Deedle Deedle Dumpling

Earlier in the week, Lilly lost one of her shoes. One shoe off and one shoe on, just like the nursery rhyme. I got to the farm really early on Saturday to avoid all the threats of severe weather coming in the afternoon. Since Lilly did not have replacement shoes on yet, we hit the trail without them. It was super hot and muggy.

Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is that a dead fish in the woods? I see this fish every single time I am on the ridge trail. And each time it startles me. I guess my lizard brain can't make sense of a fish in the middle of the woods, nowhere near water, and quickly assumes something really messed up is afoot....and it lingers here confused and twitchy for a fraction of a second...

...before my thinking brain steps in and says, Oooooh, there's that twist of birch bark again. Yes, it sure looks like a dead fish. A fish very far out of water. And we carry on as usual.

Here is something very real: sticky little prickly things clinging to my brumby like itchy barnacles. These are so pesky. Unlike with a fly, she can't stomp them away. The more she stomps, the clingier they seem to get! So I get down off of her back and remove every one of them.

Sunday I was back at the farm. The storms had swept away the muggy air and the weather was gorgeous. Plus, Bill had outfitted my brumby with a new pair of shoes so she was good to go anywhere. Should you like to see a video I made of her without shoes (Saturday) and with her new shoes (Sunday), just follow the links below. I should clarify that on the soft trail her feet are not ouchie--just on the road. So on the road I get down from the saddle and walk with her, taking the time to avoid injury.


Click here for Without on Saturday
Click here for With on Sunday

Today we took the Sunset Trail to the loop trails and Carrot Bridge.  I am going to miss these ferns when fall gets here. This particular picture was taken at a place that I am sure used to be a trail several years ago. But when we pursued it, it was all very rough.

Oh my. Another x-rated looking mushroom.  Naturally when I saw this guy, I scrambled down from the saddle immediately to snap its photo, kind of like I was a pornographer.  This is probably an ordinary mushroom whose cap has not yet opened.

This could be the same kind of mushroom as the one above. Probably an amanita.

I almost fell off Lilly while cantering  on the upper loop trail. She decided to jump over a boulder that was somewhat hidden in the tall grass. I personally feel, in retrospect, that Lilly did not need to make such a fantastic leap over the boulder. It wasn't that big. In any case I found myself hanging off of her like a circus performer. Just when I thought I was going to have to bail, I reconsidered and launched myself back into the saddle. Oh how dramatic I am. The fact is, Lilly had slowed down nearly to a stop (at my command, I'd like to think) and the lack of forward motion made it a lot easier to reposition myself.  Really, the only way. It was a tiny incident that I'll puff up into something huge for effect. We weren't even galloping. Because does this face look like the face of a horse who could launch you off her back? It is more the face that could launch a thousand ships for its beauty maybe, just like Helen. (Or, ok, maybe also a thousand ships or people off her back too, , if she felt like it.)

Back at the barn Sophie decided being shy wasn't worth it if it meant she'd lose out on a mouthful of carrots.

And back at home Kestrel showed me part of the the sulfur mushroom (edible) that she and Brandon located while mushroom hunting.

 And in the garden Brandon found this pink stuffer tomato ripe for the picking. Weird but beautiful. Just like a lot of people I know.


Today's parting shot is of  my father-in-law's flower bed:

See you next time!