Our feature photo this month is from sunrise on December 28th, the morning clouds provided a canvas upon which the longer rays emanating from below the horizon painted in fiery rose.
The sun rises in the southeast these days, quickly traversing a southerly arc before disappearing in the southwest. Days are short, and often grey and wet, low clouds and mists clinging to hillsides and low areas. Our mornings will continue to get darker for a while, even as the evenings slowly gain daylight, an observation I made as a child having spent much time outside, and many years later was pleased to find is actually a real phenomenon.
News from the farm
Jack Frost has paid us many visits since October, shutting down the garden except for the hardiest residents, broccoli, kale and brussels sprouts, and the occasional intrepid dandelion which flowers low to the ground in this season.
Mists form, rise, and float away as cloud over the Cascades, although sometimes they settle in, cloaking tree and surrounding hills in a silver-grey shroud. After night, tendrils of fog writhe and curl under the floodlights with a life of their own, the damp currents of air brushing against my face, and I am aware of a primordial uneasiness of things that might be in the dark, things unseen under the cover of fog.
As happens every winter, a spider takes up residence by the thermometer on the porch, conveniently noting the spiders activities as well as the temperature. I have only seen her out on the web after dark, or in the early blue light of morning. A shy creature, I have not been able to get a good photo of her to attempt to determine her species. A small, fat-bodied brown spider, she works in lower temperatures that I would think would discourage most of her kin. She hides in the space behind the thermometer in bad weather. After a wind and rainstorm, she will repair her web in preparation for the nightly feast. I find tiny wings and body parts stuck in her web when she has had a successful hunt.
I welcome the winter darkness as a time to rest and recover from the warmer months’ activities about the farm. It is good time to walk about, and observe the small signs of life everywhere, from fat buds waiting for spring, growing hazelnut catkins, to lichen and moss communities on branch, trunk and rock. Moss thriving in some areas tells us that the soil is acidic there. Daffodils are already up several inches by the old garage where it is warmer; their golden trumpets will soon herald spring. We have past winter solstice, and all is dormant with one eye open, trained on the sun’s slow progress back north.
News from the Cats of Salmon Brook Farms
The Feline Correspondents Desk of Salmon Brook Farms has decided to file a brief end-of-year report written by Mr. Nano. November and December were tough months for the correspondents. Mr. Lucio had surgery in November to remove four small tumors, which fortunately were benign. There was a suspected brawl at the Correspondents Desk, resulting in Mr. Nano getting a bite at the base of the tail which abscessed, requiring his veterinarian to lance and clean out the wound. No one is talking, but Correspondent Nod is the prime suspect.
Without further ado, Mr. Nano will present his observations of from November and December 2019.
The slow, steady tread of winter can be heard in the wind, and felt upon the cold, wet ground. Leaves in shades of brown, red and gold abscise after their duties of turning sunlight into food have completed. Tired and spent, they quietly slip way with the daylight hours, returning to earth and completing the yearly nutrient cycle. They have been gathered up several times, and placed on the garden beds, along with kitchen compost and manure from the neighbor’s alpacas, adding to the tilth of the soil there.
The moon’s progress is more difficult to track in this time of heavy skies and passing rainstorms, although at full moon, the farm appears somewhat illuminated even under heavy cloud cover. The soft ghostly glow illuminates yet masks the color of things we know by day, giving the night and its wandering creatures an other-worldly appearance. At waxing and waning thin crescent stage, the moon’s silhouette gives the appearance of a giant eye trained out into the greater universe, and we know there is something out there, greater than ourselves. These are the cyclical things we know will continue happen long after we are gone from this world.
The foxes are still about, and can be seen and heard in the night. Four were counted earlier this year. By morning, they have left copious scat on the gravel drive, rocks or other objects, calling cards of their visits. Gophers, mice, moles and voles still tunnel about the farm in this weather, kept in check by the foxes and other predators. We have heard an occasional tree frog, but not the early winter chorus we have had some years. The winter rain pools are forming in the low areas, and we will soon hear their song, indicating all is proceeding as it should.
As always, we wish our readers a pleasant evening ahead, and safe travels to wherever their destination in life may lead them.
