Posted May 6, 2020 / Emeline Pike

It had been an impulse to break into the gallop, but once the horse started moving, Emeline felt the exhilaration of the speed, the power of the animal beneath her and the sheer freedom of it all, and the mare seemed to be enjoying it as well. Laughing for pure joy, something she hadn't done in a very long time, she only pulled the horse to a stop as they rounded a bend, coming into sight of the falls.

Still excited from the gallop, the mare stamped a hoof impatiently, but held her ground, her sides heaving from the run.

"It's beautiful," Emeline murmured, glancing at Barnabas with a big smile, then looking back at the falls. "This is perfect!"

Posted May 8, 2020 / Barnabas Pike

“Yes Ma’am, perfect’s how I’d describe it.” Pronto agreed. “I’d say that horse plumb lived up to it’s billing. Runs like the wind, she does.” His own horse was dancing about having enjoyed the run. But 'perfect" had little to do with the scenery and more to do with the company

“Well, reckon we should step down and have ourselves a look around? Plenty of grass for the horses ta keep ‘em busy. Man said yer mare weren’t one to run fer the barn an was ‘spose to be ground hitch trained, guessin’ we’re about to find out.”

It was a beautiful spot alright, the falls were majestic, the plateau lush with grass and a few trees, an outcropping of rocks and some scrub brush, but it was the spending time with Emeline Blakesly that mattered most. So, in that vein he unbuckled his gun belts one by one, re-buckled them and draped them over his saddle horn.

Posted May 9, 2020 / Emeline Pike

"She is a fine girl, isn't she?" Emeline patted the horse's neck affectionately, then stepped out of the saddle, loosening the cinch just a bit so the horse had more room to breathe.

"Goodness, places like this can chase away all ills, can't they?" She breathed in the fresh air, looking at the falls, then glanced over at Barnabas, smiling. "Should we have our picnic, hike to the falls or do both?"

She surely wouldn't mind getting a closer look at the falls, although it might be a challenge to find a place out of the mist where they could have their picnic.

Posted May 10, 2020 / Barnabas Pike

“She’s a good’un alright. Liked’ta left me in the dust, ‘cept ma horse weren’t havein’ none of it.” Barnabas said with a broad smile and a fait laugh. “I’d say we find us a spot fer this here picnic then we kin do whatever we’re a mind too.”

He had scouted for just such a spot on the plateau and toward the falls, he hadn’t realized that the mist carried so far, but then he had not been scouting for a place to have lunch with a beautiful woman.

“There’s a spot just outta range of the falls back this way a bit, or, there’s a nice spot near the trees over that way a mite. He explained pointing them out. “Be yer choice. Plenty a grass fer the horses to graze on, so they won’t go far, ‘er I kin picket ‘em’, whichever you’d be most comfortable with. Either way, we kin get as close as ya like to the falls.”

Posted May 11, 2020 / Emeline Pike

"How about over where we can still see the falls?" No sense in passing on such beautiful scenery on such a pleasant day. Following him, she laid out a small blanket, then settled with her knees folded under her before unpacking lunch.

"This is a bit of an experiment," she explained as she unwrapped the meat pies she and Clare had made, but then he nose wrinkled up at the result. While the pastries were fairly intact, the crust that encased them was mangled, and in some cases crumbling. "Oh....well...need to work on that, but they should taste good!"

She hoped!

Posted May 13, 2020 / Barnabas Pike

“Over here might do, a bit of a slope, not too bad.” Was the reply. “Dandy view of the falls an’ no spray.” She laid out the blanket and began unpacking the lunch for them.

Pike took off his spurs before seating himself in a manner similar to hers, no sense sitting on the large Texas rowels, setting the aside. He observed te condition of the meat pies, realizing that perhaps it was his inexperienced handling of them that was at fault.

“Far as I kin tell I ain’t, er, haven’t ever noticed where a crumbled crust effected the taste of anything.” He had suddenly become aware of how he talked, how easily it had been to slip into trail lingo. He needed to clean up his vocabulary, especially around her.

Posted May 15, 2020 / Emeline Pike

"Well, then, we'll see about the quality, then." Emeline laughed, not really noticing his speech patterns, since she was used to that, and far more crude language from many of her customers. "Miss Clara and I made these yesterday, sort of...hand-pies, I was thinking of selling them to men on their way to the mines and mills in the morning."

She placed one of the pies on a cloth napkin and handed it to Barnabas, then took one for herself. "I suppose the taste is the paramount thing...then maybe I'll have to think of a better way to package them, so they don't fall apart so easily...maybe a bit thicker crust."

Looking at Pike, she chuckled again. "Well, at least the scenery and the day are lovely, if nothing else. And be honest...don't hold back, I can take it, I promise to only cry a little!"

Posted May 16, 2020 / Barnabas Pike

Before Emeline could utter another sound Pronto took a good sized bite of the meat pie and took his time chewing. “Ain’ta gonna be no cryin’ over this meat pie!” He exclaimed. You’n Miss Clara done yerselves right proud, ya did, I ain’t foolin’ neither.” And he wasn’t, they had done themselves proud, perhaps the crust needed to be somewhat stronger for traveling, but as a dish served in her café? It was perfect.

“You tell Miss Clara what a fine job you’ve done with this. Oughtta sell a whole passel of ‘em, ‘specially to miners an’ such like. Got yerselves a winner here, I’ll take my oath on it.” He grinned.

Posted May 19, 2020 / Emeline Pike

"Wonderful!" Of course, they had tried the pies, and they had been tasty, but to get a non-involved opinion was a good thing! "I do believe I'll start adding these during the week, help boost the business." It was always good to have an experiment work out, and this should make things easier for the miners. "Just a matter of remembering what we did!"

She laughed then, and added, "We just sort of threw things together by instinct, so I may not be able to replicate them.' Well, they were fairly basic, might not be exact, but anything she made would be good!

"This would be a nice place for a house, don't you think? Maybe a bit loud, but it would be amazing to have this to look at every morning. Have you heard about the fort that's coming in? That could be a boon to the community, I mean, besides the protection...it should be good for businesses."

Even if they had their own services and supplies, there still would be things they needed, and the men would have leave to come into town. But then, that was just another level of rowdy on top of miners and drovers...

Posted May 19, 2020 / Barnabas Pike

He watched her as she spoke, took in her words, the voice inflections, the gleam in her eyes. “Might take some time, but it’ll come back to ya. Most things like that do, least ways that’s how I see it. Well, that’s been my experience is prob’bly a better way of saying it.” He smiled.

“Was it me, I’d set me a house right up there. Have the view, have the sound of the falls, yep. Maybe set the barn off to thet side over there, with a corral along side. A man could run some cows up here, though come winter might be a mite touchy. But it would work, no doubt about that.” He could see it clearly as if it were standing at that very moment.

“Did hear about the fort. Not quite sure why they call it a fort when she’s actually a camp. They got building, just no walls around it. An’ yer right about it bein’ good fer bidness. Keep Marshal Guyer hopin’ that’s fer shore. Them boys do like to cut loose once they’re free of their post.”