I just asked Pete, “What should I write about?” He replied, “Write about a conversation between Shadow and Tyra. I didn’t say what I was thinking, which is that these conversations usually take place between the two when Pete goes down to the horse enclosure, usually to water the horses. So I am not privy to them.

I am privy to the conversations between Tyra and Sastrugi, respectively, the horse and the goat.

This was today’s conversation:

Sastrugi (as Tyra comes barreling in her direction): Gosh, darn, red horse coming through.
Tyra: Time to go elsewhere.
S: How come?
T: Because all the hay here is ours.
S: Who is “ours?”
T: Raudi, Hrimmi, and me.
S: Says who.
T: Says I.

S: You think that I am going to listen to you?
T: Yes.
S: You are mistaken.
T: You’re listening now. Better move on or I’ll. . .
S: You’ll what?
T: Flatten you like that yellow bucket lid over there.
S: Try it.
T: You have plenty of hay in your shed.
S: It isn’t as good as your hay. It’s last year’s old hay. Lilac and I much prefer this year’s new hay.
T: We three ate most of it. It’s not so bad.
S: It made Raudi cough.
T: And Hrimmi.
S: But not you.
T: I have my own health issues.
S: Such as?
T: You are asking for too much information.
S: You think so?
T: Yep. But I will tell you what, you don’t want to know.
S: Tell me what you do want me to know.
T: Okay. I have loose poop.
S: So it’s your poop that I’m seeing in the pen.
T: It’s mine.
S: I thought it was Hrimmi’s poop.
T: It’s mine. Actually, it’s now Alys and Pete’s poop. They are going to compost it all; all includes the textbook poop.
S: Are the two concerned about you?
T: Yes, very much so.
S: How do you know this?
T: I heard Alys and Pete talking. Alys sounded very worried. They did call Zach, the veterinarian, and he suggested that they give me Sand Clear and a probiotic from Animal Food warehouse.
S: Alys gives me Nutri-Drench when I am sick.
T: This would not work for me.
S: Why not?
T. Because there is dissention between my foregut and my hind gut. Nutri-drench is designed for what you have, multiple stomachs.
S: I have four stomachs: the omasum, the abomasum, the rumen, and the reticulum.
T: There’s a whole lot of digestion going on.
S: Yes.
T: So you can handle older, possibly moldy hay.
S: How’d you do that?
T: Do what?
S: Get me to agree that old, moldy hay is acceptable.
T: Beyond this, we have no idea as to what reading groupsooooooxxooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxoooooooooo
S: What’s that?
T: Alys just fell asleep at the computer.
S: Are we that boring?
T: Sometimes yes, and sometimes no.
S: Was this conversation for real?
T: Yes, as real as they come.

Next: 292. 10/27/24: A Whole Day at Home