The following conversation took place today, while walking Ryder, Hrimmi, and Tyra home, after a trail ride.

Ryder: Something is bothering me.
Alys: May I ask what?
R: You may.
A: What?
R: You haven’t been paying much attention to me.
A: What do you mean? I’ve been taking you for walks and making sure you get fed in Pete’s absence.
H: Where’s Pete?
A: Visiting his family.
T: Why doesn’t his family come and visit us?
A: Because Alaska seems like a distant land to them.
H: Iceland seems like a distant land to me. If I could go there, I would.
T: They made a law in 800 A.D. in which those horses that left could not return.
H: I know that.
T: Yes, we all know that.
R: I didn’t know that.
T: That’s because you’re a dog.
A: They have dogs in Iceland. As far as I know, they can come and go.
H: Doesn’t seem right to me.
T: Doesn’t seem right to me, either.

Ryder in front of Goatel

A: So, I can go to Iceland with Ryder but not with you two.
T: That’s right.
H: That’s right.
R: I want to talk about my problem.
A: Sorry Ryder, the mares are quite chatty today. What’s the matter?
R: You haven’t been paying much attention to me.
T: Didn’t we go through this a minute ago?
H: You interrupted them.
T: No, I think you interrupted them.
A: No matter. Ryder go on, you have my undivided attention.
R: You seem, what’s the word for it?
T: Preoccupied.
H: Yes, that’s it.
A: Do you care to elaborate?
R: No.
T: Well, I will because I know what Ryder is getting at. You are with us, but you aren’t paying much attention to us. You keep mumbling things, like, is the scene safe? And what is your chief complaint?
H: Yes, and it seems to be the same old same old.
R: Yes, that’s it. Strangest thing I have ever seen as a dog.
T: I have my days, but you have your weeks.
H: I want the old Alys back . . .
T: Yes, the one who was attentive to us.
R: Ditto.
A: Okay. I have been studying for a test and going over what’s known as a practical exam.
H: I don’t understand.
T: I’ve been listening closely to this clatter and I think I understand. You are taking an Emergency Medical Responder class and you have to act out some of the things you do in front of an examiner.
R: How do you know this, Tyra?
T: I heard Alys telling Dr. Kaiser all about it. She then had him show her how he goes about examining Tinni.
H: Poor Tinni. He has a lung problem.
T: It’s called bronchitis.
R: How do you know this, Tyra?
T: Quite obviously, I’m an astute observer of the human condition.
A: Well, I do love and care about you all. I am taking this course so that I will be more adept at providing first aid to horses and humans, here and when we are on our trips.
R: When is your exam?
A: December 14th.
T: And if you pass, how will you celebrate?
A: I’m going to Iceland – I want to go on a sheep roundup.
R: Take me, take me.
A: We’ll see. First, I must pass the exam.
T: Go anyways.
A: Yes, that is probably what’s going to happen.

Next: 312. 11/11/19: Making Associative Leaps