Saturday - 316th

In normal times, a day like this one would be ho-hum. What did you do? Oh, not much, just ran a few errands. But in these unusual times, I feel like we just ran a marathon. True, we skirted social contact, never letting ourselves get too close to people, but still, we plunged into a denser world than the one we have been inhabiting now for 316 days.

It is again a cold day, so let's start there. Cold, but sunny. At least in these early hours.

 

(I feed the cats in the sheep shed. Nice and warm there! We're wintering over two of the big orchids on the sunny windowsills. They are blooming their heads off this year!)

I check the barn. No more possums in the trap. Cheepers safe. Cats fed. 

Breakfast served. (Note the regalia of flowers! Typically I get one bunch with each grocery order, which is about what you need to keep a fresh bouquet on your table all year. But somehow this week the old flowers had more than one life packed into them. Nothing is fading. So we have now not one, not two, but three bunches! It's a January miracle!)

Then we start in on our loop of errands. The best comes first -- a brief trip to my daughter's to drop off some books for the kids and some odd foods to nibble on. Then comes a stop at the Amazon drop off place, where we must deposit two microwaves. (Yes two. We have been trying to replace the one that failed now over a year ago and each time a new one comes, there is a problem. It doesn't work. It breaks. It's the wrong one. We have been buying and returning microwaves for over a year!) Next -- fill the car with gas. That's boring, until a guy drives up and barrels out of the car next to us mask-less. Grrr. I got out of there just in time, but in my hurry I slammed the door on my finger which is now threatening to fall off. Well, maybe not fall off, but it does look puffy and very purple. Still not done yet! Next comes a stop at the curbside pick-up of farmers market carrots. Yes! Lovely and delicious. And eggs, because our cheepers lay very few in the wintertime and those very few have been gobbled up by the family of possum this past week. And finally our last stop for a walk in the city park that is just by the market pickup site-- Olin Park, that abuts Lake Monona (the second largest lake in Madison). 

So! Errands accomplished, finger still hanging on, people remained at a distance, but more importantly, we had some beautiful moments sprinkled throughout. The highlight? Oh, unquestionably the trip to my daughter's. The sun was out, the kids were still in their pj's, the moods all around were brilliant!

And also at the top of the list? The walk in the park. Ed always suggests that we include it in our repertoire of park hikes and I always resist, claiming that it surely must have lots of people since it is smack at the edge of the downtown area. But in fact, it never has many people and moreover, it has a gorgeous view onto the lake and the Madison skyline and in the winter, you can avoid most anyone by simply walking on the lake! Which we do and after this last cold snap and even I'm not *too* worried about the strength of the ice cover! (In fact, you need the ice to be at least 4 inches thick to be safe for walking and I read later that Lake Monona of today's adventure has been that for all of January.) 

Photos from our walk:

(Always the awesome and frightening cracks in the ice! I do read later that Lake Monona has had an ice cover more than 4 inches thick, that is safe for walking, for all of January, but still...)

(Such a fine view of Madison's isthmus!)

(must do a selfie!)

No hair cut today! I'm not so ambitious as to fit even more into one day!