This isn't a riding story, but a bee sting story....
When I got burned out on ATC, and wanted to move back to east Texas, I decided I'd go work in the oilfield, on a drilling rig until my old spot at the control tower in Tyler opened up.
Working on a drilling rig is exactly what you think... Tough.
I'm not afraid of heights, but am definitely scared of the sudden stop after I fall.
I had to climb up way high in the derrick, and walk across a piece of 10" I beam to the other leg to get a cable back in a sheive.
On the climbing belt I had on, there are 2-lanyards with big caribeaners. The idea is you hook one to something, climb, and hook the other on to something, go back, unhook the first one, and continue. This way you are always, 100% 'tied off'
I was halfway across this i-beam of terror when I felt an insect land on the back of my neck... He or she then proceeded to go down the back of my shirt. When I walked back out onto the middle of the i-beam to retrieve the first lanyard, the ******* stung me...
I lied, I'm afraid of two things... Heights and bees. I got to the other side, as suave as possible to avoid further stings. I smashed him between my back, and the leg of the Derrick. I didn't realize at the time that a bee can really only sting you once, but I also didn't know it was a bee at the time. Could've been a wasp or ground hornet.
This was the most terrifying, adrenaline pumped thing ive ever experienced.
The beam I was walking across is perpendicular from the point of reference is this photo. It spans about 20' across, and there is nothing to hold onto once you're in the middle.