Hmm, the days are again longer – it’s sort of the calm before the storm – the outside stuff is not yet a priority – that is putting up fencing, tending to the gardens, turning compost. But outside tasks loom on the horizon. And Stormy (I think) is pregnant, so add milking twice a day to the ever growing list.

Today, I rode Hrimmi, then Tyra (Pete rode Raudi). It was a beautiful pre-spring day, the sky dark blue, cloudless, the snow on the mountains dazzling white, the sun a low angle in the sky, shadows of trees dark against the fresh snow.

I then went on a back-country ski jaunt with my friend Becky. She came here, so I got to decide where to go. I thought about skiing the trails to the west of our place,

Alys and Bootleg on Limekiln Hill, Butte, MT

but then opted to the end of our road. My thinking was that no one has been grooming trails there and that most likely, snowmachine activity would be minimal. I was right. We did a gradual uphill climb, then turned around and came down in the pow. We floated on the snow going down, I says to Becky that this was most likely how Jesus felt when he walked on water.

I had a realization after we finished our ski. When we first got here, all the ski trails were single track. Then they were groomed, making them mostly accessible to skate skiers. I started to go out right after snowfalls – but then the snowmachines appeared, right on my trail.

The area we were in today – it is fine for quasi back country skiing. We could see where, on the hills, the snowmobilers play, so I suspect that they are out in large numbers on weekends.

Now I want to get backcountry skis like Becky’s. This way I will struggle less going up hills.

After skiing I took Tinni for a walk. Our new neighbors on Sybarite were practicing target shooting. Bummer.

And tonight, I’ve been working on Bright Lights Book Project stuff. Got a meeting tomorrow with some of the members of the Valley Arts Alliance. I am going to attempt to convince them to do an art in public places project, one in which artists design bookends. The bookends would then be auctioned off at a silent auction. We’ll see.

Today I had a vision. I pictured a general site for the Bright Lights Book Project. It will have one room with sale books and another with free books. Of course, there will be a children’s book room, one in which children can come and pick out books. There will also be a distribution area. And additionally, there will be a meeting room for those with literacy and literary interests.

It will have wood floors, the walls will be freshly painted, and there will be plants, lots of plants. Hmm, I thought further, I’ll have to start working on grant funding.

Grants beget grants. I get the two I applied for, and then I’ll be off and running.

Yep, it was indeed, a darn good day.

Next: 63. 3/4/21: Lighting up the Entire Town