Rover has taken up residence in the kitchen addition. He has become a household mainstay. He’s a good guest, is very quiet. He’d be quiet even if he was feeling good. At times he gazes out of the kitchen addition window, looking out at the goat/chicken shed. Ranger is out there, I’m sure, looking up at the house. Hard to tell because we keep the shed door shut when it’s cold.

Ranger and Rover are buddies. They’ve been together since they were born. We got both of them from Matt Shaw, a local goat milk farmer. I remember the ride home, they were in a crate in the back of Kirby Spangler’s truck. I looked back at the pair, they were up for an adventure.

I gave Rover fresh water this morning and he drank it. I felt bad, I hadn’t swapped out the other water bucket in a week. Quite clearly his preference was for fresh water. What I learned from this was that Rover, though he’s undergoing palliative care, is teaching me to be more caring. This is something that does not come naturally to me, as it does to those like my sister.

And so I am in town right now, meeting with Betty. She gave me a painting of Rover that we decided to call Drinking Wine and Painting goats. We talked at length about the nature of creativity – and agreed that putting our hearts and souls into our work is what we need to do when thoughts of other things intervene.

She’s now reading the handful of poems I wrote. I am, when we are done here, going to the store and purchasing some sprouts for Rover. Maybe, just maybe, this will stimulate his appetite. If this does not, I will have to accept the fact that I’ve done all I can for him. I thought that I’d accepted the fact that he is checking out. I guess I have not accepted the fact that he is checking out.

Pete is going to have to take a hold of the proverbial reins because I am leaving tomorrow for Oregon. So whatever happens when I am gone, happens.

A Postscript. I went to Fred Meyer’s and asked the clerk if they had bean sprouts. He said no. But this older man standing next to me said that they have big bags over at Safeway. He was like a sage. I didn’t want to go to Safeway because the area is trafficked and right now the parking lots and roads are snowy. But I did this for Rover. I inwardly cheered in discovering that the store had beansprouts and water cress.

I have now offered Rover the watercress and bean sprouts. And he ate some of both. I did not offer him too much – I don’t want to overload him. I am beyond the point of thinking that too much of this or that will kill him. I hope that the goods I got him helped him to generate energy. Now going to see if friends of ours have sprouted barley grass on hand. I just can’t bring myself to give up.

Next: 25. 1/25/17: Like Magic