Hot and Dusty...and Eating Dirt

No pictures today-I am wasted.
My stomach was off kilter and I probably shouldn't have gone riding-but I did.

Falcon was well behaved-let me mount and stood still.
10 a.m. and it was smoking hot in my book- maybe around 80.
The woods were nice and cool though-no snakes either.

We sauntered along and made it almost to Sterling Pointe...WHEN...
I saw a large head with beady eyes looking at me.  It was a TURKEY basking right in the middle of the trail.  She didn't move either.
I could only see her head because of the tall grass and also a bend in the trail.

Falcon planted his feet and in a split second that TURKEY FLEW up and out and Falcon air-planed sideways, dipping down low to the left while spinning to the right at the same time.  I went off so quick-and was thankful that I landed in tall grass-no rocks or snakes-but did bump my bottom lip in the dirt -somehow.

Falcon stopped then took off up the hill-gone-gone-gone!  Oh great-he had all of my water.
Luckily I had my phone in a Cashel Anklet and I whipped it out and called Mike who had been at the farm when I left.

I was fine-but was worried that Falcon would dash for home -through the woods would be fine-but I was terrified that he would make it to Lomida and run in front of a car to get home.

I started walking-ugh it was hot-passed two ladies riding and gave them my phone number in case they saw Falcon.

Walk, Walk Walk, made it to Sewer road-Mike called-relief-he had Falcon.  Falcon had been madly dashing up the trail when he saw Mike.  The GPS said he had been going 10-14mph average.
We walked the rest of the way home.  I would have ridden, but Mike said no, not sure why...but was too tired and hot to ask.

Later I got Nevel out to work and he was Mr. Hop Along Cassidy at the canter to the right-Great, now he is LAME!  WHY?  no heat, swelling or cuts.  But then T told me she saw him up to his shoulders in the pond yesterday so maybe he pulled a ligament or made his shoulder sore clambering out of the muck.

Maybe I will try Falcon out again tomorrow.  He needs to practice going through the gates to "Barking Dog" trail anyway-but maybe someone will be around to ride with.