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December 23, 2019: Quietude Revisited

The best winter holidays are those in which I don’t have to deal with all the hoo haah that traditionally go along with them. I don’t enjoy shopping, I don’t enjoy crowds, I don’t enjoy listening to the same old tunes being played over and over, I don’t enjoy getting stuck in heavy traffic, I don’t enjoy eating meat.

We don’t have a tree in our living room because I would much rather see them reach maturity in their natural environs.

So, the term that’s used to describe my kind is “Scrooge.” You see? There is even a descriptor used when talking about those who refuse to buy into the general mayhem of Christmas and the days before and after.


Alys and Hrimmi


I do enjoy being at home, quietude, and the company of Pete and the animals, and I don’t see anything wrong with this. In fact, I think it’s far saner and more preferable than the very stressful alternative.

The day started out well. Pete and I made the December agility videos; Raudi and Tyra were the stars of the show. Yesterday was Hrimmi’s day to shine. The feeling that I’m generally getting from Tinni and what I now call the hoard (as opposed to herd) is that they’re all very content. They also seemed to find the course to their liking – they (for example) have to go through a tunnel and walk through an enclosed area that contains lots of plastic bottles. They all also must perform a trick – this is the final obstacle. I had Hrimmi carry a lawn chair with a Santa on it. I had Raudi spin the upside down wheelbarrow wheel, and I had Tyra touch her rear foot with her nose. Way fun.

Pete went to town after lunch and I stayed put. Upon his return Pete’s story was that there was no place to park in Palmer Post Office parking lot and that the always very long line was even longer than usual, so he didn’t pick up our package.

My story was that I took Tinni and Ryder for a long walk. It was snowing lightly when I started out, and then the sky cleared – it was gray with patches of blue – the very orange sun was low in the sky. A neighbor was finishing up a bicycle ride – I talked for a bit with him about upcoming trail issues. We are hoping to have the Matanuska Moose Range turned into a non-motorized hunting area. This neighbor said that the likelihood of this happening is nearly non-existent, that in fact The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is advocating that non-motorized areas be opened up. Of course, I was not happy to hear this.

I also cleaned the goat pen and was glad to see that Stormy is now better. She was putting weight on both front legs again, and when I finished, was looking down at me from the deck of the Black Hole.

It was dark when I finished this chore, so I came inside and did house chores. I filled water buckets, got the woodstove fire going, and brought in some wood.

I’d say a very sane, low stress day. And I suspect that tomorrow, Christmas eve, will be much the same.

Next: 355. 12/24/19: A Conversation with Thelma, the Chicken

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