I am not over nor am I underwhelmed. I’m just whelmed. I’m going along, doing what I think needs to be done, and well knowing that I am not going to get all of what needs to be done, done.

I do not know what becomes of us when we die. This is life’s biggest mystery. Some act like they know, and they base their entire ways of being around this speculative knowledge.

Today’s July 31. Now we go into August, which heralds the beginning of Fall. Then winter comes on its heels.

The robins arrived, found mates, raised babies, and then took off. Young and old alike have headed south. I wish that I had gone with them. Pretty soon, the geese and sandhill cranes will also leave. Seems like yesterday these migratory species arrived.

Pam reading at Friday Fling

I am now going to make a handful of cognitive leaps. Where to begin?

I went for a ride tonight on Raudi – she’s coughing. There was some older, loose hay in the hay shed. I fed her this, but tonight I put her on the new hay that we got yesterday. One less thing to worry about, our getting hay. We got it, and it wasn’t as expensive as we thought it might be.

I guess we’ll have to take this one year at a time.

Friday Fling – good, good. The beautiful weather was such that little children and their parents came to hang out on the lawn of the Palmer Visitor Center. It was magical, looking out from behind the book table and seeing parents and their children reading books. And I had a lot of good conversations with those who were unfamiliar with the project.

I didn’t have much help. Having enough volunteers on hand for these kinds of things is always a gamble. I got a call from a Friday Fling volunteer this morning. She said that she would not be able to make it today because her family found her a mattress. She then went on to explain that she was going to go with them to Tok, to the motorcycle races. I then had to find someone else to take her place and I had an hour to do it. And I did.

When done, at 2:30 p.m., I returned to the former banquet room of the historic Eagle Hotel and greeted several volunteers. It was business as usual for the rest of the afternoon. I am always having to think about numbers, and having the right amount of books least a volunteer showed up.

This evening, I went for a ride on Raudi. She did just fine but now has a cold and cough. This kind of thing absolutely pains me. I am as worried as I was when Tyra had her poop problem. Tyra seems to be over this now.

So Raudi is now off the hay scraps on the floor and on the new hay. Fingers are crossed (there is that word again). I hope that I have solved the problem.

Next: 206. 8/1/26: Here it is, August 1, 2026