I live in a world blending the past and present while trying to survive what the future will bring. I am the forth generation of my fathers family to be on this land. By tradition I'm bound to many of the ways of those who came before me, using the same tools and methods employed for over a hundred years.My skills revolve around my occupation. Being on the back of a horse isn't just a pasttime, but a necessity as well. Mending broken fences, tending livestock or just making general repairs are all part of daily routine. An old log house,heated from the winter's cold by a wood-burning stove is called home. Along with the old,there is the new. A pick-up and horse trailer now cover many of the miles that a horses feet would have trod in the past. The house is old but it has made room for the new as well. The microwave and satelite dish have their places and most recently after a long,fought battle the computer made it's way into the family. Who can tell what the future will bring? The best I can do to help ease into that future is to use an invention of the 1990's. A conservation easement. It allows a rancher to be paid,in one form or another for the future developement righs of their land and assures open spaces for future generations. My world will never be the same as it was, for good or bad, but maybe there will be a little part of the world that will not be the same as the rest It's my world. |