Old Reliable- trusty transportation

OLD RELIABLE—as I am in the general store buying my supplies for winter, Reliable is tied to a post, and like any good pack animal, patiently awaits my return for the journey home. Stocky, graceful, and rugged. She takes me from point A to point B with never a whimper. She eats lightly as our fuels are complimented and combined in the transference of energy. The temp gauge reads 14f…with a wind from the north….yet I do not worry about her as I know she is well taken care of, in shape, tried, and true to road or trail…a four season animal. People walk past her in admiration, some disbelief shaking their heads as the wind bites their cheeks, partly because of the rider, but for her too. People wish they had the fortitude to be on such a steed in winter. Children walk near, and cannot resist to reach their tiny hands out for a touch… they are careful not touch too hard. She looks worn and used, not, like some of her cousins stuck in a dusty corner of a garaged, on display in a store, or hung upside down like a lynched person of days past. Nope, Reliable is a work horse. She is heavy and strong. She is my transportation, I take care of her, she me. The temp is now 13f. I will keep her as long as she will last, I will never put her to pasture before her time. I can count on her, and her me. When it is time, we will ride out into the wilds together and let nature take us back…reclamation. All the supplies now loaded in the saddle bags, I climb on her for the long journey home. She is eager and happy to please. I admire her magnificence.