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[RC] why I wear a helmet - Agilbxr

I'm sure it's not what everyone is thinking.  No, I did not come off my horse 
this morning.  If anything, we had a beautiful ride, if a bit hot--florida just 
remembered it was august.  
I've gotten used to the banana spiders out here.  I have about 10 miles worth 
of trails that are of the low bug variety, so that's what I ride in the 
summers.  Otherwise, the yellow flies will tote you and your horse off, unless 
one of you dies of blood loss first.  They are nasty little suckers!  Anyway, 
I've learned where the banana spiders build their webs on this trail, and if I 
can't dodge the webs, I have a handy Spider Web Moving Riding Crop.  Alpine as 
a rule doesn't need a riding crop, I just carry it to swat webs, and an 
occasional mosquito.  

The spiders fooled me today!  In a clear area, where I have never seen a web, 
apparently they decided to build a condo...good veiws, unspoiled neighborhood.  
You know what I mean.  So, I'm cantering along on a droopy rein, enjoying my 
ride, when "poof", there is a spider web in my face and a HUGE banana spider on 
my arm.  I immediatly dropped the reins and starting screeching and beating the 
spider.  Alpine took that as a cue to run, so he took off in a gallop, ears up, 
apparently having the best of times while I tried valiently to remove the 
spider from my body.  

After much hand flapping and yelling, I relocated my reins and stopped my 
horse.  I then removed the web from my entire body, checked to make sure the 
spider really did hit the ground and off we went again, nice little corto 
through the woods, a little more vigilant for spider webs.  Then, out of 
nowhere, my spiders bigger sister lowers herself from the visor of my helmet 
and goes "BOO!"  Ok, more screeching, hand flapping, and horse running later, I 
stop Alpine, take off my helmet and check EVERYTHING for more spiders.  I think 
spider #1 was shacking up with spider #2.  What was that???? There is only 
supposed to be one per web.

Anyway, that's why I wear a helmet.  It keeps the spiders out of my hair.  I 
really would have freaked if it had gotten tangled in my hair.  It was only 
minor heart failure this way, not a trip to the emergency room.

Juli and Alpine (hehehehe...)

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