Jailbreak.

Friday morning, 6:30 a.m.  The phone rings.  The answering machine prompts.  A voice I don't recognize is leaving a message. His wife was on her way to work and called to tell him that she saw two bay horses down by the DNR.  She thought they might be mine. I look out the window.  No horses.  I put on my boots and coat, grab the dogs, and head out to investigate.

Crime Scene.

Sure enough.  The gate is open and no horses are in the pasture.  This isn't the first time.  I've witnessed the crime before, and even caught them in the escape.  Frustrating (and embarrassing) as it is, it is quite a sight to see.  Ichee and Ellie doing like the locals and heading into town for coffee at the Cottage Cafe.  They jig and jog down the roadway, cute and carefree as can be.  Like Ellie has her purse slung over her shoulder and Ichee's sporting new shoes.  Off to the big city. 

I grabbed a couple buckets of oats and a halter and hopped in the Rover to round 'em up and escort them home.  If only I had thought to grab my camera.

As I pulled out of my driveway and headed into town, I saw some sort of strange vehicle headed towards me.  I squinted.  Yep, it was my neighbor, Steve, driving his old red and silver Chevy pickup.  Sitting in the truck bed, with his feet dangling off the tailgate, his snuggly green cap pulled over his ears, and both of his hands extended taught to lead ropes attached to my horses, was Gary, a good friend who keeps his cattle down the road.  I didn't get the whole story, but gather that the horses had made their way down to the place with the horses and the goat.  Steve was headed into town to get coffee, with two halters in tow in the event he came across the fugitives.  He ran into Gary and the two of them rounded up Ichee and Ellie.  I watched the pickup approaching with two big bay thoroughbreds keeping pace behind it, in the capable hands of Gary the cattleman.   The capture and return was every bit as cute as the sight I've witnessed (on more than one occasion) of two mischievous thoroughbreds dancing their way into the big city.

I did a U-turn and joined the parade back to the homestead.  Apologized and thanked Steve and Gary profusely, embarrassed by my poor parenting, grateful no harm had been done to anyone or anything, and regretting that I hadn't been able to recapture the horses before anyone found out they had escaped.

The gate is again securely latched, the horses recovering from their outing, and me likely to be in less of a hurry and to double check the latch for at least the next week or two.

Atticus finally got his chance to scold the horses.  I made sugar cookies for Steve and Gary. 

The kitties are back on duty.

And all seems right on the ranch.

All is well.  Life is full.