The following conversation took place this evening, as I was doing the evening goat chores. Both Tinni and Swampy were in the yard. They made one another’s acquaintance and talked for a bit.

Tinni: Hello there, I’m Tinni, who are you?
Swamp Thing: Hello, I’m Swamp Thing.
T: You must be new here.
ST: Yes, I am.
T: Welcome to Squalor Holler.
ST: Thank you.
T: You arrived here the other night, right?
ST: Yes, I did.
T: Are you feeling at home here?
ST: Not quite. There’s a lot going on.
T: Yes. Is Ranger treating you well?

ST: He seems to be somewhat indifferent.
T: This is understandable. A week before you got here, his good friend Stormy died.
ST: Do you think he’ll warm up to me?
T: Oh yes. He warmed up to Stormy. This was after his buddy Rover died.
ST: How sad.
T: Otherwise, are you doing okay?
ST: The milking routine is way different than I’m used to. Alys milks later in the morning and night. And she milks by hand. I’m used to being milked by machine.
T: I’ve never been milked, so I’m not familiar with particulars.
ST: Lucky you. Are you happy here?
T: Oh, I’d say I have it pretty good. Alys dotes on me. I am brushed and then taken on an outing most days.
ST: Where does she take you?
T: These days, on the road and trails.
ST: Do you think she’d take me too?
T: She used to take Ranger and Rover and another goat, Peaches, on outings, but then neighbors acquired dogs, and so it was then unsafe.
ST: Dogs?
T: Dogs.
ST: There are dogs here.
T: Yes, Ryder and Shadow. You don’t have to worry about Shadow – she has no interest in chasing you. But be wary of Ryder. She is a border collie, and once they get it in them to chase something, they are not easily deterred.
ST: And what about those three over there?
T: Those three are what Alys calls the hoard. The three mares, Raudi, Hrimmi, and Tyra, they are relatively harmless.
ST: Relatively?
T: Just don’t get near them when they are eating their hay. Then they don’t like being messed with.
ST: The red one with the dark mane and tail, a short while ago I noticed that she was having a conversation with a robin.
T: Yes, Tyra talks with the birds. She gets a lot of information this way. I’m surprised that you saw her talking with a robin. She is of the mind that they aren’t very worldly.
ST: I would beg to differ.
T: Do you talk with birds?
ST: I’ve had some very good conversations with barn owls.
T: Where are you from?
ST: Kodiak Island. And where are you from?
T: Iceland.
ST: Where’s that?
T: It’s a distant country, on the far side of the world.
ST: Do you miss your homeland?
T: I do. But there is a law that says once an Icelandic horse is deported, it can never come back to its native country.
ST: So here you are.
T: And here you are.
ST: Well, finally, I feel like I’ve made a friend.
T: Stick around. I think that you, like me, will like this place. You’ll be loved and treated very well.
ST: This is good to hear. Thank you so much for talking to me.
T: You are so very welcome.

Next: 149. 5/30/21: Earthquake!