Meet Miika. Miskwaki's happy again. Sales, subscribers, and shares all very much needed.

Photo copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved.

Meet Miika (pronounced MEEK-ah, except with shorter, sharper vowels, heavy on the first, rounded on the second). Her real name is Star Road, Wings's tribute to a late elder whence she came. In my language, that translates to six syllables in a portmanteau, the fourth and fifth of which are Miika. It means nothing by itself, but it's a good nickname, and she's already starting to grasp the idea that those two syllables have something to do with her. She's allegedly nine years old (based on looks, I'm thinking more like fourteen), and she's never had a name. [Also, to be clear, fourteen's not bad; Miskwaki turned sixteen this year, so that puts them closer in age, if true. We won't know until the vet checks her out, and even then, it'll still be a guess at best.]

She is a strong, solid little girl. She's also not nearly as freaked as she was yesterday. I only heard her call once to the horses east of us, early this morning; since then, she's been getting to know Miskwaki over the ProPanel barrier, and following us around when we're in there working. She's still very shy and spooky, so we're not rushing her, obviously. But she will come up to me now and extend her head so that I can rub her nose. She's also pretty jazzed with her new environment, soft and shady and full of hay and water and grain and minerals and things she's never seen or had. Despite her still periodic (and understandable) snottiness, Miskwaki is the most relaxed and happy we've seen him since he (and we) lost Shade. He seems to get her situation, and he's willing to give her space, and he seems completely confident that they'll be best friends soon. I think he's right.

Yesterday did wipe me out, though. I crashed two full hours early, but I didn't sleep much, thanks to all the usual constant pain plus a massive headache from being out in the heat so long yesterday. I also am way behind, as always, so here comes the cut-and-paste.
We very much, very badly need sales and new Patreon subscribers, and if you subscribe today, you won't be billed until August 1st. We have got to make some sales, though. Here are the links and a request to share them, because without those sales and subscribers, I honestly don't know how we get through this drought, both literal and metaphorical, with no tourist trade and not much else, either:

• My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds);
• Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
• Wings's direct PayPal link;
• A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount);
• Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of animal and household stuff;
• Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).

I had said that I'd really like to raise another $500 in subscriptions before July is out, just to have a little more to throw to the medical wolves that are constantly at my throat. That never ends, either, and the stress is not helping with the cardio stuff. Now, we've got a lot more that needs to be done, too, and I'm damned if I know how. The truck was more than enough to throw a wrench in the works (and that's still unfixed, for the most part, given that just the one part is more than $1,200, so . . . ), but this thing with Shade? Out of left field. And once you're in it, you have to keep going; there's no way out but forward, whatever the result. So please, please share the links. Thanks to everyone for the prayers and kind words and other help for Shade. I know she was better off for it, and I know she appreciated that. Miskwaki, too, and now his new girl.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.