Vickie called yesterday and said that she’d like to do a trail ride today. So this is what we did this afternoon. She rode June Bug Carter, aka Blind Moon Chitlin, and I rode Tinni. Pete had expressed an interest in riding with us, but he was late in getting back from his snow blower dealings. (An aside – we don’t have a plow attachment for the tractor yet. Parts aren’t fitting in with other parts. This is what my friend Kathy would say is making a long story short).

So off Vickie and I went – we first rode Siggi’s Trail, then Peaches Trail, then the as yet unnamed newly constructed upper trail. Then we did the Bench Loop.

Vickie rode Blind Moon bareback. Blind Moon was cooperative, calm, and quiet. The only time she showed any concern was when, at the top of the bench, we came across a white pickup truck. It’s owner and a stray dog were standing close by. I was uncharacteristically polite, but still bothered by the fact that the fellow had the audacity to drive a pickup truck up a recreational trail. There goes the neighborhood.

June Bug danced around Camo Man with his gun and golden retriever. I got off and walked Tinni past him, thinking that perhaps June’s being upset would bother T-man. Best, I thought, to err on the side of safety.

We all made our way downhill – there were spots in which there were frozen sinkholes in the trail. I grasped as Tinni’s right front foot sunk down into one of them. And after, we had to cross two icy areas. Tinni and I had no problem with this because (hooray) he has ice shoes. Vickie got off and walked Blind Moon around the icy overflow.

Pete (who got home after we left) rode Raudi and Hrimmi on the lower loop. He caught up with us as we were walking along Raudi’s runway.

I looked at Raudi as we approached the road. She gave me the eye – was telling me that I was a traitor in opting to take Tinni out instead of her. She was right. I ought to have instead ridden her. I instead elected to ride the steady eddy horse because he’s more steady eddy than she is.

I rode him because I had yet another confidence lapse. I never feel in riding with Vickie that I’m quite good enough. I’d like to get over this, but I don’t see this happening. Actually, I’m better able to fake feeling confident when I’m riding Tinni.

I realized today that Tinni is starting to slow down. I hope that he’s up for being ridden for another one and a half years, which is until Hrimmi comes of riding age. Tomorrow we’re supposed to ride the Carle Wagon Road trail with Dick Stoffel. Because of a lack of confidence, and because I don’t think that Tinni will be up for a tough ride, I’m going to suggest to Pete that we do a ride on our own trail system. And the Carle Wagon Road trail IS a tough ride. We’ll see. I’m learning to keep from fretting until the last possible minute.

Next: 312. 11/23/14: The Rural Lifestyle, Part I