Make New Friends

When I was in Girl Scouts (eons ago) we sang a song...

Make New Friends

But Keep the Old

One is Silver

and the Other's Gold

Saturday was an extraordinary day for us. It was one of those delightful days when everything falls into place just right, and you get to have a great day with unexpected pleasures. One of those days when trucking reveals another of its benefits and makes possible something that might not have happened otherwise.

After loading in Winnemucca, NV on Friday night, Malcolm drove north to just shy of the Oregon state line and we spent the night parked at a rest stop, listening to a gentle rain falling on the roof of the truck. Woke up to this beautiful scene in the morning, and a cool but comfortable 45 degrees.

Just down the road, we stopped at a cafe in the little border town b/c we knew there wasn't much out there once we crossed into Oregon. I had been catching up on a few blogs that morning as Malcolm drove and suddenly remembered that gtyyup (aka: Karen) from Life at the Rough String lived somewhere in the general vicinity of where we'd be traveling. So I left a comment on her blog saying we were in the area, and a few minutes later the phone rang and it was Karen, inviting us to come on over! Turns out we were passing within 2 miles of her and her husband's ranch!

I've thought for a while how neat it would be to meet the people who's blogs I read, and those who read my blog. In fact I've been working with one blogger friend in New Mexico, Lisa and Laughing Orca Ranch , but it just never seems to work out. She's always either snowed in or has a riding clinic to go to when we're driving through her area. One of these days though, Lisa, we're going to get it to work out.

Needless to say I was practically bouncing in my seat as we made our way across the Oregon countryside. This part of Oregon is rocky, with lots of sage and buttes, by all appearances completely empty of human life...and I think its lovely! There are actually people here. They are just quite spread out.

Karen and her husband, John, live south of Burns in central Oregon. We parked out on the gravel road and John drove out to pick us up. Their ranch is in such a pretty setting, all nestled up against the rocks of a butte, with a view of the valley stretched out before them. Unfortunatly I was too busy visiting to think to take a picture of it, but trust me...its very picturesque.

Karen is just as precious in person as she sounds on her blog. I so much enjoyed getting to visit with her. She and John gave us a tour of the place, and I got to meet all the famous residents of the Rough String. Colt was in the barn recovering from a little leg injury so I didn't take his picture. Didn't want to bother him with the flash. But he was very eager to greet us and visit. We also made friends with the rest of the gang.

Here's Karen introducing us to Stetson. He was the star of the show, staying around as our shadow through the entire tour of this side of the ranch. He was just a sweetheart! His Mom, Catnip, was a little standoffish, but that was fine. We still enjoyed meeting her from a distance. For those that don't read Karen's blog (and you should), she and John adopted Catnip and several mustangs from the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro program. Stetson was an added bonus as Catnip was pregnant when she was adopted. Here is Bella Jo and Stetson. They were going after each other in a round of "catch the dog/donkey."

Here are me, Rohan (one of her "wild" mustangs), Karen, and Stetson in a group picture to remember the day by.

After a tour, Karen and I went inside to sit by the wood stove and have a long chat about blogging, ranching, trucking, and a bucketful of other topics. It was SO much fun to get to make a new friend, and also get some much needed "girl" time.

Malcolm and John had snatched up the .22's and retreated to the front drive where they proceeded to partake of some "guy" time...spent practicing their aim at a hay field full of sage rats. I had figured John and Malcolm would get along pretty well based on the fact that Karen and John lived in the country and had the ranch. I knew at least they would have something to talk about. I had completely forgotten that John is a former long-haul truck driver. So there was plenty for the two of them to "shoot the bull" about.

It was a delightful and refreshing afternoon for all involved I think! And hopefully we will be able to get together again sometime when we're heading up through that part of Oregon.

Thank you Karen and John for a wonderful day! We had so much fun getting to know you both in person. While I considered you a friend already by way of the blogging world, I now consider you a "new"friend of the real world, and look forward to seeing you again soon.

As for the rest of you, I sincerely would love to meet as many of my blogging friends as possible! So maybe over time, we can make that happen.