I know there is another state that claims to be the big sky country, but we here in the Owens Valley can make the case that we also live in big sky country - that the sky sometimes dominates the day. Especially when there are clouds.
The big arc of the sky is held in place by our mountains to the east and the west and there isn't much on the ground to compete - no big city, no large formations of rock or earth. A rain-shadowed, sage-covered landscape that really just redirects the attention back up to the sky.
I love our sky here - the fiery sunrises, the huge moon-scapes, the enormous expanse of stars.
When we drive north to get hay we have a good opportunity to sky-watch since we are driving along the valley floor with a great view of the Sierra crest and we ascend a little as we drive into the tri-valley area. When we are headed home there is often a beautiful panorama spread out in front of us.
I like our hay expeditions (except maybe for writing that check - but even then it is such a simple transaction between buyer and seller - no middleman). We take the dogs and they are free to run around the hay barn while we load, and unloading the hay is like putting money in the bank. Feels good to have a ton of hay in front of each corral.
It gives us some car time / talk time and we are just alone in our bubble for awhile.
Our lives pretty much revolve around horses and dogs - we squeeze work in somehow. While JC and I stress about truck repairs and the bills, the dogs and the horses are completely taken care of, content, and go about their day without a care in the world. I should include the cat too - his greatest worry is the cat across the street.
This is pretty typical of the dogs' life.
And this.
And this.
What a life. Well, we'll be getting hay again, soon, because that's what happens. You load it, unload it, feed it off twice a day and before you know it you are back buying more.
We love our life in this big sky country.
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