Home and Ashore

The goats are alright. The chickens are alright. The cats, too, are alright. In fact, they are better than alright. Our pets have been such bright spots, giving us food, affection, distraction, laughs. I think about this everyday, about how happy, even relieved I am, that we had pets going into this Stay at Home Season, and that their care and well-being has kept us occupied, that their antics, and the narratives we create around their personalities are happily shared between us, and with friends. They have made our lives richer.

I ordered a therapeutic quantity of seeds from Renee's Garden, which I admit probably means too many, but I had fun sharing them, and now I have begun planting our winter garden. I definitely shopped with my emotions, so flowers will (hopefully) out-number veggies, about 2 to 1! I ordered Nigella and Corn Flowers, Poppies, and Scabiosa. Just the names were enough to tempt me... Grandmother's Pincushion, Persian Violet, Love in a Mist. I brought armloads of expired plants from the garden beds to the goats and chickens. Old corn stalks, and bean vines, faded calendula, some dandelions, and raggedy tomatoes. The goats and chickens take it all as a buffet and kind of sensory experience... they scratch, peck, nibble, tug, devour, and for me, the gardener, it all becomes mulch, and compost, and good soil. I love this cycle, and cooperative farming method. With old stuff cleared out, I am making room to get those seeds in the ground, including peas, beets, carrots, spinach, and some of those flowers.

We are making more ventures out into the world... sadly, just as the COVID numbers are rising. We have practiced an abundance of caution, and will continue to keep our distance, wear masks, and take care. It's nice now, though, to have quieter days on the local beaches. We have enjoyed some long, beautiful walks. On this particular outing, I had a hard time moving forward without stopping to take one more picture. We watched a pelican in flight, scanning the water, then dive swiftly into the water. That is awe inspiring, as pelicans are kind of other worldly, and the dive is dramatic. I think the last shot, of the sunset and pelican is other worldy, too... the lens flare, or whatever we call that blue orb, could be Neptune in some improbable orbit. I love it.