– Resident Feline Correspondent Nano, reporting for Salmon Brook Farms
Music news (schedule posted on the Performance Schedule page)
For those readers who missed previous posts or are new to this blog, I will be posting on mostly seasonal basis now. Hopefully someday, I may be able to actually catch up on the many projects, including updating the pages associated with this blog, as well as stay in touch with all of you. I will keep the performance schedule updated regularly. New videos will follow as soon as I can get to it. I have my new used computer now, specifically for video and music, a gift from friends and a serious nudge from them to get moving on this project. I have loaded it with Lubuntu Linux, and am in the process of learning the tools, amid all the other activities that occupy my days. There was not enough time to get a new music video out with this end of year post.
If you are in the area and wish to see me play live, please visit the Performance Schedule page in the ring menu at the top of this post.
Rick will be making a guest appearance with a couple of songs at the end of some of my more local shows in 2020. He had given up playing for some years now, but has taken an interest again. His music is also available through The Orchard as well as Getty Images.
For those readers who are new or catching up, do visit the Salmon Brook Farms YouTube channel. Our first Tiny Farm Concerts one song music video was posted at the end of March, 2017. I am 16 years older and a good bit more grey since my first and only CD was released back in 2003, but still in the saddle. It has been an interesting ride, with more to come! I am now almost sold out of CDs and must get to work on the new one.
We have enjoyed playing out in both new and familiar places this year.
For those who have missed previous posts and wish to view the channel content, here are links to the previous two videos. There will be more videos available before the end of March post. I have been playing out far more this year, which by necessity slows down progress in other areas.
In the meantime, in your area, wherever you may be, please do all you can to help keep your own local music alive. Go out and see someone you don’t know, host a house concert, download songs or buy CDs. Or even just stop for a minute to hear someone at a Farmers’ Market. Live, local musicians provide a wealth of talent most people will never hear about in this age of iPods, Internet and TV.
Lavinia and Rick Ross
Salmon Brook Records / Salmon Brook Farms
https://salmonbrookfarms.wordpress.com
If you have read this far, please note we will post again at the end of March in 2020. In the meantime, please visit our other pages in the menu at the top of this post
Happy New Year, my dear friend! Wishing you and Rick all the best for 2020. May all your dreams come true.
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Always good to see you, Herman! Thanks for stopping by and for the kind comment. You and Jimi have a happy and healthy new year! May 2020 be kind to all. 🙂
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You have a lot of great photos in this post. I really like the “Mist covered Hills”. Nod was really cute as a kitten. Your music news in exciting. That’s really great you are performing, and very cool that Rick is going to play too. I think your photo “A view of the bridge over the Siuslaw River” would make an excellent CD cover.
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Always good to see you, Tim! Thanks for stopping by and the kind comments! I’ll put your vote in on the bridge photo. 🙂
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I wish you were able to post more often so I always enjoy when you are able to post. The pictures are wonderful and the feline correspondents are natural poets. Glad that you are able to enjoy and make music. Happy New Year to all who live and thrive on Salmonbrook Farms.
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Hi Pat, always good to see you! Thanks for stopping by and for the kind comments! I decided this past year to cut back on the posts and try to keep the quality up. I’m living life to the fullest extent I can, while I can, and trying to make sure I get sufficient sleep to keep my health up. 🙂
Those cats are pretty good writers. Taught me everything I know. 🙂
Happy New Year to you, too! I’ll be by to visit you and others this weekend.
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Always a pleasure to read the haunting descriptions of your farm by both you and the cats, Lavinia! I’m fascinated by the persistence of your dandelions, which I’ve only ever seen blooming in spring and summer where I live. Lovely photos too, and I’m glad to hear you are keeping on with your music. All the best wishes for the New Year!
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Always good to see you, Leah! Thanks for stopping by and for the kind comments. Dandelions are tough little souls, like oxeye daisies, staying low to the round and blooming even in winter during mild periods.
Best wishes on your new book Catwoods: Stories and Studies of Our Feline Companions, available through Amazon. Happy New Year!
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Happy New Year. Always love your newsletters
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Always enjoy your visits, Maureen! Thanks for stopping by from New Zealand, and for the new year wishes. Sending the same to you, Rod and little Bert. I’ve enjoyed your paintings and poetry. Readers, Maureen has two books out, Antipodes and Fearless Fred. Please visit her website for more information.
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Thanks Lavinia
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I am glad Mr. Nano’s tumors were benign. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2020!
