05/15/11 Romeo Goes Adventuring

Romeo and I saddled up Western. I grabbed my HM Troxel helmet, sunglasses, cell phone, and off we went. I gave him a good trot down the dirt road, past CRNG's house, and a few more, solid trot. Met up with some vehicle traffic, which bothered the motorists more than it did Mo. He kept up in his trot, and with a little work, finally relaxed some. On the way back past the house, I saw the trailer door was open. Stopped at the house long enough to lock the trailer door. Off we go again!

Romeo and I rode to the mailboxes, turned left, rode first corner, halted. Here, we flushed out a doe, who was seriously startled. On our way to first corner, he went right by the stinky roadkill and didn't even blow at it. At first corner, we flexed and backed a little. From first corner to second corner, he hesitated hard at a culvert pipe across the road. I didn't let him look away from it, but didn't force him to it, either. From about 6ft away, he looked at it hard, realized it wasn't going to do anything, then lowered his head sighing. Ah! I pushed him on, and he walked right by. He was then startled by another neighbor I call "Mafia Man". (There's a story I ought to share.. anybody interested?) Mafia Man and I exchanged our hello's. Romeo, however, gave that "Momma he's scary" heavy blowing spooked sigh. I laughed, and quietly told Romeo, "I know dude. I hear you."

We got to second corner, and paused again. More flexing, a little backing. Off we went, up the hill. Passed a second culvert pipe, with less wait time before we could walk by. At culvert pipe #3, I rode on the asphalt. I wasn't sure what the ditch by the pipe was like, and didn't feel like battling pipe and mud.

Got past pipe #3, and rode at a brisk trot up the hillside. Got 2/3 of the way to corner four. That is my next goal - to get up the hill to corner four. Next after corner four, is a road "Y" split. Between Four and the split, we'll encounter a donkey, cows, calves, and who knows what else. The fellows that own that stretch of property always seem to be up to something.

*truth be told, there's all kinds of pasture all around the back road to home. I'm hoping to run into a cowboy or two, find me a key or a lock combination and a few phone numbers. I'd love to use the road as the warmup, and go on long rides down their turn rows.*

When I measured it in my truck this morning, it was a mile one way. GO Romeo! When we got back home, he wasn't even sweaty, just damp under his saddle pad. About an hour's ride, and we went farther than we ever have. FuN!!