Here we have yet another example of how you never know what in the hay you're going to see here in Mathews County.
Here, what we have is a horse sashaying down the middle of the road without a care in the world.
On my way home from Haven Beach yesterday, I was only slightly surprised to see a horse getting ready to cross the road. A horse with no rider, no halter, and no fence surrounding him. With nothing better to do (except all the thousands of chores I had to complete but was avoiding by driving to Haven Beach), I stopped the car and started taking pictures from the comfort of the driver's seat.
So to clarify, there was a horse loose walking down the middle of the road, and there was a crazy woman stopped right behind him--in the middle of the road--not rushing out to secure the horse, but sitting in her car snapping photos.
That sounds about right.
As I was snapping photos of a horse walking down the very same middle of the road where I was sitting in my car, two young men approached on foot from a nearby house. Rehearsing my standard speech about being an amateur photographer, I suddenly realized that "I'm just taking pictures" was not an appropriate response in this particular situation, even though as I sat in the driver's seat with the passenger window rolled down to talk, my camera dangled from my neck.
After a brief conversation so full of twists and turns I could scarcely convey it in a miniseries, we mutually determined that we did not know where the horse belonged. They said they'd contain the horse, and I said OK.
As I drove off in search of horse pastures that were missing one blanketed horse, thereby assuring there'd be no time for laundry, vacuuming, and putting up Christmas stuff, I came upon a car stopped in the road. The driver was talking to a person in another stopped car going the opposite direction.
This is not an unusual sight in Mathews, this business of blocking traffic briefly as people chat in the middle of the road. But the protocol is that when a car comes up behind one of the two blocking cars, the conversation is over, the two parties wave and depart.
When that didn't happen, I realized one of the cars belonged to the game warden. I pulled up, put the car in neutral (as another car pulled up behind me), walked up to the conversation (in the middle of the road) and said, "By any chance, are you all talking about the escaped horse?"
Indeed they were.
So I told him where Mr. Horse was, and after wrapping up the second "middle of the road" conversation, everyone parted ways. Presumably Mr. Horse is back home.
Tomorrow I'll share a story about my trip to Haven Beach and something I found there. It's not nearly as exciting as an escaped horse, but then again, what is?
20 comments:
And thus your good deed for the day is complete. Carry on, then.
WV: micar. Um, I forgot where I parked micar.
Are you sure that horse was sashaying and not frolicking? It's a fine line, you know.
You are lucky that you have a really nice camera that you can wear around your neck. It makes it much more credible when you tell people you're an amature photographer than when you have a throw away camera from Walmart.
Meg-I felt bad that the good deed part wasn't my first instinct - it was taking a picture. Which is why I spent so much time looking for a pasture missing a horse. But in the end it all worked out.
Grandma J. - As a matter of fact, after that horse sashayed, he DID frolic by kicking up his heels. Seriously. He was thoroughly enjoying his day out and made sure every one knew it. Thought I saw him shimmying too.
wv: fresen. It's fresen here today.
Perhaps he heard the reindeer were arriving soon and wanted to practice his audition for Santa, but found out he couldn't get off the ground, so searched for a bigger runway? (just sticking with the miniseries theme--the horse can't use the amateur photographer speech--no camera). LOL
What I found most surprising about your post was that there are still places on Earth where there is enough sun to make shadows. That's a tough one for me to process.
Can you blame the horse? It was beautiful outside yesterday!! Wish I had been able to go for a nice walk. Or sashay...
I always enjoy those middle-of-the-road conversations!
Its always something happening in Mathews County ... I swear of we dont have the makings of the best sitcom ever I dont know anything/
I like it when horses are allowed to roam the streets, and people are allowed to stop their cars to have conversations. Sounds like a mighty fine place to me, and one similar to a few places I have been.
The worse scenario is finding a rider sitting on a busier road with concussion having been thrown off the horse. Personally I prefer to stay away from the horses, knowing nothing about them...don't want another accident! Stick with the photography I say! And you were able to help anyway!
I just love peeking into your samll town! Makes my heart warm.
We have a pot belly pig roaming out where we lives. No one seems to know who it belongs to nor can they catch it. Isnt wild life wonderful! Crossing my fingers for tomorrow!!
<><
At least he was well-dressed for his outing.
I liked his outfit....Definitely a sashaying outfit.
As a "horse mother" who's horse let himself and his pasture mates out into Rt 14 abt five years ago, I'm not sure you wouldv'e been able to apprehend the "sashaying culprit" even if you had tried. They typically are so thrilled with the escape that they are not enthusiastic about capture! At least no one hit him, mine got bumped by a car that was desperately trying to stop. No injuries to horse or driver, but that bad boy of mine never did like to see a small white car after that!
P.S. Doesn't it make you mad when the WV word that comes up AFTER your post is better than the one you had originally? Had to share this one, because I think I have been "obepless" lots of times, including right now.
I'm just saying....
As Breezeway knows...horses have one theory about fences...the grass is greener on the other side...even if it's asphalt! In my younger days I almost got shot leading the lead mare of my 6 horses off a guy's farm at 2:00 a.m. in my night shirt and boots. He came to the door shotgun in hand, but luckily had a sense of humor, as did the few lonely drivers on the road that followed behind me with flashing lights as my band of merry escapees followed their fearless leader...the mare...not me...back to the pasture. The remainder of my night was fixing fence that the landlord's cows had knocked down...those I got back in during daylight...!!!
p.s. Foolery, I love your sense of Humor!!!!
Can I come stay with you for the weekend? I promise to put all your Christmas stuff up in exchange for an "amateur photography" trip with you!
A few years ago I want driving through downtown Mathews and there was a lady walking a llama or an alpaca down the sidewalk in front of Sibleys. I've always loved those animals and bought a painting of three from artist Elaine Tate at Mathews Days.
Sadly, during Isabel several of the llamas (or alpacas, I never can keep them straight) were on low land and drowned.
This has happened to me three times in my life, where I've come across horses with nobody around. It's more common than people think, isn't it?
Good story!
Meg's WF. Hilarious.
Post a Comment