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Wishing you and your kitties a happy and healthy 2020, too! Always a pleasure to have you stop by, Ellen. We were told Lucio’s tumor types were unusual in cats, breast cysts (2) and fatty tissue tumors (2), but we were very glad to hear they were not cancerous. Mr. Nano’s fur is growing back on his tail after the bite (we think it was Nod),but he watches his backside more carefully these days.
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A few posts a year will be OK. I try for daily posts myself, a pace that sometimes results in posts that are thin, not satisfactorily rich in content.
I’ve thought about reducing my posts, then found out I have readers who use my daily posts as the way they track whether I am fine or not! There have been times in past, my absence on WordPress alerted them to health crises I’ve had, and set actions in motion to deal with the care of the kitty boys, for example, when I’m hospitalized.
If I decide to skip a day, I get phone calls asking if I’m OK, so I post a single photo or dig into old kitty boy videos to fill the void and to save friends who track me any distress. Whew!
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It is always a pleasure to see you, Doug! I am glad you post daily, as I am one of those who worry whether you and your kitties are OK if we don’t hear from you! I am following CB’s site as well, so we can get news of you there too, if something happens. I have a friend back in Connecticut who is on home dialysis instead of the hemodialysis you are on. She has polycystic kidneys (PKD), runs in her family. I keep an eye on both of you. I hope your new fistula is holding up well.
Have a happy and healthy new year ahead.
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I hope it holds out, too since there are only so many places they can be created. Chris (CB) has been a stand up friend when I’ve had medical crises, and I can’t appreciate him too much. The home dialysis requires some training and a person to assist the patient. The alternative methods of dialyzing can work better for the patient in specific circumstances. One variation (perhaps what your friend does) involves injecting a dialyzing fluid into the abdomen. I’m not sure how it works other than the patient is stuck for 12 hours of the process. It, too, requires an assistant and training.
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The peritoneal injection fluid method is what my friend back east uses, and she has a home health aide to help her. She is not really so mobile anymore, as she has little control of her blood pressure. She can’t drive, let alone walk far these days.
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Yes, that’s the one, and its primary benefit, I think, is it can be done at home. The biggest disadvantage is it is an all night thing taking much longer than the four hours three times a week that I do. One major advantage of the dialysis center method is your blood pressure is constantly monitored through the whole treatment, and there always are medical personnel (LPNs, RNs, PAs, MDs) either in the center or close by capable of dealing with dangerous changes in blood pressure.
I used to have blood pressure issues (low) when I first started dialysis in 2016, and they would give me a medication to bring it back into the safe level before I could leave the center. (Pissed me off! I was ready to go! LOL!)
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It’s always great to see a post from the farm on my reader page! Rick probably just needed a break from playing, especially being so busy as a gentleman farmer. It’s great to know you don’t lose interest in singing!
I’ll be looking forward to your visits at my site and I’ll look forward to the end of March for you!
Until then……
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Always good to see you, GP! Thanks for stopping by and for the kind comments. Michael’s tree is bigger than me now. I remember when it was just a little shaver. 🙂 I am told that once established, these coastal sequoias should grow about a foot a year.
Keep your post regarding WWII coming. They are always educational, and I enjoy reading those letters your father sent home to his family.
All the best to you in 2020. Have a safe, happy and healthy new year. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Lavinia. You know you mean the world to me. I love hearing about Michael’s tree – can you just imagine? A foot a year?!!
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That tree is going to be a tall one! 🙂
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As I always felt Michael would have been, character-wise. Did I ever tell you he was also going to night school to be a paramedic?
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I am sorry Michael never lived to pursue that dream, GP. I know he would have made a good one.
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I actually think he would. Thank you.
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Beautifully poetic language, even from Mr Nano. Do you get him to write some of your songs?
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Always good to see you Derrick! Thanks for stopping by from England, and for the kind comments. I enjoy seeing your photos of the forest and shore, and your gardens.
Mr. Nano thanks you too, and he is working on a song, but I need to get him to finish it. 🙂
All the best to you and Jackie in 2020. May it be a kinder year to all.
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I am so happy to see your post dear Lavinia, beautiful photographs, music hits the whole post, for me 🙂 I am so glad to hear Rick and you are making music. This is so nice. Thank you dear, I wish you ALL, Happy New Year, Love, and Hugs, nia
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Always good to see you, Nia! Thank you for stopping by from your beautiful Turkish homeland, and for the kind comments. The photographs of your countryside, shoreline, wildlife and cats are amazing!
