Ride in the Rain

I'd been itching for a ride.  It was late and it looked like rain but I hadn't been to the valley in a long time.

I walked over to the pen and Fred bullied his way in past Siera who stood and nickered at me.

Fred seemed ready to go also.

I cleaned him up and tied my raincoat to the back of the saddle just in case it began to drizzle.

The skies were grey and very overcast.

But that only added to the brilliance of the trees once we entered the forest trail.

It did start drizzling so I stopped and put on my raincoat and we rode on.  It was a light enough rain that we could here it on the leaves above us, but it didn't feel like it was going to get us wet or turn into a hard rain.

Fred's steps were muffled by the damp leaves.

The further we rode, the darker it got.  So midway up the trail to the 'velodrome' I turned around and headed back.

When I glanced up I could see that rain would be coming and the light in the forest just kept getting darker.

Actually it was quite beautiful in the way that the colors were drawn out in the subdued light.

Although the point and shoot camera I had in my pocket had a very hard time with the light.

So this is why the photos appear painted in a way.  I rescued them as best I could with a little photoshop magic and some Topaz plugins.

However the short ride did wet my appetite to go back today and enjoy the colors.  The back valley ridge road is generally brilliant with yellows.

The skies are supposed to be cloudy which might make for great lighting again today.

I think I will take Siera and perhaps Morris too as he is my assistant and rides well on Siera.

I'll have to make it a point to dismount and take photos instead of trying to take them from Fred's bouncy back.

So here is to Fred for taking me for a nice evening ride in the light rain.

Fred, you are the last of the aged...grand aged mules we have and I hope to have your around for a lot longer!