In which there is a nice thought, and the Bad Idea Fairy helps out

This is, under good circumstances, my life:

I understand (intellectually, at least) that there may come a time in the (extremely distant) future where I might not be able to just hop on my Dragon and trot down the trail.

I expect that when that time comes, y'all will want to build a memorial for me.  I have actually got a plan in place with my loved ones, involving a couple bags of redi-crete, my cremated remains, and the building of a permanent water tank up near Clover Springs, on the Renegade Ride trail.

Here's what I don't want:

It's on a trail.  At a junction of three blind corners.  

With just a little bit of breeze, the balloon not only bobbles back-and-forth, it also makes an appalling hissssssssssss.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG??????!!!!!

Fortunately, I was not riding an impulsive horse when we discovered this sweet little memorial.

The Dragon definitely Did. Not. Approve.  but she managed to keep her brains on board, and keep me in the saddle when she slammed on the brakes and hit the freight-train-sound-effect (you can hear it in the first video).

After the first quick halt, there was a bit of negotiation (run?  spin, then run?  stomp, then spin and run?)  and then I hopped down to lead her past the terror.

Of course, being me, I walked over to the balloon, and swatted it a few times with my free hand.  She thought I was cray-cray, and she was sure that death was imminent. 

But...hey, wait.  Is that a cookie in your hand?

We did not die. 

I hope the family who built this little memorial is comforted by it, and I hope they won't mind that a friend who lives nearby came up and "liberated" the pony balloon after I posted the photo on Facebook, so that no other riders would be startled--and possibly injured--by it.

I also hope that, when and if the time ever comes for you to build me a memorial, you won't put a balloon memorial on a trail.

Because, we know where that thought comes from, don't we?

(also, there's a song that's appropriate here:  sing along!)