Wishing you and your family, and little Ibis, Cesur and Tomurcuk a happy and healthy new year. Much love to all of you! ❤ Hope you are feeling better and your hand heals up quickly.
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Welcome dear Lavinia and Thank you so much for your wishes, you know, it is same from me too, Love and Hugs, nia
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Wonderful to hear from you, Lavinia, and catch up on everyone at Salmon Brook Farms! Your photos are amazing, as always. Have an exceptional new year!
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Always good to see you, Becky! Thanks for stopping by and for the kind comments. Wishing you all the best in 2020, and always!
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Happy New Year Lavinia!
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Always good to see you, Wayne! Thanks for stopping by and the New Year wishes! I am looking forward to seeing more of your spectacular wildlife photography in 2020. Wishing you all the best, too. Have a safe, happy and healthy new year! 🙂
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thank you Lavinia!
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Gotta love those mist-covered hills and colorful sunrises! Happy 2020 to you guys.
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Always good to see you, Steve! Thanks for stopping by from Portraits of Wildflowers. We love your photography! Happy 2020 to you and your family, too! 🙂
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Beautiful post, Lavinia. Happy New Year to you and your family!
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Always a pleasure to see you, Jill. Thanks for stopping by and for the kind comments! Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy new year, too!
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Thank you! I’ve been out of commission with the flu…so I’m a little late.
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You are never late, Jill. The door is always open here. I am only posting four times a year now. 🙂
Feel better soon!
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❤
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Happy New Year. Winter this year in the Appalachian mountains has been perpetual March Mud Season. We should have frozen ground and snow. This morning is it close to 50F and I did not even bother adding wood to the wood stove last night. If the roof is dry mid-day, I shall even get up, clean the wood stove flues, and swap out the pipe hood, which I usually do mid-winter on a day above freezing. Shall I have to mow the grass mid-winter? – Oscar
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Always good to see you, Oscar, thanks for stopping by from HermitsDoor! This looked like it would be a tough winter here as the season started, but has now gone back to a more typical western Oregon rainy season. Grass is green here all winter long in a normal year, although growth significantly slowed down. Mother Nature can deliver a surprise or two later on, so we’ll see what the rest of the winter brings. Last year we had a mild January and snow in February.
A Happy New Year to you and your family! 🙂
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That’s a truly dramatic sky! When I see leaves coming up from the daffodils it makes me really nervous, but here the daffs don’t normally bloom before April. I enjoyed your “Weary Stranger” video.
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Always good to see you, Jason! Thanks for stopping by from GardenInACity, and for the kind comments. Western Oregon has a milder climate than New England, and December shoots are apparently the norm from what I can tell after being here the last 16 years. It is still rather unnerving, though, to see shoots coming up at Christmas. Our daffodils by the old garage have a good southern exposure, and will start blooming later on this month.
Glad you enjoyed the video. I am working on more. 🙂
Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy new year! I am looking forward to seeing your gardens in spring. 🙂
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Hi Lavinia. It’s wonderful to see another lovely, lyrical letter from you and the kitties. All the photos are splendid! Yet for some reason I really liked seeing the one of the musical instruments.
Wishing you and Rick and the co kitties every blessing in this new decade. Hugs on the wing.
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Always good to see you, Teagan! Thanks for stopping by from Teagan’s Books, and for the kind comments. The photo with the instruments is my typical setup when I play out.
Wishing you and Crystal all the best this year, and always. Hugs on the wing back to you! ❤
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There was just something about that one that seemed to carry me to a very specific moment. I could feel the music waiting to happen. Maybe I’m missing the experience of live music other than my own. I was in a years long downward spiral, before I finally (emotionally) crashed and burned last winter. Now my personal state, and my agoraphobia makes my world extremely limited. But that simple photo spoke to me. More hugs.
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I took that photo just after I finished setting up. The music really was about to happen in that scene. Playing out again marks an upturn in my own life after being a caregiver and burning out from that. As much much as I loved Rick’s mother, it was very, very difficult. I am glad that photo spoke to you. May this new year be kinder to all of us. Hugs back to you.
I will be ordering your book Thistledown – Midsummer Bedlam soon here. Keep up the good work! I’ve always enjoyed your writing and am still waiting for Guitar Mancer.
