Well that's a stunning ending to this normally cold and indifferent month: a high of 52f (11C) today! And sunny.
And windy, but who's complaining!
(Well, the chickens are -- not about the weather but about my coming to feed them on the late side...)
We have some small animal altercations which we've not been able to control well: a skunk keeps visiting the barn at night (he leaves his signature card behind). And a racoon came to the porch last night. We had to scramble to chase him out and hide Pancake's food dish (which normally stays out on the porch). One of these animals clearly visited the sheep shed as well overnight, creating a mess in search of food. You have to wonder why these beasts are suddenly desperate for additional food sources. And then you remember -- it's spring. Pregnancies abound. Appetites soar.
There's nothing we can do really, except be diligent about hiding cat food and chicken feed. We do use the trap to scare off these animals (nothing like an overnight in a cage to give them pause) and sometimes we remove them to an approved place far away, but honestly, you just have to cross your fingers and hope your chickens will be spared and eventually that these invaders will look elsewhere.
Breakfast: I tell Ed that all his blood donations have resulted in me sitting across the table from a guy who has the word blood emblazoned on his chest. (The free t-shirts he gets lately have a message about giving blood, which is fine, unless you have to look at some iteration of that message every single day. He donates frequently and so there are many t--shirts!)
The topic of blood makes an appearance again later in the day as I tune in to the meeting between the leader of a nation ravaged by war and, well, two angry men who are at the helm of this nation. I'm not sure anyone can stomach the berating and finger wagging of our "leadership" at a man who has bravely lead the defense of his country in a hellishly bloody war. But I force myself to watch the details. And it is shocking. I know my Polish friends must be watching as well. What must they be thinking! Hard to believe we traded away an alliance with economically successful democracies around the world for a phony alliance with a floundering dictatorship headed by a war criminal.
At noon, Ed and I go for a walk in the new development. The wind is fierce, but this may be a good thing: chase those thoughts away, clear the mind, face the sun, let it go...
(Oh! The pond behind the farmette lands is almost completely melted)
I pick up the kids at school and quickly drive them over to the farmhouse.
On the one hand, it's a rushed visit -- the girl is tech crew for a Shakespeare performance tonight and needs to be (who knows why) behind the scenes two hours early. We drop her off at 4, then Sparrow and I go to Barrique's where we meet up with my daughter for an end of week/end of month moment.
I try very hard to stay with our favorite topics: kids, friends, events. Future plans, current small successes. Only toward the end do I let loose with my anguish over what took place in the Oval Office today.
And then I go home. The last day of February: lovely for us. Heartbreaking for so many...
with love...
