September 2024 - 47

No matter, for the dog is on point, stiff
and still, perhaps shivering just a bit. You pull
up Big Red and tie him quickly to the chalky
white bark of an aspen, fumble the double
gun out of the scabbard. Break it open and
stuff in two shells from the saddlebags. The
dog rolls her eyes at you, body frozen but
imploring: Right there, just ahead where that
shrubby cinquefoil meets that little aspen
grove, right there, can't you see them? Manalive
there they are.
Then you do see what she sees with only
her powerful nose, a hen blue grouse and
a young brood, at least four birds in total.
You walk closer and then they burst in all
directions, some rising straight up into the
morning air looking for a tree branch, but
you swing your shotgun on one of the young
birds, just ahead of his head and you connect.
Hours later, far up the trail, just the one
young bird in the saddlebags, dressed and
cooled by a quick wash in mountain meltwater,
you decide it is time for lunch so you
swing down off the old horse and pat the
tired dog on the head. Dig her out a treat,
then another for the old horse. As Big Red
stands hipshot in the shade of the lodgepoles,
dozing, you gather a few lodgepole twigs
into an old fire ring at a well-worn summer
campsite. Then you turn to the saddlebags
and pull out a farm tomato, goat cheese with
chives, sourdough crackers and an apple
grown on the ranch. The grouse is filleted
and skewered upon a green willow twig,
sprinkled with a bit of chipotle chili powder
from New Mexico, brushed with a touch of
olive oil, and you sit there at your little fire,
turning the meat on the stick, waiting for
lunch. Salivating. There is a cell phone in
your shirt pocket, but you are out of coverage
and its only use is as a camera. The
connection, though, is excellent.
- Thomas Reed is the author of, " Give Me Mountains
For My Horses, Blue Lines " and other titles. He and his
wife own Good Mama Farm, an organic operation in
the shadow of the Rockies where they raise foxtrotting
horses and wild, muddy children.
- Lori Eslick is an illustrator, artist, presenter, children's
picture book illustrator and workshop leader.
She regularly creates illustrations for Wyoming Wildlife
magazine's Wild Country Dispatch column. More of her
work can be seen at eslickart.com.
Wyoming Wildlife | 47

http://www.eslickart.com

September 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2024

September 2024 - 1
September 2024 - 2
September 2024 - 3
September 2024 - 4
September 2024 - 5
September 2024 - 6
September 2024 - 7
September 2024 - 8
September 2024 - 9
September 2024 - 10
September 2024 - 11
September 2024 - 12
September 2024 - 13
September 2024 - 14
September 2024 - 15
September 2024 - 16
September 2024 - 17
September 2024 - 18
September 2024 - 19
September 2024 - 20
September 2024 - 21
September 2024 - 22
September 2024 - 23
September 2024 - 24
September 2024 - 25
September 2024 - 26
September 2024 - 27
September 2024 - 28
September 2024 - 29
September 2024 - 30
September 2024 - 31
September 2024 - 32
September 2024 - 33
September 2024 - 34
September 2024 - 35
September 2024 - 36
September 2024 - 37
September 2024 - 38
September 2024 - 39
September 2024 - 40
September 2024 - 41
September 2024 - 42
September 2024 - 43
September 2024 - 44
September 2024 - 45
September 2024 - 46
September 2024 - 47
September 2024 - 48
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