There are days in which events happen (intentionally or unintentionally) and then days in which these events come to some foregone conclusion. The latter are merely postscripts of sort.

P.S. Early this morning, Pete took Rainbow to North Star Animal Clinic. Dr. Theresa Beck prescribed drugs but decided not to remove the canine’s canine. Surgery, she said, is a last resort in such instances because the tooth root is so deep. Apparently, the bone holding the tooth is fractured, but the tooth is still in place. Rainbow is eating and does not appear to be in pain.

Raudi and Alys on a winter ride to the bench

P.S. Vickie called last night and gave me a progress report. She said that Tinni was doing well, and settling in to life at his summer home. Today Emily was going to go with her friend Olivia for a ride.

P.S. I seem to have a bit more time to spend with the other horses. This morning I rode Signy and Pete rode Siggi around the loop. Momma was focused on baby, who ran every which way on the road. Then Pete and I took Raudi and Siggi for a long ride.

P.S.S. Raudi is now officially my Number One riding horse. She was totally energetic, but did everything I asked her to do, when I asked her to do it. As I rode Raudi, I got to thinking – it very well may be that Tinni will enjoy being in Emily’s company. And it very well may be that Raudi will enjoy being in my company.

Whistling for Someone Else’s Dog
You have no idea where the dog has gone,
nor do you fully care. This is not your dog
or a friend’s dog or even a neighbor’s dog,
but rather a dog you glimpsed at the parking lot’s edge,

a three-dimensional figure that resembled
the two-dimensional image on a lost dog poster
tacked to the board inside the supermarket. You feel obligated
to take action because reuniting dogs and owners
is akin to hanging up one’s coat,
or putting the cap back on the toothpaste tube.
These are not altruistic gestures,
but rather are automatic gestures, predicated on a craving for order.

You consider whistling for said dog, but pause,
Because there might be complications—
The black non-descript dog in question
might not be the black non-descript dog in question,
but rather, a distant relation to the black non-descript dog in question.
Dogs are like this. They breed again, and again, and again, sometimes
with their own offspring and sometimes with other’s offspring.
This matters to us, but it does not matter to them.
And even though the dog in question might resemble the dog in question
you might discover that it’s not the dog in question.

What do you do? There you’d be, holding onto the collar
of a dog that’s destined to make and then break your heart --
that is a stray who at the drop of a dog leash, will run off,
only to take up with the next whistler.
And so, if you catch and release this dog,
your whistling will be for naught.

And if this is indeed the dog on the poster,
you might be accused of dognapping and get hauled into court.
You have no time for this, for getting your frozen goods home
and into your freezer has to remain your number one priority.
There’s also the matter of the $25.00 reward.
This miniscule amount is probably coming out of some poor kid’s pocket.
And it’s money that, undoubtedly, she’s earned picking up dog poop
and was to be put toward her college education.
But you could take the money—
and buy a video on dog training.
Such a dilemma, and you can’t even spell dilemma,
and anyways don’t trust spell checkers.

There’s also the matter of the dog itself. If you whistle,
she might come bounding over to you, and when you lean over
lick the ice cream that’s dripping onto your shoe. Or, she might run further afield, even though there are no fields here, just cars going every conceivable
which way. This would not matter if there were no onlookers,
but there are many, some going to shop, and others on their way to shop.
They’re now unaware of you. But if you whistle, you’ll attract unwanted attention.

You do nothing because you can do nothing.
Rather, you remain rooted, thumb and index finger to lips,
legs apart, poised to whistle.

Next: 180. 06/6/12: Follow Through