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January 8, 2020: To Move or Not to Move, That is the Question

I go back and forth in thinking about this very issue. I seldom take a middle stance. Today, and this phase of my life is a good example. This is the upside: Things are going quite well here. This is what I was thinking this morning, as I was working on If Wishes were Horses. Our lives are such, and we live so simply, that I can take the time to continue working on this project. And the recent daylight gain has enabled me to again work in the mornings and get the horses out in the afternoons.

This is what we did this afternoon. We took Hrimmi and Tinni for a trail walk and then took Raudi and Tyra for a walk around the loop. As I said to Pete, we are fortunate in that we have immediate access to trails and to the road. We seldom see anyone on our residential loop road, so I can let them run free. And if a car or truck appears as though it’s going to pass, I call the horses. They come to me and allow me to put them back on their lead lines.

I am also enjoying being the self-named Bright Lights Book project coordinator. I do hope that someday, someone else steps in and takes over. But right now, I seem to know what needs to be done, and am doing it. Tomorrow a reporter from the Frontiersman newspaper is going to come and be present as I pass books on to Sue Fujimoto, the Mat-Su Animal Shelter Coordinator. I would write the story myself, but I need to stay focused on my own writing projects.

Would I be doing as I’m now doing if I lived elsewhere? I’m not sure.

There is also the downside. Right now we are dealing with an ongoing cold spell, this as opposed to a cold snap. This requires

Hrimmi
Hrimmi (Frosty Traveler)


Ranger

considerable vigilance, both in terms our own, and also in terms of our animal’s wellbeing.

The goats are having the hardest time of all. I noticed that both Stormy and Ranger were shivering, so Pete and I put fleece blankets on both. We tied them in place with felt leg wraps that I use on the horses. When done, the makeshift blankets seemed secure. And the goats warmed up. But by this evening they’d shed the blankets and wraps. Tomorrow we’ll go to thrift store and purchase fleece vests for them.

I also at times have qualms about continuing to live in the Mat-Su Valley. There are a lot of motorheads who have no respect for nature or for area trails. This pains me, as does the fact that few in our area are advocating responsible development. Palmer is expanding, and it’s no holds barred in terms of property purchase. Build it and they will come and make it a mess.

So there you have some of the pros and cons of staying versus moving.

We won’t do anything stupid. We have three years in which to pay off our mortgage. Just three years. Something to consider as we make our future plans.

Next: 9. 1/9/20: Ayyyyyyyyy ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Again

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