Doc, the gassy horse

The wife and I spent our 25th anniversary on Mackinac Island in May. This island is popular with tourists in Michigan, partly because they don't allow cars. Horses rule. They pull garbage wagons, haul supplies and take tourists on island tours.

I took a picture of the horses that pulled a bunch of us on a tour. One of the horses, Doc, had an uncanny knack of breaking wind in response to our tour guide's remarks. Almost like the kid who burps in class to get a laugh. Doc was just as good if not better. Our tour guide, an older lady who could have been a retired English teacher herself, talked very eloquently about the island. "May is my favorite time on the island," she said. To which Doc replied,"F-r-r--i-p-p-p."

Undeterred, our tour guide continued, "All the flowers are in bloom and the activity on the island is just starting." With perfect timing, Doc sent another one her way, "F-s-s-t-t-t-t-t-t-t." She ignored the gas. "It's just so beautiful," the driver concluded. "F-R-A-R-S-T-T-T-T." The horse let go a good one then.

What made it really funny was that a pushy man insisted that he and his family had reserved the front seats of the carriage. That meant another couple was displaced and had to take the next carriage so they could sit together. Too bad for the pushy people. They got a real good whiff of Doc and his bowels. And it gave us a funny highlight to our 25th anniversary.