Alys: Happy Fourth of July, Stormy
Stormy: I don’t know what you are talking about. But the same to yourself.
A: The Fourth of July is a holiday.
S: Every day is a holiday to me.
A: How does it feel to not be giving milk this year?
S: It feels odd. I’m a good producer.
A: Yes you are.
S: It’s too bad that I didn’t have babies this year. They were always taken away from me when I was at Suzy’s place. You would have let me keep my babies, right?
A: Yes. At least one.
S: Are you going to breed me again?
A: Yes, but it is going to be a while because next summer Pete and I are going on a trip.

Stormy in the hay shed

S: What are you going to do with me and Ranger?
A: You’ll be here. We are going to find a house sitter, someone to take care you goats, the chickens, and the garden.
S: And the horses?
A: We’ll be taking Hrimmi, Tyra, and Raudi with us.
S: And Tinni?
A: We’ll find him a summer home.
S: Hey, that little red one. It chased me and Ranger this morning. What’s with her?
A: Tyra?
S: Yes, the one you call Tyra and Ranger and I call Red Flake.
A: I don’t know what’s with her. Actually, I think that she’s somewhat bored these days – I’ve been spending a lot of time with Raudi.
S: Somewhat bored?
A: All right, extremely bored.
S: What are you going to do about this?
A: Right now I’m getting in the miles on Raudi, at the end of the month we’ll be doing a two-day competitive trail ride. She has to be in shape to do this. After this is over, I am going to alternate days of riding Raudi and Tyra.
S: This sounds like a good plan. Do you think this is going to change her attitude?
A: Yes. Absolutely. These horses like to work and so after they’re idle for a bit they find ways of amusing themselves.
S: And so today Tyra amused herself by chasing Ranger and me across the yard.
A: That was a nice leap you both made over the manure buckets.
S: We are prey you know.
A: So are horses.
S: That red one, she’s a predator.
A: Actually, she’s a pagan.
S: Is chasing goats what pagans do?
A: Pagans butcher goats and then eat them.
S: No.
A: Yes.
S: Say it ain’t so.
A: I would not lie to you.
S: So Tyra the Pagan would kill us and eat us?
A: I don’t think so.
S: And what about that dog?
A: As you can see, Ryder is exclusively in stalking mode.
S: So she’s not a Pagan?
A: No, she’s into some other sort of dogma.
S: So where do you go on that bigger red horse?
A: Raudi?
S: Yes Raudi.
A: On area trails.
S: Will you someday take me out on them?
A: Yes I will.
S: And you’ll leave Tyra home?
A: Yes, I promise to do this.
S: Happy Fourth of July.
A: And the same to you.

Next: 186. 7/5/18: When it Rains it Pours