The pirate dog goes to the ice pond and skates every day. Sometimes she just skates out into the middle and stops and stares at me, as if to say “see, this is safe!” Some days are warm this winter and the ice starts to melt, and when she feels the softness or hears a crackle, she just skates back to the firm ground.

Fate knows what she is doing, and pirates, of course, know how to navigate. On our walks now, she skates out onto the ice every single time, at least once. I guess she does it just because she can, and she does not accept the boundaries of ordinary creatures.