The Road pages 119-135

Paralell: On pages 129 and 131, they talk about carrying the fire and mending a fire. Both the man and the son talk about the fire. On page 129, the son talks about carrying the fire. I think this relates to both  god and the son. Carrying and keeping in mind god wherever they as well as the life of the son. On page 131, the father talks about mending a fire and then goes into a memory of his wife. Just like keeping god on mind, the father may be mending the memories of his wife. 

Contrast: On page 131, the father is walking through town with his son holding one hand and his revolver in his other hand. I thought that this was an important contrast because you have the thing keeping him alive (son) as well as what could kill him (revolver). In the section before, the fathers thinks about killing his child and now he has the weapon and target in either hand. 

Questions:

How long have they been in a post apocylptoc world if they are still able to smell cows.

Why does the father always leave his son while he searches around? Wouldn't you be nervous that your son can be taken while you are not their?