Lazy afternoon

We had a slithery visitor this morning. T was cleaning up a pile of limbs we've been wanting to take out to the farm, and turned up this little guy. Just a garter snake, and M was thrilled.
We let him wind his way across our hands for a bit, and then turned him loose to eat bugs in the tomatoes.
He (the snake) was remarkably calm about the whole experience - I can't imagine being picked up and handled by giants! But he didn't hiss or struggle, and was seemingly content to rest suspended across our palms without wriggling off. He did disappear quickly enough once he was back in the greenery, however.

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I spent the afternoon out communing with the 4-feets. They were enjoying a typical lazy day. The first feel of fall was in the air. Oh, the leaves aren't turning or anything, but the sky was perfectly high & blue, and it just smelled like the first days of autumn always do.

I brushed out wind tangles, fly-sprayed, and just hung out for a while. Pennie, Lace & Foxy, the three older mares, all have the same habit. When they spot me coming toward them with a brush, they pause where they are, cock a hip, and let their eyes glaze over while I groom. They just enjoy every moment of the attention, pure and simple. It's sweet. Especially when I hit those itchy spots and their lips start wiggling.

I wish Sunny had the same reaction, but he's not particularly interested in being brushed. Itching his belly - now that, he likes.

The younger ones entertained themselves trying to see what was in the fly-spray bottle (it doesn't have quite the same shape it did when they started) and stood around in an interested circle while I brushed Lace, waiting their turns. When I left they'd almost all decided it was nap time, and were dozing contentedly.

Riding tomorrow, I think.