Well, with age very well might come wisdom. It took some time, but I made getting outside today a priority because the weather was good. The sun shone brightly all day, and temperatures were in the 30s.

I worked until noon, and then I got out and spent time with all four horses. Now there is again enough daylight – I can get out at noon and not have to come back in at 4 p.m., when its dark. Yes, we are now on the flip side of winter.

I could easily have stayed inside and cleaned the house. I have done this before.

High tunnel without plastic

I did get some book project administrativa done, this included writing an article for a local paper.

Others in the hood also seemed to be taking advantage of the nice weather.

All the guys were out, tending to post-storm chores. One neighbor was shoveling his steeply pitched roof, Poncho was using the rented Bobcat and plowing his driveway, another was shoveling off a shed roof, and two members of the compound were shoveling out the load of wet wood that they purchased from someone who dropped it off with a pickup truck.

Everyone’s dogs were also out. Poncho was driving down the road, and his dog was running alongside his vehicle. I watched as three other dogs gave chase. I don’t know what the outcome was because they soon were all at the distance.

One family did have it together. Our neighbor Kirby was scraping the bark off of six or so cottonwood logs. His mother Judy went for a walk at midday. I put Tinni away and joined her. As we should, we lamented about the sorry state of the world.

Pete chose to shovel the snow off the hoop house. Removing snow is a dangerous proposition right now because it, coming off the roof, can knock the wind out of you, which is what this huge, concrete-like block of snow did. I think that he bruised some ribs. He’s now hobbling about. He seems to feel the way I felt when I fell off Raudi onto rocks in the creek bed going to Grizzly Camp. I know from experience that he is going to feel even worse tomorrow. I will of course do his portion of the chores.

I have noticed that the guys around here all seem to do the same sort of winter tasks at the same time. I don’t think that this is a coincidence. Rather, I think that they are somehow connected mentally. I call this the 100th Monkey syndrome, after the ideas put forth in a book with this name. Essentially, what we all think comes to be.

As for the woman in the hood – aside from Judy, I seldom see my female counterparts. They aren’t out there shoveling roofs or plowing driveways. Nor am I.

I’m just the one, who on spring like days like this, takes great delight in passing judgement on others.

Next: 58. 2/28/22: Coffee Understands