After Marlys and I took our packs for a hike this morning, Herb (Puff the Magic Flashlight) asked me to help him repair some snow fence. I had not been up top in a couple of weeks and the damage from the late winter winds was amazing.
On an aside I have a theory that since we have had very little snow this year (under 2 feet) that the snow fence suffered greater damage since they did not have the support of the snow. Now I am sure that our less then stellar job of installation played a part, but the lack of snow reduced its stabilizing effect on the fence letting it flex more and ultimately breaking.
Back to our show--While fixing the fence Herb mentioned that the marauding (not my term, but probably what Bill the Horse Whisper would say) herd of "next to wild" horses were in his back 40 (actually 35) and maybe we could move them through a gate to the area where they should be. They had broken through a fence about a month ago and had been wandering the upper areas since then.
So as we were fixing the fence Puff's plan started to play out. He would get on the ATV and I in Derek's Jeep and pretend to be Cowboy's (I don't know, but Horseboy's lacks something) herding the devil horses (PWBWS - Probably what Bill would say) back through the gate.
As luck would have it Mike and Martha came by in their Ranger, as we were finishing up the fence and the roundup was on.
Out into the field, in a "spread finger formation (Air Force Fighter speak)" went Mike and Martha to the East, Herb (Puff) in the center and moi to the West. In the best modern cowboy form all of the four legged herding creatures (Dusty/Hallie) had been captured and put in to the back of the Jeep. And off we went.
Progress was slow put stead as these wylie critters gave the approaching wave the evil eye (a Bill-ism, as I would imagine it). As we crept forward (as much as you can in a Jeep, ATV and UTV) the herd suddenly broke and headed north...put to the wrong corner of the field, as the gate was in the west corner. Mike and Martha came in close and prepared to unleash the hounds, when the marauding beasts (again a Bill-ism) headed toward the west corner and the gate.
I being so caught up in watching suddenly realized I need to cut them off before they ran past the gate and we would need to start all over again. Cross country in Derek's Jeep was not like traveling down the interstate at 70mph, but the Jeep came through and we headed them off at the pass (actually the fence line) and through the gate the thundering herd ran.
The round up was over and had gone according to Puff's Plan. No longer would the marauding herd of devil beast (another Bill-ism) roam the area...at least until the next fence failure.
2 comments:
OMG, that is the scariest story I have ever heard!!!! My worst nightmare ever. No pictures to prove this story actually occurred? Bill
Had to keep both hands on the wheel for the XC Jeep trip. Besides if you take their picture you steal their spirit/soul and that would ruin them as rodeo horses.
Its all about the money.
Pat
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