Growing up in the "old" days!

Del Norte is an awesome place to grow up!
As a kid, I lived here from the time I was seven, until I was a teen, when we moved to Creede.
We lived on the north side of town, just off the highway, and near what is now the park. It wasn't built until just before we moved.
My cousin had an old horse, mainly white. His one outstanding feature was the small "o" that his lips made. He could never quite close his mouth. We could always tell which horse Blitz was in a crowd of white horses, just because of this little feature. My sister and I had ponies. Mine was called Babe, and my sisters, was her filly named Flicka.
Our pastures were near our house, so it was always easy access.
It was wonderful to grow up in a time where our parents never knew where we were, although they did know we were always out riding. We didn't have to worry about kidnapping, (Not that anyone would have wanted us, spending that much time with a horse lends a certain odor to your being,) or drugs, or weapons at school. 
The three of us girls were always together, always on an adventure!
One of our favorite places to ride was behind the sawmill. We would ride our horses across the lower head gates, or just across the Rio Grande, depending on the depth of the water. As long as the horses could swim, we figured we would make it.
We would spend hours in that little field of cottonwoods, pretending we were cowboys and indians, bank robbers, wealthy ranchers chasing cattle rustlers, or just racing. It was near the pig farm, and the swimming hole in the river, complete with a knotted rope for swinging out over the hole!
Of course, riding horses all day does make one hungry. Because we knew there would mainly be bologna or P.B.&J. at home, we would have to figure out a way to make money to buy the various junk food we craved.
One of our favorite ways to make money was dressing up as cowboys and indians. Because my cousin and I had western saddles, we were always the cowboys. My sister always had a tan, long hair, and looked kind of like a boy, she was the indian, complete with headband and face paint.
We would take our horses up to the Old West Hotel and pose for pictures for the tourists. 
This wasn't always an easy feat. One, we didn't have a camera, the tourists would have to use their own. Two, We had to collect a dollar from them after they snapped our photo. Most were simply not willing to do this. Thus, causing us to become miffed and because my pony was well trained, I would make her rear up at them to show my personal disgust. 
Most days, we would make a couple of dollars, which at that time, bought a whole bunch of junk food at Jessops store.
We would buy 5 cents worth of penny bubble gum. Some candy bars, and maybe even a soda. We would always make our money back on the bottles by trading them back in.
There was rarely a day we didn't ride. 
We considered ourselves expert on everything "horse."
We lived, ate, and breathed horse. Even at home, we would get down on our hands and pretend to be a horse, racing up and down the halls, causing our parents to yell at us to be quiet. My cousin and sister were fluent in "horse." I didn't ever master the talent of a whinny or a snort, but they needed someone to interpret, so that job was mine!
One particular winter, we had become upset with our respective parents, and decided to run away from home. It didn't take us long to figure out where we would go. To us, it was obvious. We would ride to Utah and live happily ever after with the Osmonds and Robert Redford. 
We knew a trip of this magnitude would take planning. One just couldn't take off and find horse feed just anywhere.
Grudgingly, we asked for maps and paper, which was given generously to us by our parents. 
The entire winter was spent around our kitchen table. Maps opened, and lists made of the items we needed before we could leave.
We tended to feed the horses a little better that winter, so they could fatten up for the trip.
I don't remember all the plans we made, but I do remember they were intricate. We knew how many miles we would ride every day. Yes, we were experts on this matter, because we had ridden to Center and Monte Vista previously, we knew what our horses could take. 
We knew we would have to get a couple of mules to haul all of our camping items, which consisted of a couple of pans, a water bucket, oats for the horses, and three blankets. 
We would camp the real way, using our saddles as pillows!
It was one of the best winters ever!
Looking back, I can now truly say how thankful I am for that time.
I know we wore those poor horses out, but we loved them more than life itself!
I know we drove our parents crazy, but they let us be kids and didn't mind too much when lived out our imaginations.
I feel sorry for kids who never had this chance. For us, the days were carefree and fun. They taught us how to settle our own fights, make a world of our own, and how to be compassionate and care for animals. We learned that family is always more important, that sometimes, boys are cute, but most of the time they weren't worth the effort, and we could be anything we wanted! We could make a circus and get our friends to join in, ride for hours, and stop and watch the wonders of the world around us.
There are moments when I see something that reminds me of that time. It makes me smile and in moments I'm swept away to that time and place, and I am a cowboy or a princess, riding off into the sunset!