Okay, I got it all wrong. A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I have been gloating about my horse-related accomplishments. This just didn’t sound right to me. As I was out riding, I one day, determined that I don’t gloat; rather, I rave. The dictionary definitions of gloat and rave verified that too; I have not been gloating, but yes, I’ve been raving. To gloat is to contemplate or dwell on one's own success or another's misfortune with smugness or malignant pleasure. And to rave is to speak or write about someone with great enthusiasm or admiration.

I most definitely have not been going off on a tear about what a great animal owner I am. Rather, I have been talking

Alys with Thelma

with all who will listen about the fact that I am surrounded by some amazing animals. In other words, I’ve been extolling their virtues, that is raving about them.

For instance, the chickens – always glad to see me, hop on my arm at night, and allow me to put them in their roost area. The goats, equally glad to see me, in general, they are a very enthusiastic lot. The dogs, smart, wise, patient, quick to learn. Full of energy, a joy to watch on the trails. The horses, kind, gentle, levelheaded when being ridden.

So yeah, I’m raving about them all. This now feels like a more apt term. When I use terms that aren’t fitting, I continue to search around for one that is more apt.

I can rave and remain humble. I have gotten lucky – none of the animals here, in fact none that have ever graced this premises, have been mean, aggressive, or difficult to deal with. I don’t know if I’d have the patience to deal with this sort of behavior. I hope that I don’t find out.

I have pretty much dedicated this winter to spending time with my innumerable animals. This has not been without its drawbacks. Today, Pete went bicycle riding with a neighbor – I chose to instead take Tinni for a walk and to clean the goat pen. A tough call because I wanted to go for a ride. But being the responsible animal owner that I am, I set aside my desires and did as I should.

Now Tinni will be less likely to get stiff legged. And if Stormy has her babies, she will have them in fresh bedding. Thinking of this gives me a much-needed sense of satisfaction.

This was this afternoon. This morning I first took Hrimmi on an outing, and then after, I rode Tyra while Pete rode Raudi. The rest of the day I relived these rides, mostly thinking about the fact that the horses were so well mannered. Say, for example, we come across a moose. They don’t waste energy jumping around, bolting, or spooking. Rather, they access the situation and then move on, generally pretty quietly.

To say, repeatedly, how did I get so lucky? Is not to gloat, but rather, is to rave.

Next: 44. 2/13/21: Going the Extra Mile