Fireworks Over Bismarck!

Red points out something I'd forgotten long ago; November 2 is the 116th anniversary of statehood for North and South Dakota.

She write, of course, one of the loveliest homages to my home state that I've ever read.

Snippet that I just love:

Silence covered the plains (this was the real calm before the storm, turns out - when everything came to a sudden sharp stop ... took a breath ... and then the heavens opened up) ... and in that silence, we heard a sound. Something that, to be honest, I've only heard in movies.

The thundering sound of horses hooves ... galloping horses ... the galloping sound of MANY horses ...

It has got to be one of the most exciting sounds I've ever heard in my life. Even though I've only heard that sound in movies, when it came to my ears, there was a rush of familiarity, and love, and knowing: Yes. That is that sound. I know that sound. Something in my DNA knows that sound intimately. It was thrilling.

We were on the edge of a large dip in the land, a bit off the trail, and the sound came from far below. We walked over to the edge, in the middle of the eerie stillness, all the grass suddenly straight, still, motionless, and looked out over the dip in the land. And there we saw them - we had only heard about them and heard that it was rare to get a glimpse of them - but there they were - a herd of wild horses, racing along the bottom of the plain in a massive herd. There were about 20 of them, galloping like mad things, freaking out because of the storm ... their manes and tails flying, their hooves churning up the dirt ... neighing and whinnying in alarm, bucking and kicking and running ...

I have never seen anything so beautiful, so moving, so unbelievable in my life.

They were fierce, savage, a bit scary, almost mythical. I've seen wild horses like that in my dreams. My fantasies.

Read, naturally, the whole thing. Sometimes I think you have to be a non-native to really appreciate the place (see Kathleen Norris).

Anyway - Happy Birthday, NoDak! (And SoDak, too, I guess).

Posted by Mitch at November 2, 2005 05:48 PM | TrackBack