their animals and put each in their stalls, watering and feeding them.
Both gals washed up and dressed in their casual attire for visiting neighbors. Amy chose nice jeans and a collared plaid cowboy shirt along with her favorite cowboy hat. A blue neck scarf completed her wardrobe for the visit.
They climbed into the SUV and drove down the fire road and turned up the paved canyon road to the fire route labeled Mountain Meadows. Amy noticed how the canyon opened up at this altitude and the large grassy meadows spread out to the north and south along gentle mountain slopes.
"This is a spectacular location. Look at the grassy meadows for grazing the cattle and horses. This is certainly a hidden treasure here in Colorado", noted Amy.
"Yes, the folks up here really love this land and take great care to tend it."
"I see there is a fire station back a couple miles", said Amy, not missing much as she absorbed information visually.
"Yes, Rist Canyon maintains a volunteer fire department. Once a year, they hold what is called the Mountain Meadow Festival with an fine art auction to raise money to help with fire equipment purchases and maintenance."
"WOW", said Amy... "That is wonderful. Sound like a great community of folks. Where does the art work come from?"
"Mostly local artist along the front range from Cheyenne to Denver and a few national famous artists… some years the art auction alone can bring over one hundred thousand dollars", commented Brigitta on the facts.
"I would love to see some of the art… Ty gave me a painting as a gift and I have been thinking of returning a special gift to him in the future".
"Maybe you might still be around to attend the Festival on Labor Day weekend?"
"I'm not sure Brigitta... grandpa will want me back home in Alberta before then."
"We'll figure something out so you can see a selection of the paintings…", noted Brigitta.
Just then Brigitta's SUV pulled into the driveway of the Richards family. A short climb up the lane placed them in front of the garage. Amy and Brigitta could see Dean and Ann Richards sitting on their front porch with wine glasses waiting.
Dean welcomed them with hugs and asked them to sit on the porch as he poured Brigitta a glass of wine. Amy opted for a glass of orange juice. The view to the eastern canyon mountains was lovely.
"So how long have you lived here?" queried Amy.
"Well, we bought the land in the early 1980s, but did not build this house until the late 80s. Prior to that we were cattle farmers in Iowa. When our three boys left for college, we moved here."
"Well this is a wonderful place. My grandpa has a ranch home similar to yours in Hudson. It has been in our family for six generations."
"You know Amy, it's interesting that you mention Hudson... and I keep thinking to myself that town's name should remind me of someone I once knew..." said Dean.
Brigitta chimed in that Amy had been selected a year ago on a full ride scholarship to CSU, but she had turned it down. She was here now to try out the summer program.
Brigitta continued, "Amy's family has a horse healing business at Heartland Ranch..."
"Yes, my grandpa, Jack Bartlett, encouraged me to try at least an 8 week summer term here at CSU."
Dean did a bit of a double take and Amy noticed. "Did I say something weird?"
"No, no, not at all Amy...", said Dean. "You say your grandfather's name is Jack Bartlett, as in Jackson Bartlett? and your ranch is named Heartland?"
"Why, yes... how did you know grandpa's given first name?" asked Amy.
Smiling now with the knowledge that an old friend's granddaughter was sitting here in his home, Dean said... " Your grandfather and I were friends years ago... we both travelled in our cattle businesses on a regular basis in the mid-1970s to buy livestock in Sheridan, Wyoming."
"Your kidding... right?", said Amy
"Quite the coincidence, hey Amy…, the truth is your grandfather and I did know each other over a short period of years there in Sheridan. At the time, we talked about his family and raising a daughter... your mother I assume, and how difficult it was to make a living raising beef cattle."
Amy's face lit up with the knowledge that it was a small world and another family tie was forged with a friend here in Colorado.