afternoon walk

The forecast for this afternoon called for a bit of wet but since the precipitation hadn't started falling yet a friend and I opted to head to (what we call) the critter walk, hoping to visit with the animals. We were very lucky; while there were some sprinkles, the steady rain held off until we completed our walk.

This walk in Topsfield, MA is a favorite, one we discovered last spring. I hadn't walked there in several weeks since the road along one edge of the loop hadn't been plowed very wide. Today we walked 3/4 of the loop then retraced our steps to return, avoiding the narrow section of road.

There were animals out in the fields, most too far in the back to hold a conversation with us.

These horses were happy to chat, emerging from their barn as we walked past. It's funny, two of the three horses were wearing coats but the third was not. I wonder how their keepers decide who needs a coat; do you think the horses request one?