Raudhetta: I can tell you are having a tough day.
Alys: How so?
R: You aren’t singing songs. You’re just storming around here like an idiot.
A: True, true.
R: Well, what’s up?
A: It’s just been one of those piecemeal days.
R: I noticed that you cleaned up the hayshed.
A: Yes. So when we get hay in, it can go right into the shed.
R: You will set aside some of the load for us, right?
A: Yes.

R: And I noticed that you sorted out all the blankets and hung up some and took some of them elsewhere.
A: Yes. I took the dirty ones to the Butte laundromat.
R: I presume a laundromat is where you go to wash blankets.
A: That’s right.
R: And?
A : Okay. I will tell you. I put them in the machine. I added soap, lots of soap. I put money in three machines. One did not work.
R: Goodness.
A: Yeah, and so there I was, with two machines working and one not working. I went over to the pizza place, which was next door, and the woman there said she had nothing to do with the laundromat. This is what pissed me off, I mean, there was no way to get a refund or the machine fixed.
R: So what did you then do?
A: I waited for the washers that were working to finish, then put them wet, in my car, and took the blanket out of the one that was not working and brought the whole mess home.
R: Why didn’t you dry the wet blankets?
A: Because I wanted to get out of that miserable place.
R: I see.
A: You know, what happened got me thinking. Most who are poor don’t have machines at home. We have a machine at home -- but horse blankets are too large to wash in our machine. Now it’s of course cheaper to do one’s wash if you have a machine. Using a laundromat, like paying rent and eating processed food, is just like throwing money away. And you can’t break even if you are throwing money away.
R: I see.
A: And of course, the guy who owns the laundromat is making money hand over fist.
R: Do you know him?
A: No.
R: So what did you do when you got home?
A: We hung up most of the wet blankets and rinsed and hung up the one that didn’t get washed. And we washed and rinsed the small pink foal blanket.
R: The small foal blanket!
A: Yes, the small foal blanket. We are going to give it away when someone we hear has a foal.
R: Wait a minute. You need to hang onto that blanket.
A: Why?
R: You told me that someday I am going to have a foal.
A: I think we could find a nicer blanket for your foal.
R: There. You said it. You are going to let me have a baby.
A: I did not.
R: Did so.
A: Did not.
R: Did so.
A: Did not.
R: Did so.
A: As I have always said, if we somehow end up on a place with more pasturage, I will consider this.
R: I’m not getting any younger you know.
A: I know. Your biological clock is ticking away.
R: Tick tock, tick tock.
A: Yes, tick tock. This is what we will name her.
R: Tick Tock?
A: Yes, Tick Tock.

Next: 200. 7/19/18: Another Day of Endless Possibilities