Riding around

- Looking east -

I went to Rotan this morning, then decided to take a little ride out to the river bridge. It was about 8 a.m. and there was some fog around the bottom of the Double Mountains and in low ravines. The sun was lighting up the red canyon walls. It was spectacular, so I thought I would go on down the road a bit, looking for more beauty. 

I kept on towards Jayton, being amazed by the flat vistas and craggy breaks. I thought about what it must have been like to be on horseback or in a wagon and come across those ravines, or to be pursued and know the tricky trail down into the creek bottoms, leaving a foe confounded.

I came across a sign for Riverdale Cemetery. I had seen the name several times on maps and had wondered where it was. This was my lucky day, with time to explore.

The cemetery is almost directly due north of my house, as the crow flies, but it takes quite a bit more time to drive there. It took me about two hours and fifteen minutes to make the round trip, minus whatever time it took me to go in the store, drive through the Belvieu Cemetery east of Rotan, and walk around Riverdale Cemetery. 

There were quail, dove, deer, roadrunners, mocking birds, scissortails, a rabbit, a snake, a ground squirrel and other various birds on the eight miles of dirt road leading to the cemetery. It's been a few years since I've seen such large coveys. Maybe this is where they go to hide. I stopped four or five times to let wildlife safely pass.

When I got to the graveyard, it was very quiet, except for the crack of a gun. That was to be expected, since it is opening day of dove season. I walked around a little, noting headstones and unmarked graves. There are a lot of Shipps and Ratliffs buried there.

I had noticed smoke to the south, about where my house is, while I was driving to the cemetery. I was a little worried, because I had left the washer going, but when I got home, all was well.

It was a nice little day trip. It's not an easy road and I was grateful that I was in a four-wheel drive truck.