2021 started in the best possible way…
...or at least for a
shepherd…
My very first trip to the barn of the new year revealed healthy
twin lambs. Mama sheep was fine, too. No human interaction was necessary.
That is indeed a good thing.
I suppose I could claim this as an omen for 2021…maybe I
should. But, if 2020 taught us anything, there is NO predicting the future.
2020 rendered me speechless.
(okay, anyone who knows me in real life would point out I
talk far too much to ever be considered “speechless”…would you accept unable to
write coherently?)
Words failed me in 2020.
They really did.
So, I will leave the review of the year to others, as well
as the argument over if it was the “worst year ever”. But, if you need a
chuckle, you should read Dave Barry’s take on the whole thing.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/12/30/ranking-2020-worst-year-history/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2020/12/27/dave-barrys-year-review-2020/?arc404=true
Suffice it to say, 2020 was not what anyone expected. As a
matter of fact, that sentence alone is a huge understatement. I feel completely
safe in saying that every single plan we had made for 2020 met with some sort
of revision, re-work, or removal. Keeping with the “r” theme, 2020 was, in a
word, revelatory.
The pandemic, the social unrest, and the historic election
cycle showed us things about the country, society and our family, friends, acquaintances,
and even ourselves that had remained hidden in plain sight, and accepted,
unchallenged and overlooked for far too long. Some of those things I truly wish I did not know or feel responsible for. But, others granted some real freedom and opportunities for personal growth. Now, perhaps with our new
insight, we can make some much-needed changes to ourselves, our community and
the world. That alone is a reason for hope.
I had planned on writing some sort of retrospective about
2020 last week, but the internet went out. Losing the internet is not exactly a
tragedy, but it certainly seems to impact every aspect of our lives. And, then
I always feel like we go through the whole “seven stages of grief” before it
ever comes back, generally getting stuck in the denial/anger stage. (if this
seems like an overstatement, try “unplugging” for a couple of days…without the
benefit of planning the event) I never regained my train of thought even after
internet access returned two days later as unexpectedly as it disappeared.
The source of the outage was never identified…simply one of
the quirks of living at the edge of nowhere, no doubt. Back in the days of the
landline telephone communication, we lost service at least twice due to a
groundhog expansion project next to the phone pedestal. As the ”whistle-pigs”
dug for larger accommodations, they chewed through the phone cable. While it
was annoying, it made a great story and gave the repairman a laugh. With those
days securely in the past, you might think that communication all high-tech and
constant. Not so. Our internet service is beamed from the mountaintop to an
antenna in the middle of a cow pasture, to another site, to us (or something
like that)…I am nearly certain the outage had an equally “interesting” cause,
although we will never know for certain. I’ll just rejoice quickly that it is
working…and get that seed order placed post-haste. Another lesson of 2020, (or
maybe it was all that mindfulness work/meditation) it would be to appreciate
this “one perfect moment”…because you never know what is coming next.
While 2020 could only be described as annus horribilus
by so many, we were not terribly impacted. I don’t know it that means our life
is incredibly lame and pathetic so that isolation is somewhat normal…or we are truly
approaching self-sufficiency. This is not to say the year wasn’t without
difficulty, but by comparison, we have no cause for complaint.
So, it is probably best that I leave the retrospective and synopsis to others and spend some time looking forward. Instead of any verbose ramblings, here are a few photos...
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| carolina wren in redbud tree |
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| stunning sunrise |
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| female cardinal in the snow |
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| morning icicles |
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| hoarfrost |
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| ice formation at the creek |
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| frozen pansy seed-pod |
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| turnips in the hoophouse |
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| strawberry leaves in the early morning light |
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| white-throated sparrow in the snow/hoarfrost |
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| the great conjunction 2020 (due to cloud cover we didn't see this until 12/22) |
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| sheep in the early morning light |
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| sunlight through frozen collard leaves |
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| first light of day |
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| early morning ice crystals |
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| chickadee at the feeder |
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| cardinal in the snow |
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| female cardinal in the redbud tree |
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| birch branches against the December sky |
Although, I’m not even sure how/why/if we should try to plan for 2021…I lost track of what day it was somewhere around July…now, it seems to feel like a never-ending Thursday, or maybe Tuesday on a continuous loop…like I said, I have no idea. Without the rhythm of the Market, we seem to have lost our sense of time, and some of our sense of purpose. One thing to attempt in the new year is to find a new focus and direction.
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| woodpecker in the redbud tree (although I was incredibly sad to lose the backyard maple I had no idea that I was missing so much bird action in the backyard) |
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| song sparrow |
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| another amazing sunrise |
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| Otis (he might be flossing his teeth on the fence...?) |
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| pretty pink sunrise over the barn |
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| icicles |
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| collard leaf ready for New Year's |
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| busy bird feeder |
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| mid-winter lettuce crop is growing |
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| the Cold Full Moon sinks behind the trees |
But, I would be remiss if I made it sound like 2020 was all
bad. Oddly, it was not. (and I feel a little bit guilty and over-privileged for
being able to say that)
The lambchop crop grew well, we were able to get them
processed, and despite the pandemic-weirdness, our amazing customers came
through and we had a very good sales year. THANKS, Y’all! Fingers crossed that
we can do it again.
And, while I can assure you I am NOT a fan of practicing social-distancing with my family, I miss hugging all those little guys SO much…video-chatting with my grandsons is one of my newly discovered amusements. It’s wildly hilarious, despite the fact I miss a whole lot of the conversation while we’re running, dancing, singing, riding four-wheelers, or I’m laughing too hard to see.
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| ...and if you're not using the silly filters... you're doing it wrong! |
So, as we begin a New Year, as we wait for more new lambs, it
is a little easier to feel just a little bit hopeful. It is my sincere wish
that you have some reasons for hopefulness as well.
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| even the ewes are "looking forward" to the New Year |
Happy Sunday!
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| I think I found a "message from the Universe" a little heart-shape in the ice crystals on the hoophouse |
