The Chronicles of Susan & Carey: The Equine, the Cougar, and the Stick
It was a Sunday afternoon on the prairies of . The wind was blowing from the West and the was hanging directly overhead casting shadows over the riders. Susan secured her into the stirrups and glanced over to see that Carey was ready to lead the way. With in hand, Carey gave a gentle nudge to her and indicated she wanted to take a journey towards the hills in the distance. Our riders were both expecting a afternoon of peace and tranquility.
chirped in the distance and Susan spotted armadillos along the winding trail. A hawk on the limb of a nearby – stoic, yet proud. The remaining leaves on the trees slightly from the and an occasional lingering leaf would finally descend towards the ground. The many surrounding sounds seemed to form a with the trot of the two horses.
As the dipped behind a fluffy cloud a winter breeze caught hold. At the same moment Carey’s horse stopped on the path; a bold cougar blocked their path. Carey attempted to direct her horse away from the stray cat, but the horse had other plans – he wanted to . The stallion reared back on its and attempted to buck the rider so it could make a hasty retreat, but Carey held on. Susan watched in as her friend played her roll in an impromptu for a feline audience. One hand wildly as Carey desperately held onto the . The struggle only lasted , but it felt like an eternity until Carey finally released her grip and was catapulted from her saddle. Fortunately she landed on her ; regrettably, she also landed near the wild cougar.
Thinking , Carey swiped a branch from a nearby tree and brandished it. Like an Amazonian warrior she screamed and whirled the stick in the air. The cougar once, but reluctantly withdrew. The crisis was averted and Susan helped Carey retrieve the missing . Breathing a collective sigh of relief, both riders returned to the trail and continued on their journey towards the setting .