Much time has passed between the big birthday celebration and now. Frodo misses Bilbo very much and begins a tradition of honoring Bilbo's birthday, along with his own, every single year. Since so much time has passed without hearing from Bilbo, it is generally thought throughout Hobbiton that Bilbo is now dead. The hobbits begin to think that Frodo is as odd as his uncle was because he does not agree with this popular opinion and continues to honor his cousin's birthday each and every year. Frodo also seems to have inherited Bilbo's ability to not age at all.
Frodo is now nearing fifty years of age and feels this is an ominous birthday as it is the same age his cousin Bilbo left the shire, many years before he was born,.....
