Memories

Radal El Wadi 1981-2003

I was on fall break from college, so since I didn't get to ride Dal much anymore I just pulled him out of the pasture, put his bridle on, and headed up the road bareback. We lived on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, half a mile up the lane there was a section of road where trees completely covered the road like a tunnel. It was a picturesque autumn in upstate NY, the leaves had changed and had started to fall off the trees.From the passage of the few cars that traveled our road, the leaves had been formed into long mounds that bordered the roads.

Dal and I were leisurely strolling up the road when he starting drifting towards the right side of the road. I didn't think much about it and steered him back towards the middle of the road (no traffic remember). He drifted off to the side again and I corrected him again. When he drifted a third time it finally dawned on me that he was doing it on purpose so I let him go.

He went directly into the mound of leaves on the side of the road and started DRAGGING his feet through it. He had a grand time playing in the leaves. I laughed so hard I almost fell off.

I miss that horse.