They are out there, those who get up early, often before the sun rises. I know this because sometimes they drive by our place, motors revved and lights shining. These individuals are coffee drinkers, for sure. How else to explain it?

Every so often I get up early. The world is then a different place. Quiet and still.

This morning I got up right before sunrise because I figured that I would then be better be able to take advantage of the day’s limited light.

Alys picks up the poop

I did just fine the first few hours. I tended to the animals and milked the goat. I’d planned on riding all the horses and figured that I had just enough daylight hours to get the task at hand done.

Well, it was at 10 a.m. that the day did a double take. Milena called, and she and Pete talked for some time. Their conversation went on for another 45 minutes.

I contributed some, but not much. I don’t have a procedural mind. It altogether too quickly veers in the direction of associative interjections. Right now, I’d give anything to have the type of mind that they have.

When, finally, I got off the phone, I hustled outside and took Tinni and Shadow for their daily outing. It was sunny but cold, very cold. I was wearing trail shoes, and so my toes suffered the consequences. After, I came inside and took a break before heading back outside. The second time I was wearing my winter mukluks.

I rode Hrimmi. All the while, that is on both outings, I was thinking about Pete and what he’s going through. He is most likely going to be removed from the VCRS board, this after many, many years of volunteer service.

I was thinking that when you love someone, you feel their pain. El (sister) said to me when I expressed my concern and bewilderment about her being bitten by a dog that “I’m not responsible for your emotions.”

Now I understand. Yes, if you love and care about someone, you empathize. Or you should. Empathy from others speeds up the healing process. Those who came down on Pete lack the capacity to fully care about others. Consequently, there is little self-love.

I next took Raudi out. And so there I was, attempting to pick up the slack. I mean, there was Pete, on a sunny day, inside, working on a rebuttal. This was not right or fair.

If 30 plus years ago Pete and I could see into the future and see this all coming down, we would have turned tail and ran the other way. So what if we emerge from this wiser, more tolerant, and more understanding? The older we get, the less attention will be coming our way.

A truly dreadful day. Truly dreadful.

Next: 310. 11/9/21: Sounding like a broken record