OH! Oh, oh! Mr. Kotteeeeer! You won't believe what I just saw!
Out the front window, at approximately 2:14 p.m., I spied The Pony DRIVING!
Okay, so it wasn't his truck. It was Farmer H's Gator. He had left it in front of the rock garden that lies beside the homemade sidewalk made from bricks that used to be an alley behind my $17,000 house in town. I had sent The Pony out to throw bread to the chickens, then he was supposed to help Farmer H with one of his latest ventures that involved unloading sheet metal salvaged from an entire metal shed at work. He needs the trailer, you see, to load up the riding mower to take to my mom's house to mow her yard. I don't know what plans he has for the sheet metal.
So anyway...here came The Pony, galloping from the goat pen area. I imagine Farmer H told him to come get the Gator. The Pony actually looked excited. The cart was before the horse. He hopped in, put his foot on the brake, and turned the key. Nothing. He tried again. Nothing. He took his foot off the brake. Looked down at the gear shift. Moved it. Turned the key. With a grinding sound, the Gator lurched forward. The Pony grabbed the wheel and began a wide left turn to head back towards the BARn.
When the Gator's motor roared to life, my sweet, sweet Juno darted down the porch steps, whipping her feathery black tail in excitement. Ann came from the side yard where she was no doubt stealing bread from the chickens. As The Pony motored across the yard, Ann stood her ground in front of the porch, and Juno dashed to the woods across from her. They both watched The Pony putt by. Then they gave each other THE LOOK. Like, "WTF?" When Farmer H drives the Gator, those dogs romp round and round it, feinting, grabbing each other's forelegs between their teeth, sprint ahead, look over their shoulder, race back, bark, and generally suck all the marrow out of life in this little interlude with their vice-master leading the pack on an adventure, perhaps to the creekside cabin, perhaps to the mailbox, perhaps up the road to Buddy's house. Now they were discombobulated. They followed The Pony at a safe distance. At a dogtrot.
Even the dogs know The Pony is an inexperienced driver.
3 comments:
The Pony driving? That IS a scary thought...and from the front seat? (I guess the Gator doesn't have a backseat?)
Thankfully, many miles are between us...
Dogs are smart! I would have left him plenty of room, too.
Sioux,
Yes! The front seat! You're right. The Gator has no back seat, so The Pony can't drive from his seat of choice. It does, however, have a nifty little dump bed that you can ride in if you want to join The Pony as he tools around the grounds.
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Kathy,
They gave each other that look like Farmer H and the Labor & Delivery nurse gave each other during my 12th hour of labor with the big-headed, sunny-side-up #1 son. Not that I was delirious or anything, having arrived too late for an epidural thanks to Farmer H taking a shower before he would drive me to the hospital.
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