Saturday, July 25, 2009

Don't Ignore the Portents

Some folks say there aint no bears in arkansas
Some folks never seen a bear at all
Some folks say that bears go around eating babies raw
Some folks got a bear across the hall

Some folks drive the bears out of the wilderness
Some to see a bear would pay a fee
Me I just bear up to bewildered best
And some folks even see the bear in me

"Bears" (Steve Fromholz)
Performed by Lyle Lovett
From the 1998 album "Step Inside This House"


The weather this morning was absolutely perfect, with no hint that temps would later be in the triple digits. I could think of no excuse not to take Jaz down the road. It's been a long time. However, he went stupid on me almost from the moment I tied him. At first I thought it was the construction noise from next door.

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, we're getting Russian neighbors. Mike and I talked for years about buying the property next door, but that wasn't in the cards for us. They're building a BIG house that feels like it's RIGHT next to the fence. Deed restrictions say it has to be at least 50 ft. from the line, so I guess I believe it. I'm already trying to be careful what I wear outside. Ever since we moved here, I've given no thought to it. I'm trying not to give it too much thought. I'm sure they're perfectly nice people. But, I digress.

Sometimes you should just go with your gut and not try to second-guess it. As soon as I saw Jaz get all snorty and blow-y, I said out loud,"Well, this doesn't bode well." But I figured maybe I was just looking for an excuse not to do it, and he'd get over it. Nuh-uh. I thought about using a bit, but Jaz is normally just fine in the Dr. Cook's. Nuh-uh.

The 3 silly Labs down the road, headed by chocolate Norma Jean, carried on at the fence. You'd think Jaz never saw them before. Another dog that walks out to the end of the driveway, but stays where he is when I tell him to, also must have resembled a bear to Jaz. Although I sprayed him heavily, these HUGE black flies were biting the hell out of him. He was flinching, biting, throwing his head, and they just hung on. He had a blood trail down his neck. At one point, I thought he was going to take off. I got my win, and turned around. The whole deal was over in an hour including tacking up, down the road a piece, and tacking down. It was only 10:30 a.m.

I had my camera, but no photos. I didn't dare take a hand off the reins. I just wanted a relaxing mosey; what I got was a thrill a minute, and not in a good way.

I don't know what his whole deal was. Besides the fact that I can't remember the last time I rode him down the road alone, he might have been stressing about leaving Poco, who made no secret of how he felt about it. For some reason, it never crossed my mind this was the first ride since my rodeo injury. I mounted and dismounted 4 times from the ground. I can try again tomorrow and see how he is, and how my leg is. I feel it a little, so I didn't need to ride any longer than I did.

I came inside, did some chores, got showered, all before Mr. Fry got home from work.

Every part of the experience was a manifestation of that which I affirm daily: all things are working together for my good. Rather than what I wanted, I got what I needed.

And that's the way God rolls in my life.

7 comments:

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

Ugh. You already know that construction next door is my pet peeve. It's a hassle to trailer horses up and ride them somewhere else. I'm usually exhausted by the time I get the horse in the trailer and am no longer in the mood to ride. I hope you have more peaceful rides in the future.

jane augenstein said...

Oh, so sorry you didn't get a good ride. It's so frustrating when that happens. Construction close to your house, not good! I am so glad we live on 40 acres and even if the neighbors sell still no one could get close to us. Those flies are horrible too, if you mean horseflies. They are just starting here and are nasty, nasty beasties!!!
hope you get some good rides in soon! :-)
~Jane and Gilly~

Anonymous said...

I had one of those rides today as well - the horse all balled up and ready to go off if someone or something lit the fuse. More a matter of my expectations than not - glad all ended well for you.

City girl turned Country Girl said...

Well that stinks that you didn't get you a good and peaceful ride!!! Yuck on the neighbors being so close....I couldn't handle that anymore, gotta have my peace!! The weather was gorgeous today here as well!!

You know I think sometimes our horses just don't do good riding close to home...A few months ago we were "horse sitting" 12 horses in a wheat field next to us and something must have spooked them because they took out their hot wire and were about a mile down the road.. So Hubby saddled up my ranch gelding so I could go get them, I literally fought him the whole mile down with him rearing up, side stepping, throwing his head! At on point he reared and threw his head at the same time and whacked me in my head LOL!! So needless to say he was pretty worthless that day...They can always amaze us huh!!

BrownEyed Cowgirl said...

Oh man, the flies have been driving the horses nuts this last week. I spray them, apply swat and have been feeding vinegar religiously. Up until this point, we have not even had to use fly masks, but that all changed in a hurry. Poor guys! I finally paired everyone up so they can help each other out. Mostly they stand around nose to tail and try to protect each other with their tails. Ughh-This is the part of summer I dislike. The bugs are relentless and the horses are just plain irritated.

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

So...I just have to ask, Why do you say that you got what you needed? Didn't you need and deserve a calmer, more relaxed ride your first time back on Poco since your fall? Why didn't Poco owe that, at least?

After what I've been through, I just don't think I can believe in that 'you get what you need' belief.
Yeh, maybe in some cosmic way we all need hard times and to feel and see suffering....but when do we get a break?

Ok, there I go getting all goobery and philosophical and crap. Ah well. Sorry about that.

Good for you, for at least trying to get in a good ride.
And I'm sorry about the house going in next door so close. You would think they would want the extra space in between houses, too. Sheesh!

Do you know that when this house and our neighbor's house was built, the Neighborhood Rules also said at least 50 feet from the property-line for ANY buildings.

Well, the stupid builder, built our house first and then placed the house next door just 35 feet from the proerty line.

So, he had to go back into court to re-file the documents stating that all buildings must be no closer than 25 feet from the property line.

Maybe that happened to your property rules, too? It got changed.


~Lisa

Leah Fry said...

Lisa, I got what I needed because if I had done what I set out to do, I would have ridden way longer than I should have on my first time out after being injured. I'm sorry it wasn't a good ride, but it didn't need to be longer than it was. I try really hard to be happy and grateful even when it's hard.

If there wasn't a round bale in my round pen, I'd have ridden in there. Mike doesn't understand why I can't just ride around it. I told him I'd set out a smorgasbord on the dining room table then try to make him run around it and see how much he likes it!

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