L is for language!
Training dogs and horses has been a fun pass-time of mine for years. But, I think I have been miss-naming that pass-time. It is communicating, not, training that I do!
In order for communication to happen, we must either learn each others language or develop together an in-between language. It is my thinking that by using a jointly developed in-between language we can better form a fun team.
As you can see from the photo above, dogs communicate with their noses a lot. I do not plan to stick my nose where I often see dog sticking theirs when they greet each other!!! So when I say in-between, I do not mean in-between there!!!
Enough of that — but, “that” made me think about how we humans have many in-between languages. For example; think about these local phrases that are clearly understood — only by local folks who developed these in-between phrases — people from places that I have lived:
1. Are they running wild today? 
On Drummond Island that means “Are the ferry boats running back to the Island (or mainland) just as soon as they unload instead of running on the hourly schedule? They do this when traffic is heavy like on Jeep Week-End. You know what Jeep Week-end is do you not?
2. Red up your room before you go.
In PA Dutch farm country that would mean “Red up your — OOPS It would mean “Clean up your room before you go — go where —outside. of course.
3. How many points did you get last night? 
In Texas ranch country that would mean “How many tenths of an inch of rain did you get last night.” (All ranchers have numerous rain-gages on various fence posts.)
4. When are you leaving?
In Florida that would mean “when are you getting into your motorhome and driving to your northern home for the summer.”
5. How much are you charging for race week?
On Block Island that would mean how many dollars are you going to charge the sailboat racing crews who rent your summer home during race week which is the second week of june?
6. Exit 136. 
If you ask a person from NJ where they lived, they would not name the town they lived in — they would just say the exit number on the Garden State Parkway that is near their home. For example: Exit 136.
7. I saw a bale of them today.
At the Nature Center that would mean I saw a stack or collection of turtles. Not a herd or flock of turtles, but a bale of turtlers.
Did you understand me? Good, I am glad!
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