Rain Ride

Somedays I purposely go on a rain ride and somedays it happens by accident.  Today-accident.  Altho I should have known better.  The forecast said afternoon showers.  I had worked most of the morning at the barn and now was ready for a ride.  The sun was out, it was getting warm-I even took off a few layers.  Zoe ran around the arena, then was brushed up, saddled and ready to go.  I even checked the doplar-no rain.  Started out the gate, going up Lomida, I looked up and saw the clouds and knew it was going to rain.  Oh well I thought, maybe it will be just a few showers-let's go and see what happens.
Cross the road on the trail, not even to the creek crossing and it starts sprinkling.

"Mom, you know it's raining...Mom, Mom, MOM" 


Yes Zoe, it's raining but you'll be fine.  It won't last long.

"Well, okay." 


It started raining harder so we headed for trails under the trees.

"There's hard white things hitting my ears, I don't like it.  But mom says to keep going, it will change soon." 


Under the trees the rain/hail slows down.  I see blue sky-hopefully it won't rain the whole ride.  I'd better make it a short one just in case.  It will probably stop raining at the end of the ride.
Just as we head up towards Red Hill it starts to hail pretty hard.  But we are under the trees.  We could hear it coming.

"Mom, what's that noise?  Oh, more hail.  Mom says we'll be fine cause we are under the trees.  Sure is noisy, but I'm glad for the cover of the trees."


Out of the trees again and now it's just pouring.  Oh well.  Soon it changes to a drizzle.  Much better.

"Mom, there's a trail that goes home to the right.  Can we go that way?  No....oh well.  I think I'll walk fast, maybe we'll get home faster." 


So we continue on our ride.  Zoe has a pretty good attitude.  She doesn't look miserable, isn't acting up and is obeying me.  Sometimes it stops raining, then sprinkles, stops, pours, stops drizzles....

"What's that noise?  It's not usual to hear on a ride.  Mom doesn't hear it at first.  Finally she hears it...says it's thunder and she is getting off and walking.  Okay.  Finally we are headed for home." 


Yes, thunder.  I've never ridden my horse in a thunder storm.  Seeing I was coming up to a large open area and would be exposed for a while, I thought it best to not be the tallest thing around in a thunder/lightening storm.  So I got off and we walked for a ways.  Zoe was very aware of things, but not spooky.   It was still drizzling.  The thunder was moving over the lake area-away from us.  I walked until the middle of the cow pastures then got on again.  Didn't want to walk thru the creek to get back home.

"Mom's on again.  Said something about not being able to walk on water.  Look - now the sun is shining and we are almost home.  Good day."


Now we are home.  I have to take the saddle apart, don't want it to get full of mildew.  The sun is shining, warm.  It have a chance to clean the saddle too.  Just as I'm finishing it starts to get dark again, the wind picks up.  I rush to put everything in the barn and just as I get Zoe in-it starts pouring.  This time the pouring rain lasts longer and there is more thunder/lightening than the first storm I was in on the trail.  I was glad to be off the trail now.

"Now I get my bucket.  Yum yum."