This morning while I was sitting at the dining table looking out at the falling snow, I noticed a squirrel digging into the snow. While I was eating my breakfast of granola and nuts and dried fruit, the squirrel was looking for his. Later, I took a few walnuts in the shell and put them in the little cache hole the squirrel made. I also finally met face to face the stray cat that I occasionally see running quickly away when I open the door. Months ago, when the water in a five gallon bucket started to freeze, I turned it on its side and said I would put it away…eventually. Well, it has made a nice little cave for the cat. As I rounded the side of the house I could see into the bucket and there it was all curled up against the cold and snow. I felt for it, too, and went in to get some dry dog-food and left it in the empty bucket, hoping it would come back.
The dog and I walked the full loop this morning. During the walk the snow unfroze and came down as a light rain. The quality of light changed; the wetness from the rain made the trees darker and more foreboding and substantial. The dog Gus had moments of terror at the sight of a dark tree stump, and would not move forward; I had to drag him along until the stump was behind us.
I filled out my seed order for the garden. It was a nice diversion on this dismal March day. I never seem to plant all the seeds each year, so always have left overs, yet not enough for a full planting. I am also buying from a different seed company, so instead of having packets sold by the ounce or pound, this company sells by the packet and sometimes says how many seeds are in the packet. Who knows how much I will over-buy or under-buy this year? Each order is an exciting adventure, to be followed by the excitement of planting and watching the crop come up. I get less excited as the summer progresses and I have to tend with weeds and processing. I like, best, the planning stages of things; it portends greatness for the future, and leaves us with our hopes and dreams still in tact.
We haven't yet had to deal with the trials of life and any failures that may sneak up on us.