This conversation took place early this evening, when I took Raudi for a walk about the loop.

Raudi: The snow on both sides of the road is quite high – I can’t see over the tops of the mounds.
Alys: The snow that you speak of is contained in berms.
R: Interesting.
A: We have a month until your birthday. The snow could then be melted.
R: I seriously doubt it. There is more snow here than any other year since I’ve been here.
A: Watch out. Don’t bump into me. It’s icy over here.
R: I have ice shoes on.

Raudi in snowy padock

A: Yes, I know this. I am not wearing cleats.
R: Why not?
A: Because these are my soft soled boots. The cleats don’t fit.
R: Why didn’t you wear your other boots?
A: Because they hurt my bunions.
R: What are bunions?
A: Irregular bone growths on the inside of my upper foot.
R: Let me see.
A: When it gets warmer and I can comfortably remove my shoes.
R: I can hardly wait.
A: Raudi, you know, getting older really sucks. It has nothing going for it.
R: Tinni said the same thing yesterday.
A: What prompted it?
R: That little goat was bouncing around sideways. And the older goat was just standing, staring into space.
A: The little goat is Sassy and the older goat is Ranger.
R: Ranger has been here as long as I have.
A: Almost.
R: He’s looking pretty raggedy. He’s round in the middle and his legs are like sticks.
A: An apt description.
R: Am I someday going to look this way?
A: No. Look at Tinni. He’s 33 and he looks like he’s 20.
R: You just don’t see that Tinni is looking older. He has a sway back, and Like Ranger, a round belly.
A: The belly, that’s the effect of gravity, pulling all the muscle mass downward.
R: They may be getting old, but both Ranger and Tinni have good attitudes. Ryder, she’s also getting old.
A: With age comes change. They’re all very mellow.
R: I don’t think that I’ll ever be mellow.
A: Meaning that you’ll never grow old, right?
R: Right.
A: Raudi, hold up. I want to stop here, at the base of Jim’s driveway for a minute.
R: His cable gate is down. This means that he’s home right now.
A: No, he’s not home.
R: Where is he?
A: The other day he was found dead in his cabin.
R: Dead? Jim dead?
A: Afraid so.
R: Jim dead? I don’t believe it.
A: I also find it hard to believe.
R: He was a nice man. His yard always had good pickings. But I stayed out of his way because he had quite the temper.
A: Yes he did. I also stayed out of his way for this reason.
R: Tyra once observed that he seemed very angry.
A: An excellent observation. Anger isolates.
R: I wonder if Jim would agree.
A: That’s something we’ll never know.

Next: 73. 3/16/22: When your Days are your Own