Night visitors and missed opportunities

Today I saw something in the garden and went to get the camera.  It was when I picked it up that I realized what I should have done last night.

Around 1 a.m. I noticed a large dark shape at the end of the driveway.  At first I thought it must be a moose, but after watching for a while what took shape was a horse.  Since the road apples last winter I have learned that my neighbors have a couple of horses, one of which is an escape artist.  As I watched it nibble through the weeds, it hit me that I like living where occasionally someone's livestock escapes. In my teen years there were several times we chased neighbors' horses through the neighborhood and the occasional cow as well.  I love hearing another neighbor's alpacas baaing once in a while.

But how often do we think of the bright thing to say once the conversation is over, or think camera long after the subject has disappeared?  For me, anyway, the answer is very often.

Last night I let the horse work his way up the driveway keeping a careful gauge on the distance between it and my little garden. Finally it came too close for comfort and we had a little confrontation in front of the house.  A few shouts and a couple of handfuls of gravel finally sent him on his way with no apparent damage to animal or vegetable.

Today in daylight I went out to take a closer look to see if maybe he came back later, but everything was in order.  And, that  brought the discovery of first peas.  Later this year than last year.  The first picture last year was posted July 6.  This is the 17th but they have been there a while.  Some even look mature so they may not be as late as they seem.  Anyway all are safe and there is a picture for proof.