Smokey Mountain Breakdown

So...I'm driving down The Old 15th this past week, a long one lane road that they are very gradually blacktopping, and I come across a loose horse.

I believe I recognize the horse and decide I will try to gently nudge him back home with the jeep. I'm not sure why I thought I could do this...it would have worked with my horses that I had these many years ago. Of course my horses just galloped around like crazy things every time they got out. This guy was just placidly munching on the verge with his butt sticking out in the road. And anyone who has spent any time at all around horses knows the butt end is the one to watch. So, I eased the jeep forward a bit and rolled the window down.

"Hooo...Horse!" I called. "Giddup!"

This is the point at which most horses would snort at you and take off trotting in the opposite direction. But Horse had different ideas. He turns around and affectionately starts nuzzling the hood of the jeep, planting himself firmly in front of the vehicle.

At this point, a car comes up behind me...on this remote stretch of country road. And there I am with Horse completely blocking the road. I get out and pet him and kindly ask him to move to the side of the road.

Horse blows me a raspberry and affectionately rubs horse snot all over my t-shirt.

I weakly shout back to the car behind me, "I can't get him to move!"

Never mind that I've sort of caused this predicament by misguidedly trying to get Horse to move down the road in the first place.

Horse is very good natured about all this though, and allows me to sort of shove him over a bit.

So I get back in the jeep and Horse follows me and puts his entire head in the open car window. He seems to want a sandwich or something.

Meanwhile, I'm imagining the driver behind me gradually working himself into the rural version of road rage.

I give Horse a few hearty pats of the sort horses enjoy then give him a good-natured shove. I'm finally able to navigate the jeep around him though not giving the hind end as wide a berth as I'd like to.

As I look behind me in the rear view window I see Horse wistfully watching my jeep escape.

And I wonder what other hapless traveler he's going to hit up for a sandwich before the sun finally sets.