Trip To Montana

It is finally my birthday, and I am going to Montana to celebrate. Personally I have no idea why but who cares. I can invite one friend to go because my plane tickets are very expensive and my parents told me that I will have an extremely amazing birthday gift. I’m thinking that it will be a fish or something, knowing my family but who knows. I decide to invite my friend Shannon to go with me, it is her and I share the same thoughts about everything. So I call her up and tell her, “Hi Shannon, how has Jack been”?

“Great, and happy birthday”! She replies
“Speaking of my birthday I was wondering if you’d like to go with me on my trip to Montana”?
“I would love to”. She answers.
“Wait what are we going to do? And how are we going to get there”?
“Don’t worry, Shannon, my parents bought both of us 1st class plane tickets”.
“Ok but I ask again, what are we going to do”?!
“Celebrate, go fishing, relax, go hiking that sort of stuff”.
“Ok I’ll start packing”.

Later we pick her up and we drive to the airport where my parents wish me a happy 14th birthday for the millionth time and we head for the bag check area. As I start putting my luggage on to be checked I notice that the checking woman looked cranky and said, “Hello”.

All she said is, “Look I am checking your bags now be quiet”!
“Um, well I need a bad hand checked because it has medicine in it”.
“Fine I will hand check this ugly red case for you”!
After she finished she said, “Here have your filthy bag”.

Shannon and I leave and head to boarding. Later getting boarded quickly. We ride the plane for about six hours before we finally land. When we get off I stretch my legs and yawn. As my Aunt Dana drives us to the cabin in the woods that we are staying at Shannon and I start to talk about what my presents will be. She thinks one will be a new TV for my bed room. I think one will be a fish. My aunt told us that she thinks that one will be a gift certificate to The Horse Emporium. Who knows.

We pull up and my aunt waves goodbye and to watch out for wolves and coyotes. At that comment I laugh a little and walk through the cabin’s hard wood door. It was actually a pretty nice place I mean, mahogany cabinets a modern kitchen, indoor plumbing, king size beds, fluffy sofas, satin armchairs, flat screen TVs, what a splendid place! We immediately unpack and change into our hiking gear and pack our back packs with, an compass, water bottles, a hunting knife, rope, and our fishing supplies. We hike to the lake where a brand new pontoon boat is waiting for us! I drive it out and we cast our lines. After a couple of hours we head back to the cabin with about six catfish and twelve trout. Shannon starts to clean them, an act I would never dare to do even for a thousand dollars. Soon dinner is finished and I decide it is getting too dark to continue to hike because of what my aunt said.

That night I was so glad of my decision, about an hour later I heard the blood curtailing howl then another. It turns out what my aunt was saying WAS true about the wolves. Shannon nor I were scared though, we both grew up around wolves and we knew how dangerous they were but we had learned their ways, their drives, and their favorite meals so we had no reason to be afraid. We walked out onto the porch and let out a couple of howls ourselves and then the wolves answered.

In the morning I screamed “IT IS MY BIRTHDAY TODAY”! Both Shannon and I went to the building that was attached to the cabin and found a mountain of presents including a 7 foot tall box, I was going to save it for last when a tag on it said, Alana open this one first, we love you Mom and Dad. So I pulled off the string and all four sides fell at once Shannon and I were stunned to see the what gift was. Then I whisper yelled A HORSE A HORSE I GOT A HORSE! I was so shocked at my gift that Shannon had to slap the side of my face ant reminded me that I still had some 30 presents left. I opened the next biggest and it was a set of saddles for my new horse, one hunt saddle, a saddle seat saddle, a pack saddle, and a jumping saddle. Next was matching bridles, saddle pads, and other tack. I can easily tell that it is a Kasiker Saddlebred X-breed. A horse also known as the American All-rounder. With the high action and grace of a saddle bred and the strength and speed plus the sense of direction made this horse perfect for me.

Later that day on my first trail ride I gallop my new horse, now named Duchess as fast as I can when a huge wolf leapt out of the brush and snapped at Duchess’s feet. She pawed the air with her extremely hard hoofs. I believe she was going to crush him when, he leaped sky high and bit Duchess on top of her neck. She shrilly whinnied in pain and then bolted. The enormous male charged after us. We were running at break-neck speed but I knew with her breeds blended into her enormous frame, would keep her from falling or losing her footing on the rugged mountainous cliffs of Montana. Racing over the hills, plunging into rivers and tearing up dirt, cutting tight corners, hearts throbbing, wind racing, and that harsh wolf snapping at our heels. After jumping a series of logs the wolf had to stop. Silently, the beast curled up, remaining watchful even as it rested.

We trotted back to the cabin breathless and we called a mountain equine vet to treat her neck and leg wounds. I am quite proud of my horse. I later phoned my friends about the chase and then my aunt. Now I am riding back to Minnesota where Shannon and I can relax with Duchess and enjoy our lives. Who knows, maybe next year I’ll go back and enjoy my birthday all over again.