Lost in waterThe next days we stayed at a lonesome horse farm in the great river plain. On the first day Bearbirds was sitting in the guesthouse starring out of the window and tearing her hair in despair.
"Look, Edelweiss, everything outside is under smeltwater!"
"Gut Ding will Weile haben - good things take a long time, you always say. It will ooze away in a few days."
"But meanwhile - what shall I do here?" Bearbirds shouted. "Nowhere can I ride or hike!"
I nodded compassionately and slipped out. Through mud I sloshed to the farmhouse to meet Skotti, the resident tomcat. We sat down on the windowsill and looked out: A m
an was balancing on a small plank over the water to reach the stable. Bearbirds tried to stumble through sludge, snow and mud. Between ducks and geese a snipe was stalking around a tuft of grass. I licked my paw.
"Don't try to catch it. It will lure you in the bog. You would get very wet and dirty," Skotti said.
Next day I walked with Bearbirds on the gravel road. Outside the fences we met a herd of horses, then we reached the river bank. Between black lava sand the glacier river was carrying ice floes to the sea. Bearbirds was interested in a seal and I was watching a couple of red-throated divers.
Later Bearbird was riding her horse along the same road, but it stopped by the herd and didn't want to go on. I heard it grumbling:
""The devil's own horseshoes! They could have chosen another fool but me to be shod for carrying an untimely, stupid tourist!"
It stopped such slander the next day when Bearbirds was holding a switch in her hand.
"I have to resign to my fate," the mare muttered and trotted to the river bank willingly.
The last day the free living horse herd broke down the fences and invaded the farm meadows where the water had decreased.
"They are like humans. Who is restricted wants to be free, but who is unattached desires fences," Bearbirds said.
I have to think over this question carefully even if I belong to a freedom-loving folk.
"Don't try to catch it. It will lure you in the bog. You would get very wet and dirty," Skotti said.
Next day I walked with Bearbirds on the gravel road. Outside the fences we met a herd of horses, then we reached the river bank. Between black lava sand the glacier river was carrying ice floes to the sea. Bearbirds was interested in a seal and I was watching a couple of red-throated divers.
Later Bearbird was riding her horse along the same road, but it stopped by the herd and didn't want to go on. I heard it grumbling:
""The devil's own horseshoes! They could have chosen another fool but me to be shod for carrying an untimely, stupid tourist!"
It stopped such slander the next day when Bearbirds was holding a switch in her hand.
"I have to resign to my fate," the mare muttered and trotted to the river bank willingly.
The last day the free living horse herd broke down the fences and invaded the farm meadows where the water had decreased.
"They are like humans. Who is restricted wants to be free, but who is unattached desires fences," Bearbirds said.
I have to think over this question carefully even if I belong to a freedom-loving folk.
I hope you like the Iceland blogs and great photos, courtesy of dear Bearbirds.
Iceland has such haunting beauty, don't you agree?
Love & kisses, Edelweiss
Dear Edelweiss,
ReplyDeleteWhat an opportunity, Your Catliness! Not only did you journey to Iceland, but you also met some exceptional flowers. Given your name, that must have felt rather karmic.
I Googled Iceland ponies, and now I wonder if Bearbirds had the great fortune to tölt. Check it out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_horse
"The Icelandic is a five-gaited breed known for its sure-footedness and ability to cross rough terrain. In addition to the typical gaits of walk, trot and canter, it performs an ambling gait known as the tölt. This gait is known for its explosive acceleration and speed, but is also comfortable and ground-covering"
Me, I'm envious of the horseback riding, but you appear to have been absent from that activity.
Cheerio, my deario.
Thanks, Anonymous! Yes, the vetrarblóm were show-offs with all their colorful blooms. They made me feel rather lacklustre.
ReplyDeleteAbout the ponies, their ambling gait (tölt) is a bit hoity toity, don't you think?
To be truthful (as Mops & Pops tell me I must be), the vetrarblóm's colours are beautiful.
And I did take a horse ride hidden inside Bearbirds' backpack so as not to spook the little pony.
It was great fun but my innards are still a bit woozy from all that shaking about. I barfed in the backpack and Bearbirds was not pleased, although I did hear her laughing softly when she thought I had gone to bed and was asleep.
Indeed, Anonymous, it's great to ride tölt. There are a lot of Icelandic horses in Germany, but it it's much more exciting to ride an Icelandic horse in its natural environment in Iceland.
ReplyDeleteEdelweiss, you are a curious cat getting horsesick but not seasick ... Greetings from
Bearbirds