It’s exactly a month after the solstice. We had the same amount of daylight May 21. Now the days are really going to get shorter.

Another beautiful day. It began mid-morning (everything begins mid-morning around here) with Pete on Tyra and me on Raudi, riding to Grizzly Camp and up the hill. I think we would have attempted to do the Grizzly Camp Loop, but Pete was in a hurry to get back and continue working on the roof. This is something we need done, and fortunately he enjoys doing it. It would be good if there was someone he could buddy up with, say we do our roof and we do yours, but we don’t seem to have those kinds of friends. So it’s Raise High the Roofbeam Carpenters with thanks to J.D. Salinger for the wonderful title.

As I was riding, I noted that Raudi seemed tired. She’s had three days of strenuous work. And I had three days of strenuous riding. And this got me to thinking – she and I are now both oldER. Neither of us are young. And neither of us are old. We are right now the same age. In six years, our combined age will be 100.

Alys and Raudi heading up the Grizzly Camp Trail

Neither of us will live forever. One of us will die first and the other will grieve. Raudi won’t grieve. But she will feel as though something is amiss, should I die first.

I don’t know if she just feels overall tired or if her legs are achy. There is no way of knowing. She’s going to get the next two days off.

Me, well, I cleaned the goat pen. We have just two goats, Lilac and Sasy, but when I put the job off, as I have done repeatedly (today was no exception), it’s harder to do. And the job entails heavy lifting.

I felt really good, so I overdid it, most likely flinging the soiled bedding over the fence. Or maybe it was pitchforking the soiled bedding in the shed into the muck buckets. Most likely it was a combination of most.

After, I laid down for a while because I was tired. I then took a shower. After, I sat down on the kitchen stairs. I went to get up and my hip or lower back (I don’t know which) seized up. There are now degrees of severity, and this time it was pretty bad. I went to do a body scan and could not lie on my back on a mat.

We ate dinner, and Pete resumed working on the roof. He will do the evening chores. I will try one more time to walk around and if this does not work, sit on the porch (in a chair) and read a book.

Once again, my doing the CTR is in doubt. I really ought not do this. I suspect that if I do again feel good, that I will be tempted to do the ride.

I don’t like to waver. But wavering seems to be these days what I do best.

Next: 200. 7/22/24: Overcast