When I take the dogs out to the Redgate, I’ll usually do a three-mile loop and I’d estimate the dogs go an extra mile, given all the meandering they do. Factor in a degree of difficulty for all the ups-and-downs to their wandering ways and our outing ends up being what I’d consider a pretty good canine workout.

When we get home, Reina is happy to nap, but not Rafa. He’ll grab his knotted rope and cozy up to me, wanting to play tug. Or, if we’re out on the deck, he’ll go find a tennis ball or the Jolly Ball (that’s seen much, much better days) with which to play fetch. I could throw a ball from the deck 40 times and Rafa would launch himself off the deck 40 times to retrieve it with the expectation of yet another throw.

I’ve never seen Rafa act as though he’s had enough and I’ve come to the conclusion he’s damn near inexhaustible.

The answer to just what Rafa’s fatigue threshold is, I believe, shared by one of the most profound questions of the 1960s: “How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?”

The world may never know.