Almost Perfection

What a wonderful Thanksgiving Day the Runamuck crew had.



So many blessings to reflect upon  It was a quiet day with just Gene and I, so the meal was a paired down version, light on sides except the ones we love. It kept it easy, the dish load light and resulting fridge maze in check too!

I had time to take a ride in the late morning (while the turkey roasted in peace with its foil hat), on Cooper. He was needy and the minute I walked in with a halter in hand and gave a whistle he was heading right for me at a dead walk. Ears forward, alert and focused on beating Dandy to me. He did too and I had the halter on and the big spotty butt through the gate before another nose was on his tail trying to sneak out.



This was our first adventure since the big clearing by Trees Inc. Our little meandering path
by the back of the paddock and along power lines to the boundaries of Tub Springs State Wayside is now a flipping 30 feet wide expanse and totally straight. Needless to say we both did our fair share of rubbernecking and both had the same thought at some points. That would have been WTF? I don't need to write that one out and the thought was plain on both of our faces. Gone is the dense Chinquapin bush that the White Tail mommas left their fawns under every year. All of us would delight in slowing down to see if a babe was in residence. Gone is the fir tree that the horses always tried to snatch a mouthful of.



 Now I will say, it does take away the surprise/spook factor. The old downed logging snags are still there to the sides of the trail. Places for chipmunks, squirrels and lizards to busy themselves on and for the rodents to scold us from. We'll be able to spot a bear or big cat from the beginning of the trail right up to the hill by Tub Springs. After we got through our changed trail head and onto parts that remain unchanged we both relaxed. Even after two months Cooper was the perfect gentleman. So much so I dropped the bridle off from the saddle ( Zilco makes great tack BTW) and we did our ride in a halter and single lead rope. It was a walk only one, the footing strange. Mud in many parts and then where it was shade, the ground lifted and crunchy with frost crystals. There were only a couple of places safe for faster speeds and we knew them both on cue. We took a winding deer path home through dense trees and I marveled at my mounts ability to keep my legs from scraping against trunks as we snaked in and out of the close wood. He isn't so careful with my head, but then again. I have to take responsibility for some parts! He's a horse of the woods. Careful of his face and eyes and feet. He'll side pass a log and if something makes him anxious, he'll either back track or go forward. He's never slammed any body parts in close quarters. He ducks under low branches and never panics if something snags his tail or tack. I am so grateful for him and his side kick Dandy.

The day was capped off with an evening of football. Not just any football either, the Patriots and the Jets. And the ending, just perfect!;)

The few pics I've put up are of sunrises the last couple of days.



 It's always beautiful even if my camera doesn't completely catch all the glory of it. In this last pic above, you can just barely see the frost tipping the tree branches. My own flocked tree forest!

Parting shot: The truly privileged and pampered, Foxy and Omar.