Monday Miscellany

 

The only good place to walk around our place yesterday during a brief period of blue sky and sunshine was the road. 

So, I took that route where ice and snow had been replaced by mud and puddles. 

It felt like a spring day as I walked north for about half a mile and then turned around to walk south past our driveway and to Selle Road. 

While returning to the house, I stopped for a moment in the driveway to check if the back of my pant legs looked as wet as they felt. 

They did. 

Layers of mud spatters extended from the cuffs clear to the back of my knees.

Those pants could almost stand up by themselves when I removed them and changed into a dry pair of jeans. 

Bill said maybe we were in the midst of the January thaw. 

I agreed, adding, "the first of many." 

Overnight cold temperatures turned puddles and slush to ice.

Twas "old lady" walking pretty much every step of the way this morning as I went to the barn, filled the cart and carefully plotted my way to the front pasture. 

Unlike yesterday morning went boots sank through snow into water, those boots wanted to slide a lot today. 

After carefully moving taking one flake of hay at a time and flinging it as far as possible, not far from the gate where I had entered, I drove the cart back to the barn pretty much in dread of how it was gonna be leading those horses to pasture. 

No real worries about Lily or Lefty, but CB has a habit of veering this way or that way, checking out every nuance along the way. 

Happily, he sensed a bit of danger too, so he picked his steps carefully too. 

Quite an operation this morning, doing a usually mundane job and staying upright throughout. 

It's January, and I'm already counting days.  

During this January, 2021, the count involves several milestones. 

This week, I hope we have seen the last act of the Carnival of political stunts, rallies, protests, bullish telephone calls looking for more votes, which was supposed to end in November. 

After listening to the full transcript of yesterday's famous, soon-to-be-deemed "perfect" call to Georgia in search for more votes, I couldn't help think of our ZAGS the year they earned runner-up for the National Championship, losing that game by just a few points.

If only they had gotten on the phone and called up one of the referees and verbally twisted his arm to take back a couple of fouls he had called. 

It could have been such a different outcome, after the fact, of course, but still a championship earned off the court, satisfying a whole lot of egos.

Never mind integrity and grace. 

Happily, the ZAGS have consistently maintained both of the above. 

And, if all goes right for Mark Few's fabulous team this year, they may just win a national championship---the old-fashioned and best way possible. 

Anyway, this is Carnival week, and I hope it comes to an end after Wednesday.  

Many of us could use a breather from all this disgusting drama.  

I'm also looking forward to the noon Inauguration on Jan. 20 when we at least will have a shot at getting back on track.

Speaking of shots, I hope the vaccination process speeds up a bit.

I read this morning that there are great concerns with the new, more contagious strains of Covid 19, which could extend this Pandemic even longer. 

The story suggested that at the current rate of  vaccinations, the virus could stay ahead of attempts to stop it, especially when people don't follow simple safety guidelines. 

Shots can't come soon enough when that kind of information unfolds. 

As with every seemingly endless month of January, I always look toward Jan. 31, which brings to an end my least favorite month of the year. 

Just 27 days and counting. 

Happy Monday.