Runners, and banners, and vultures, oh my!

Well we ended our long weekend with a rather interesting trail ride. You would have thought Harley was the stable babysitter by looking at him in the barn, snoozing while I tacked him up. But once we hit the road, the head went up, the ears on full alert, and he had a spring in his step.

We hadn't even left the barn when he had his first spook. I was tightening the girth while he walked around back, when suddenly...nothing looked scary, but he jumped. Luckily, I didn't get tossed off! Then we had to go past the scary goats; that caused one of his slo-mo spins. Once we entered the woods, he settled, until suddenly....a runner in neon green appeared ahead under the hemlocks. That caused a big spook and spin. We chatted a bit and she apologized for scaring Harley. I said, "Oh, he's just a big baby out here, especially when there are long shadows and it's getting dark. He knows there are monsters out here."

He settled down again, when up ahead, what should he see, but another runner in neon green! He slammed on the brakes, but didn't spin this time. We got in some tentative trotting, shying at logs, rocks, anything that might be dangerous. Harley was now if full alert mode. He'd be a survivor if he had to flee predators, believe me!

Grinning Frog Lane

We finally made it out to North Point, down the road I now call Grinning Frog Lane, but down by the Pick and Shovel (home to the Nature Trail), they had erected one of the Pepsi Banners for some event in Massachusetts. Who knows why and who will even see this sign except for the owners of the two houses at the end of the road and boarders at North Point. But in any case, it wasn't there last time and by now Harley had seen enough. He pulled his infamous left had whirl twice. That's it, I decided. I hopped off and walked him past the scary banner, then remounted and turned for home.

Thinking we were finally in the clear, Harley had one more spook left in him. A vulture flew up from it's roadkill dinner. He kept looking off to the right where it had flown, sure it was bound to come back and get him as well as the flattened squirrel.

Once more past the scary goats and Harley was finally home from the forest at last. Aahhhh, you're safe now Harley! Back with the gang in sight, he relaxed, let out a snort, and dropped his head to the grass.

Who needs to bother mowing and using a weed whacker when you've got horses? Now that's a mouthful! Yummy green grass after a ride--a perfect ending!

Harley the weed whacker