The Long Road, Part II

I honestly cannot recall whether Mat and I slept through the night, or if we were awakened prematurely by the cold and damp. I cannot forget, however, the viscous gray seepage in which we found ourselves by morning. I will never forget the color, the texture, or the copious abundance of the mud in that giant washbasin in which we had camped. I will never forget because, to this day the mud is with us—a gray film on my tent, washed several times and used several more in the intervening years; a collection of sloppy wet-paw slashes across Mat's guitar case, smeared during the passage of our soggy dogs in to the car the next morning. It was the fourth day of our trip, and we had passed what would be, on this trip, the last night of camping.

The frugal and outdoorsy vibe had left us, and as Mat and I scraped the mud from our boots, our gear, and our pups we made plans for change. Before the breakfast hour passed, we were plotting to overnight in a motel. The mud basin had rendered our poor tent too unwelcoming.

We had no trouble finding a pet-friendly motel at nightfall, and we fell headfirst into the shower at first opportunity. The four of us—two human, two canine—went in looking like Creatures From the Gray Lagoon, and it was refreshing to emerge with our skin, our hair, and our clean fur shining. The rats, safe in their travel cage, escaped the dirtying and the cleanup. On day five, the six of us left Montana in better shape than we'd come in.

What had been planned as a six day trip looked promisingly short on that fifth morning, and after a rash glance at the map it was decided that we would push for our final destination in one last marathon. Whidbey or bust, we said, and with the last ferry sailing at two in the morning we had a handy deadline by which to set our goal. We couldn't open our wallets for another motel stay, and we couldn't bear to think of crawling back inside the slimy gray mass that had been our two-man, three-season home away from home.

. . . to be continued . . .

(photo: a dramatic recreation of our morning in South Dakota)

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Here are the Cloud Dog's X-Rays

Here, for your edification, are the X-rays of dear Paisley's leg. There is, apparently, no new break (since his Monday siezure) but there is, of course, a great deal of abnormality caused by years of living with a shortened ulna. His pronounced lameness, the vet says, may temporarily improve. Unlike me, Fenway Bartholomule, poor cloud dog can't expect much in the way of a full recovery. Not having the $$$$ for surgery to fuse the joint, we are working on making some sort of rigid splint to support the limb and prevent further degeneration. That is, the humans (with their space-age material inventions and their opposable thumbs) are working on making a splint; I am working on giving cloud dog brayful looks of support and encouragement every time he totters into the yard to relieve himself. As always, he fears me (me?!) and keeps his distance. Ears to you, Fenway

Continued . . .

Vegan Spring Rolls

I, Fenway Bartholomule, am a vegan: of course I only eat plants, not people! My human is too, so I'm sharing my blog with her today so that she can participate in the 2014 Virtual Vegan Potluck ! When you're done perusing the recipe for these delicious spring rolls, click "back" or "forward" for the entire potluck experience! Virtual Vegan Potluck: Spring Roll Appetizers Beautiful? Check. Healthy? Check. Delicious? Check. Easy? Check. Fancy? Check. Quick to clean up after? Check. Vegan? OF COURSE! If you're looking for something portable, colorful, and crowd-pleasing for your next potluck, look no further than these simple vegan spring rolls! The best part? You can substitute ANYTHING. I never make these the same way twice, so play around with cilantro, kale, cabbage, scallions, or whatever you think sounds good! Ingredients Veggie mix: 2 carrots (grated) 4 oz mung bean sprouts 1/3 cup chopped peanuts (raw, or roasted and salted) or ...

Continued . . .

The Scoop on Bird

Human here, to give you the scoop on Songbird. He is shiny, sweet, and wonderful . . . and a little bit broken hearted. (Fenway was once, too.) As I've gotten to know him more over the last month, I've come to understand that he associates humans with unpleasantness, at least, and suffering, at worst. He has some gnarly scars. He flinches away from touch, though he warms up quickly when treats are involved. He's quite a foodie. He's easily startled. He's alert, and vigilant. He doesn't always feel safe. He also really likes it at my mom's house, which has a slower pace than the wonderful boarding and lesson barn where he lived in June. He appreciates the predictable routine, the long quiet afternoons, and the retired horses who give him company. He has flattened the grass under the big cedar out back and created nests to rest in. The soft footing at my mom's is better for his newly bare feet. He is starting to believe he'll be ok. I have ridden him...

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One person I miss

I have the best of friends around me here at this new home! I have my human Granny and Gruncle (is he a grandpa? Is he an uncle? I'm not sure), I have a horse companion beside me and two other horse companions a little further down the row, and I have a wonderful assortment of ponies, miniature horses, and miniature mules darting about and making adorable little sounds with their adorable little faces at all hours of the day and night. It's really quite lovely. I have chickens and rabbits and cats to befriend, and I have visits from the Woman and her blue dog. My friend Scotty, who lives on my right, is a wise old chestnut with a soothing presence. My friend Cadbury, who lives on my left, is a fiery miniature stallion (a rescue, for whom gelding was medically contraindicated) who ensures our life is never boring. I miss one person from the boarding barn—a sweet little girl who was the very first person I came to trust in that new place. She was kind to me from the outset, an...

Continued . . .

BRAYS OF OUR LIVES

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