Nature Blog Post 1- Riding into the End of Summer

I visited my place on Thursday September 5th around one in the afternoon. The sun was shining and a cool breeze blew steadily. I cherished the way that Angie's hooves crunched on the already fallen leaves. Summer was ending and I don't know how many more trail rides we will be allowed to take in such beautiful weather. The leaves that were still thriving surrounded us, the trees covered us on the trail and in the woods, making me feel like we were the only two left on this planet. We were secluded.

Angie's ears were perked and her breath came out in short small puffs. I rode with a loose rein, letting her stretch her neck and take a bite of tall grass or leaves from a bush every once in a while. Squirrels scurried in the underbrush, occasionally running across our path. If I listened closely enough I could hear the purrs that squirrels make when talking to one another. The woods were shady and cool, I was glad I had my sweatshirt on. Angie's soft coat was just drying after our workout before we went into the woods.

My favorite place to be.

She was relaxing now, her neck lowered slightly to the ground. The fluctuating changes in weather was affecting the horses, making them less tired, loosening their muscles. On a day like this that started out cold in the morning, you never knew what personality was going to show. She had been a little bit more wired today, more willing to move forward and faster under my leg. I was glad to be giving her a moment to relax instead of just drilling her over jump courses- our show was only a little over a week away and we had recently been getting conditioned for that.

Sometimes, we need a walk to ourselves, to clear our minds, to be alone. We mostly stayed in the woods, but we did walk out into the big field on the other side of the woods for a brief moment. With the weather change I wasn't comfortable taking her too far out in case she spooked, but when we emerged from the wooded area the sun greeted us with bright warm rays. We walked on a well worn trail, the tall grasses whooshing against our bodies, grabbing at my stirrups. Before long, we entered the woods again to start our path home. The cicadas hummed constantly, keeping us company. I spoke softly to her, gave her pats. She swung her head back and forth, taking in the sights and smells of the woods like I was. Sometimes, I feel like she understands me, that she wants the same things I do. I enjoy spending time alone with her, away from the rest of the world.

Leaves brushed against my helmet as we retreated back through the woods to the barn and I could hear the echoes of the machinery across the valley. My barn is in Imperial, Pennsylvania and our trails lead to the highest places in Allegheny County. Unfortunately, across the valley from our beautiful fields and trails there is a dump. Machinery runs constantly during the week, beeping and crashing, covering and moving other people's garbage. As much as I enjoy the beautiful landscape, looking across the valley always fills me with a heavy sadness, like a weight on my chest. To see how we are destroying and wasting the land makes me wish humans didn't waste so much. Everything comes with a price- to evolve and thrive we destroy the Earth that we live on. I dwell on this for a moment as I listen to the sounds of backhoes rumbling across the ground, but I also hear the thriving sounds of the woods around me. As long as this is the barn's land, it won't be touched. Angie and I make our way back to the barn at a steady pace, her back legs carefully picking out footing as we go down a hill. The way she moves down the hill it reminds me of a woman sashaying her hips and I smile. Back at the barn I give her some pats on her slightly sweaty shoulder before dismounting and kissing her nose. Spending time with her is what I consider being in nature.

Emerging from the woods with the wasteland across the Valley.