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March 28, 2020: Adjustments

The word today, from Carole at the VCRS Recycling Center, is that they are closing the door to what they consider to be non-essential services. The Bright Lights Book Project is a non-essential service. Never mind that I could go without having contact with anyone, the lights have been turned out.

So no one knew that I wasn’t planning on going in today, anyways. Very good timing, if a virus-related halt to ongoing services can be called good.

I am now shifting gears, slowly, but they are shifting. The day dawned bright, but chilly, 10˚ F, and somewhat windy. Winter remains a pit bull that refuses to release her grip.

Alys and Tyra on a cold, ice, windy day
Alys and Tyra on a cold, ice, windy day


I felt very lethargic and didn’t want to do anything other than climb into bed. But, being the disciplined person that I can sometimes be, I resumed work on If You Come to a Fork in the Road Pick it Up. I first went over two chapters that I’d previously revised, knowing that neither was yet up to snuff. This took some time, but when I was done, the dispatch portion dovetailed with the personal interview. Long-time problem, solved. I next revised another dispatch and chapter. Being back at it feels good. I am thinking ahead – I’m going to need to include an afterward and say what became of all the characters in Fork. Hmm, it’ll be an interesting afterward because there may not be a fair this year. We just don’t know. Spring events are being cancelled as we speak, and summer events may follow suit.

Midday, Pete went to be a pallbearer for a friend of ours who died a few weeks ago. Somehow, they managed to thaw the deep, snow covered ground, and dig the grave site. Not at all a fun task for Pete or for the five other casket carriers.

I felt even more like crawling back into bed this afternoon, but being the disciplined person that I can sometimes be, I went outside and tended to the horses. I then took them for a walk with Pete and Ryder joining me. We first got Raudi and Tinni out and went around the loop; then we got Tyra and Hrimmi out and went down Murphy Road to the creek. There we talked with our neighbor Kirby who had just felled a tree and was preparing to drag it home with his pickup truck.

Social isolation does seem to be the norm around here.

We tried to do some agility with Raudi and Tyra, and neither did very well. The ground is icy – we put boots on them. They clunked over two poles and that was it for today. I quit before I got annoyed with them, and I felt good about this.

So, today’s routine is the routine that I’m most likely going to be adhering to until at least mid-April, when there presumably is no more need for social isolation. I can do this, after all, it isn’t very different than what I am used to. I just chaff when I realize that this is something that is required of me. I’d much rather this be of my own volition.

Next: 88. 3/29/20: And now, for some weather action

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