Awed By Horses

Have I mentioned what a fantastic life I lead? I mean we have our ups and downs, but every day when I step out of my house I think "I LIVE here!--Here, in this amazing and beautiful place!"

This afternoon we were out in the horse pasture scooping sand into empty horse feed bags (long story), when suddenly we were surrounded by about twenty of the enormous creatures. No, it wasn't my animal magnetism, it was simply the fact that we were rustling feed bags. Still, for a very large person, it's a rare experience to be surrounded by living breathing things that are that much bigger than me. Perhaps it was simply this fact, that I suddenly didn't feel quite so big, that was so astounding. Perhaps that's what petite people feel like in a crowd--I'll never know. I mean, I've been near the horses before, but generally from the other side of a fence or next to one in a stall, not out in the open and completely surrounded. They were so curious--nosing into my feedbags. I felt bad when they discovered it was just sand.

We finished, loaded into the truck and tried to drive away. I was boxed in on four sides. A dozen of them were still nosing into the bags in the bed of the truck, while another couple boxed me in from the front. I think they were working together--convinced I was hiding something. Eventually I coaxed them into moving and began to drive off. That's when I noticed one of them running along side the truck. For a moment I pretended there wasn't a truck and I was riding bareback on the black stallion on the beach, my hands flapping at my side . . .

Truck notwithstanding, it was a pretty cool afternoon for me and Elliot.