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"I don't like the way she's acting Mick?"

"Okay by me," he said

Disappointed I watched him saddle and put the bridle on Rain kept her eyes on me Even Mick noticed

"She knows so

When Mick sat in the saddle, she actually bucked It took Mick by surprise and he nearly spilled Embarrassed, he pulled up on the reins firmly She snorted, twisted and pounded the around with her left hoof Mick turned her andhi to turn back toward me

"I'll be damned," he said

Jake looked at ht You can take her out" he relented

Those words would later drive him into the darkness of excessive drink and eventually an early grave

Happy I hurried to get into the saddle The moment I did so Rain calmed down and waited obediently

"Make it a short one," Jake instructed "Just once around the smaller circle, okay?"

"Okay, Jake" We started out "I'racefully onto the path "If I come back to visit, will you remember me?"

Whenever I spoke to her Rain had a way of rocking her head froht a sh my hair, closed my eyes to feel the wind, and let her have her head She broke into a run and ere off As always I felt like she and I had becoraceful rhyth their heads as well I knew they atching er than they usually did Jake was still nervous when I had left

The heavy stors over the ht out rodents and other creatures excited with the sudden unexpected rebirth of bugs Just at the foot of the crest where ould either go forward, up and then down to complete what Jake called the sht as well because of the rides I had taken with Rain in that direction Marking the crossroads was a s of rocks and some dead treetrunks

Once Mick had toldan eye out for snakes, especially copperheads

"They are almost i allows them to blend in, especially with fallen trees But," he assured ressive Live and let live is their motto The problem is horses don't know that So try to steer clear of places where snakes ht house themselves'"