Have to admit I have zero interest in football so it was a good day for a ride since the trails were deserted. Cowboy was excited to hit the trails and was ecstatic to discover himself at Pt Reyes instead of at a riding lesson! He was a champ and was brave in places he is usually not brave. The weather was beautiful starting out, although toward the end of the day it got overcast and breezy. We went out Horse Trail at Pt Reyes, which is one of our usual routes, varying it slightly by going through Sky Camp. At our lunch stop at the top of the hill, we were visited by a bold butterfly who lighted on Laura, then on Dexter, and finally landed on Cowboy, who promptly and rudely swished it with his tail. It survived though, and came back to buzz Cowboy's face, in a fluttery sort of way, in an obvious act of contempt and defiance. It was camera shy though, dodging all my efforts to capture the moment with the iPhone.
On our way back down the hill, with Cowboy leading the charge, we suddenly came to an abrupt halt as a bobcat crossed our path about 20 feet ahead of us. We were able to follow its progress as it casually retreated into the bushes. Fun to watch, and we were glad we encountered it instead of one of its much larger cousins! We also spotted several deer, and the great blue heron who seems to have taken up residence in the parking lot, providing lots of entertainment for the park visitors. The horses are surprisingly nonplussed by an enormous bird swooping around the trailer.
Back home, we unloaded the horses at Laura's, and Cowboy was pressed into duty as a pack horse to help bring all my "stuff" back to my place. He's getting pretty good at this and really enjoys carrying the hay bag back as he can reach back and grab a snack along the way. It frees up my hands for important tasks like smacking him when he tries to pull away from me to grab grass.
