I put away my camera with the lens that loves to seek out animals. No need for it here, on farmette lands. Indeed, it's hard to feel excitement for any camera at the moment: the landscape is bleak. Color is hard to find. Not impassible! But hard.
White chickens are less photogenic than bison and moose. And they move quickly. And they do not have soulful eyes!
Breakfast. Ed comes down, groggy from sleep. Dance joins us. Yes, of course it's good to eat with both of them again. Their presence is what gives warmth to the farmhouse.
And afterwards, I take the time to visit with my friend through Zoom. She lives by the beach, in Florida. You know how that turned out this fall. And yet, she loves her home as much as I love the farmhouse. We grow attached to our little corners, to our communities of friends, of animals, of plants.
The kids aren't here today (appointments and such) and this is a good thing because I have to do Thanksgiving food shopping. I think I'm early -- it's Monday. Don't most people shop on Wednesday? Apparently they do not. The store is crowded. Thanksgiving foods abound, but, too, I see that they're unloading Christmas trees. Of course they are -- this year the two holidays are squeezed closely together. Is it really the case that December comes this Sunday?
I did not travel that far this past weekend: the road distance from the farmhouse to Jackson, Wyoming is just over 1200 miles. And here's an even more telling factoid: if you were to drive from the farmette to Jackson, you'd pass through Iowa, then Nebraska, and then boom! You are in Wyoming. Just twp states stand between us. And yet, I may as well be returning from a trip across the ocean. I feel I've gone over many borders, and traveled many flight hours. Gone for just three nights, and yet it seems so much longer. Why?
I suppose because the greatest similarity between Wyoming and Wisconsin is that they share a place at the tail end of the alphabet. And yes, there are lakes and forests here, and there, and tall grasses where cattle (WI) or bison (WY) roam, but the history, the landscape, the economic thrust of these two states is vastly different. And lucky them -- they have those great National Parks (Yellowstone is 95% in Wyoming and of course the Grand Teton is 100% Wyoming). The Parks and the wildlife that inhabits them -- they put Wyoming on the map for me. Being there, even for those short days, felt like being very far away.
And now I return to the usual: soup for tonight, couch time in the evening. Except that right now there's a rather large turkey in the refrigerator and a holiday dinner before me. Gulp. I have to get going on this fast approaching holiday of great food expectations.
with love....
