She took me out to her father’s place to get a truck load of manure for my garden. Though only about 60 miles southeast of Austin, I felt we had entered a different world. The gentle, rolling hills reminded me of Cheshire, but unlike England, there were no hedgerows to contain the views. The last 20 miles or so, we didn’t see anyone, not even any passing cars.
It was one of those postcard perfect late summer days–a deep blue sky and huge billowing clouds. After filling the truck, we walked with my friend’s father to the back pasture, trailed by a small herd of goats and ducks who were looking for a treat. The horses were grazing about a mile away. He called to them and after a few minutes they came galloping toward us. As they veered down the trail through a stand of trees, we caught glimpses of them backlit by the setting sun. At that moment, life seemed so simple and so beautiful–so still. I wanted to hold that moment in my mind forever.