Our stories make us. To sit around the kitchen table, or to stop and chat up a friend on the street, to lean against our shovels, taking a break from work. To grab a beer on a patio somewhere and lean back into our memories with our good friends, or the friends we are making. To tell about the time you got bucked off so hard you couldn’t feel your right arm for days, the one that turns into a memory from your new friend or old friend about her favorite horse that used to eat her hat, stories that lead into other stories, stories that show us parts of one another, they mean something, they say something about the fabric woven in us.
Stories are how we come to know one another. Stories are how we share pieces of our lives with pieces of the rest of the world.
But I have to tell you that when I asked you to share the stories of your favorite boots with me here on the blog, I didn’t expect to be so moved. Each memory or commentary is touching or funny or perfectly heartfelt in it’s own way and I feel like I have the best group of loyal, well-dressed friends out there.
I’m so glad I asked for your stories…
So thank you for sharing!
And if you haven’t commented with your own boot story yet (or Facebooked at Facebook.com/veederranch or Tweeted/Instgrammed a photo with #rockybootstories) there’s still time to enter for your chance to win a FREE PAIR OF BOOTS! I will post the winner on Wednesday!
And now to celebrate spring and our stories and all the kinds of trouble we can get into way out in the country with our best friends in our favorite pair of boots, I present to you a story about childhood, breaking rules and paying the price.
P.S. This is a story about wood ticks and I apologize in advance for that creepy, skin-crawly feeling that will likely result after reading it…
Coming Home: Bending the rules ends in surprise infestation
by Jessie Veeder
5-11-14
Forum Communications
http://www.inforum.com
Keep those stories coming friends! And here’s to many more adventures in those boots!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch... 
Great tick story Jessie. I could picture from your words the whole thing happening!
Love the photos in your blog post today!
Hi Jesse,
I love your blog and look forward to reading it whenever I receive an email letting me know that you have sent out a new one.
Reading your post on the boots got me thinking about my own. I grew up on horses and every year for my birthday I would get to pick out a new pair of boots. I remember all the way through high school (Page) that I had 2 pair of shoes. My cowboy boots and a pair of tennis shoes for sports. I always had cheap boots until I finally decided I had enough money to buy a pair of good boots. I pulled off my Acme’s and tried on a beautiful pair of black Tony Lama’s. When I “popped” that first one on it was like “Honey, I’m home!”
I have since moved to Colorado Springs and unfortunately my rides are very few and far between, but my Tony’s and I are headed to Detroit today and they make appearances at black tie events that my lovely wife and I attend in the Springs quite often. They are still my link to North Dakota when I can’t be there.
Keep your posts coming and stay safe. Scott
Sent from my iPad
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Reblogged this on F.A.B. by Salem.
Haha! Everyone in western North Dakota has a tick story but this one wins the prize. I would have had tick-related PTSD after that.