There is now enough light to suffice. And it is also getting warmer. I’ll soon be riding in the evenings when I get home from, ahem, work. The packed snow in the enclosure is now melting – it is pockmarked. And all the manure that I didn’t pick up is surfacing. Pretty soon, we’ll be digging channels and moving the water in the direction of the pit.

Hrimmi, who is always the first to shed, is shedding – Tyra is shedding some, Raudi hardly at all. I remember that Tinni had Cushing’s, so he had long guard hairs, which gave him a primordial appearance. I continue to miss him. If an older Icelandic gelding materialized in the same way that Tinni did, I would scoop him up and bring him home.

Raudi

Today at the Palmer Senior Center, my friend Cathy gave me a donkey that takes the form of a ceramic wall hanging. It is a pinto, like Hrimmi. I would take a donkey on if it was cart trained and came with a cart and harness. I would hope that it did not sound like a rusty pump.

I need to find a male goat to breed to Sassy and Swampy, one that’s not related.

If a very young female border collie appeared in our yard, I’d also consider keeping her.

What is wrong with this picture? Right now, it’s a lack of time in which to continue my animal’s education. Pretty soon, though, the Playground of Higher Learning will have melted out, and so I will again be able to do agility with all the animals. The one right now who is most eager to be doing something is Sassy. She gets out twice a day and races around, at times doing leaps sideways. Swampy is a lot slower – I wonder if she was ever like Sassy.

Pete’s been getting himself and the dogs out on the trails (skiing and bicycling) several times a week – so both Shadow and Ryder are in excellent condition. Ryder (again) has been threatening to send me to the human society, the crime I have committed being that I have over exercised her.

Yesterday, as Pete was getting ready to go for a bicycle ride, he called both dogs. Shadow came running. I was upstairs. Ryder was sprawled on our bed. She heard Pete, lifted her head, lowered it, sighed, and stretched out. I was concerned that it might be what we around here call, “the day.” Comes a time in every dog’s life when they decide to stay in rather than go on a vigorous outing.

Ryder slowly got up, stretched, when downstairs and stood quietly while Pete put her harness on her. Shadow was ready to go. Off they went. When he got back, Pete told me that Ryder was very energetic while out on the trail.

And then there are the chickens. They want out of their coop. I am going to open the door and let them wander around very soon. I’ll do this as I’m pen cleaning so that I can keep an eye on them.

Next: 80. 3/22/23: Keep On Keepin On