Thundering Dream

I love open windows during the summer months inviting the sounds of nature into our bedroom.  Our rooster, a stout fellow with elegant tail feathers, sounds the wakeup call at four AM.  He’s usually accompanied by a chorus of chipper song birds.  Together, their melody gently nudges me to wake.

Yet, I’m not ready to open my eyes.  Lying still I let my other senses absorb the early morning.  The cool air brushes against my bare shoulders and carries the scent of the wet grass.  Without any effort, I can hear the curtains flutter against the sills and the low whoosh of a distant car carrying somebody to an early shift, and then, the pounding of hooves galloping full tilt!

‘Am I dreaming?’ my brain doesn’t register the sound as it drifts away.  ‘Was that thunder?   I don’t hear rain.’  My eyes stay closed and I fall into a light sleep.  The hammering hoofs come back.  I got it now!  It is a horse running.  I listen more intently.  The sound fades only to return with earth shaking force.   Why would I be hearing a horse outside my window?    It finally clicks.  I open my eyes.

Jumping out of bed, I run to the window catching Dusty, our equine equivalent of a little rascal galloping, kicking and bucking.  He’s having his own celebration to the beginning of a new day.  I start replaying the previous evening lock-up routine.  I must have forgotten to chain all the gates.

Dusty makes a game out of lifting latches with his teeth or bumping them with his muzzle until they open.  He can even slide open our big heavy barn door.

I quickly dress and run outside to round-up the escapee.  He sees me coming and knows it’s feeding time.  “It’s about time you got out here”, he’s probably thinking.  From the look of my lawn he’s been out for a while.  Beaming with pride, he walks with me to the barn, ready to be put back in his paddock with his herd mates.   I feed everyone, and this time I make sure every gate is chained.

 

- Trish