Last week, this blog discussed the season of the pothole. Every Spring, the potholes appear as winter’s damage emerges from the slush, snow and ice. But this is the rebirth of another season here in McHenry. This is known as the season of the roadhorse. This equestrian animal doesn’t require water, a bail of straw and some oats every day; rather, this horse stands rigid from dawn to dusk and back to dawn again.

In recent years, different breeds of the roadhorse have appeared. Where, at one time, a roadhorse was a four-legged creature with a flashing-orange light for a head, today, the roadhorse is often plastic. It may have a flashing-orange appendage but it always has a reflective coat that our headlights pick up starkly in the dead of night.

Where you find the roadhorse you often find two-legged critters known as road workers. These species, using a variety of mechanical equipment, will tear up the road and build it back new again. By the time they’re done, the road is usually a pleasure to drive on – smooth, pothole free and with cleanly marked lanes. But the two-legged critters don’t do too well when they come into contact with passing cars.

To protect the road workers, in recent years, Illinois has imposed fines up to $10,000 for hitting a road worker, as well as up to 14 years in prison.

The roadhorse is also susceptible to injury from contact with passing vehicles. But the roadhorse is far easier to repair or replace.

The point is that the season of the roadhorse is indicative of the season of road construction. Roads don’t fix or build themselves; it requires those two-legged road workers. And those are people like you and me. They often have families, including children at home who would miss them dearly if they didn’t come home one night.

For the driver, road construction is a nuisance, though fresh new roads are a pleasure. Since roads can’t fix themselves, we require road workers, road construction, and the roadhorse to create those nice, smooth roads we love to drive on. In appreciation, it makes sense to take care around the roadhorses and the road workers they protect. Patience is a virtue in the season of the roadhorse.e