Prairie Pony

Hi everyone, it's me, Cheryl.

I've mostly just been taking the pictures, but it's time to write something again. I met this incredibly spirited and pretty horse in Alberta--what a beautiful province, and the people really friendly. I've been looking forward to seeing the prairie for months, but it still caught me by surprise. The beauty of this place is profound. It creates a physical sensation, tugging at your heart. The roads that disappear over the horizon seem to call you to follow them. Every time I start walking down one I find it hard to turn around and come back.

The weather is also amazing; it makes the land seem alive. I picked up a book in Swift Current called The Perfection of the Morning by a prairie writer named Sharon Butala. The book was highly recommended by Judith Mitchell, one of my profs at UVic, and it goes a long way in explaining the effects of this place. I find it hard to put into words, and I know the pictures can't do it justice. But driving under that huge sky with the wind at your back is like flying. Cycling it must be great, but I would like to be on horseback. Maybe one day.

I am really getting used to spending all this solitary time out in the wild. It's going to be hard to get back to normal! I find myself playing a lot of country music--nothing else makes sense out here. Good stuff, though, like Lucinda Williams and Allen Dobb. Or anything sad and pretty. Yes, this place really gets into your bones.

Love to everyone,
Cheryl