16330 Salish Indian Graves Cross

Here it is, after 9:00 AM on a Monday morning, and so far, not a single soul has responded to today's Plinky Prompt. I think most of my best summer memories would have to do with riding my horse. Even under the blazing sun, we had many wonderful days. There was always the lake we could splash in, or the hills to climb, early in the morning, of course. It is really unfair to horses to do a lot of hill climbing when it's over 105 degrees under a blazing sun.

I really had to watch for Dusty, as she never refused to keep going, long after everyone else's horses were pooped out, and overheated. She was just always willing, and never once had a bad reaction to our rides, I loved riding along the length of a local stream bed. Sometimes it would have water, while at other times, it was a dry as a bone. The area is at the base of the Cleveland National Forest, so most times when there is water in the stream bed, would be after a rainy spell, and water rushing down the mountains collected in the stream, and wandered southward, toward Temecula, and the San Diego county line. It turned before actually going to San Diego, as there are mountains between Temecula and San Diego, so the water would head inland, through Aguanga, and also westward, toward the Pacific. Most never made it to the ocean, as it would either dry up, or go underground someplace along the way.

I do recall that once, when a friend and I were riding along the base of the mountains, we happened upon an old Native American burial ground. It was not marked, but it was easy to see, as there were indentations where old graves existed. It felt like I was intruding, on a private, very personal place. I did call to my friend, so she could see, but we both had the same feeling, like we were trespassing, and in a place where no one should go. We left, and continued our day's ride, and even stopping for lunch at an old, now gone, cafe which was over a hundred years old. Now, that is a car sales lot. I was truly offended that this landmark place was razed so someone could sell cars.

I always have kept an eye out to be sure that no one is disturbing the burial ground, as legally, no one can build on such places. I have reported the finding, but got no response from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, or a library which I was also told would be interested. Yet, even though there are new residential communities all around the area, nothing has been built on that spot, at least so far.

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