The Horseback Ride with TJ

The girls are gone.

All I have left is my son...

And I have to take him to Handel's to get a smile.

So when he says he wants a horseback ride...

I jump at the chance.

Mother-son time!





But this is strange to me...

How can I sit on this saddle...

When I'm used to this?

And my feet know the glittering silver stirrup...

not this leathery brown...

How do I handle these handlebars...

...when my hands are reaching for the brakes?

I'm immediately struck by how different horse people are compared to bike people...

Calm

Gentle

Slow moving, slow talking.

Not the same energy as those of us with our skittish bikes.

But today - not bikes.



We do horses.

Fort Ben State Park

Only ten miles from home.

We're not the youngest to be riding today.

We wait patiently for Willie to finish his lunch...

While we chat with Rascal.

Choose your horse...

And off we go.

It's a beautiful setting...

the deep woods

the gentle creak of the saddles

the warm body of the horse beneath your seat.

Not much time for talk.

Just the occasional glance back to be sure I'm still there.

But this is what Mother-son is about.

Watching him grow...

Trying to decide who he is...

Trying new things...

And I'll be behind him

ready to dust him off

if life's horse gives him a buck.

I missed so much this summer...

Braces off.

Driver's license.

He grew ten feet!

I was too busy these two months riding my own stallion.

I hope we'll have time these next two years.

For Handel's...

and horses...

and more Mother-son time.