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Happy New Year to all at Salmon Brook Farm! And thank you Nano for your report. It does seem a quiet and colder time and good to take stock. We hope 2020 is kind to you all.
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Always good to see you, Annie! Thanks for stopping by and the for the kind comments. Mr. Nano thanks you, too. Yes, winter is a good time to catch up on things. In some ways, it passes all too quickly. 🙂
Wishing you and the Animal Couriers team a happy and healthy new year, from all of us here!
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“I welcome the winter darkness as a time to rest and recover…” I so relate to this. So many joys that come with the season, and you depict your world so beautifully with dandelions growing in winter and all life around the farm. Those sky or sunrise photos are really stunning.
The Feline Correspondents Desk, and Mr Nano’s observations are such a joy to read. And oh my, foxes roam around your property! It’d probably be lovely to see them close, as long as they are no threat to your cats.
I absolutely enjoy reading news from your world. 🙂 Wishing you and yours a wonderful year ahead. May your music and writing continue to touch hearts in 2020 and beyond!
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Khaya, always good to see you! Thank you for stopping by from Finland, and thank you so much for the kind words. I have also enjoyed your writing and blog site.
Mr. Nano thanks you, too. Our cats are strictly indoors, as there are too many hazards here, from coyotes, foxes, mountain lions and raccoons to humans.
Have a wonderful 2020, and I look forward to reading more of your posts!
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There was so much to enjoy here, Lavinia — not to mention the reminder from Mr. Nano’s experience to always watch our backsides! I enjoyed two photos especially: the bridge, and the one of you teaching your rooster to sing. Did you know that author Flannery O’Connor taught a chicken to walk backwards? There’s a British Pathé newsreel about it on YouTube. Searching ‘Flannery O’Connor chicken’ pulls it up.
I always enjoy your reflections on the cycles of nature, and the ability of the creatures like your spider to survive and even thrive in conditions that seem less than hospitable. There are lessons for us there, too. It’s good to read that Rick is going to be singing some now, and your plans for a new video sound great. We have great news on the independent music front here in my area. A new coffee house called the JavaOwl has opened; the coffee is wonderful, and the space is very pleasant, but even more wonderful is the fact that they’re beginning events like poetry readings, and they’ve provided a piano and other instruments for visiting musicians to play. There are a few photos here. I’m not on Facebook, but can see the photos, so I’m sure you can, too.
Best wishes to you and the whole crew for 2020. There have been enough bad puns already about 20/20 vision, but I hope you can see your way clear to some enjoyable and satisfying experiences in the coming year!
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It is always a pleasure to see you, Linda! Thank you for stopping by from The Task at Hand, and Lagniappe. WP has suddenly changed my options for replying to comments as of this morning, so I am working on that. I cannot insert links easily at the moment.
I did not know about Flannery O’Connor teaching a chicken to walk backwards! I will look that one up. Mr. Pluff pictured here was a family pet, who landed in our yard when a a crate fell off a truck destined for a poultry processing facility. He was with us a few years before being killed by a dog who had also killed two sheep in the area that day. Mr. Pluff was like a dog. He would take a walk with us, even play tag, and stuck close by. Chickens are much smarter than they are given credit.
It is good to hear a good coffeehouse that is supporting the arts has opened up in your community.
Let us hope 2020 is a year of positive change, and is kind to everyone.
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A great post to finish off the year, Lavinia. 🙂
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Always a pleasure to see you, Kevin! Thanks for stopping by from Author Kevin Cooper, and for the kind comment. All the best to you and your family in 2020. 🙂
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And to you, my friend. 🙂
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Such a newsy post Lavinia! And so good to hear what’s happening. Naughty Nod .. prime suspect! Wonderful photos .. as always! The one of Rick is super .. HNY
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So good to see you, Julie! Thanks for stopping by from Frog Pond Farm in New Zealand and for the kind comments! Nod is our resident “aspiring” alpha, and doesn’t hesitate to swat even one of her own sisters, when she is not napping with them or grooming them. 🙂
That is a really super photo of Rick our friend Carol of him back in Connecticut back then. 🙂
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That sky at the beginning of the post is some broody sky!! It would be hard to have that overhead and not wonder what this way cometh. I’m fascinated by a spider who still weaves in such weather. There is very little insect life out and about now, and that’s OK, too. Sorry to hear about the desk brawl – that’s always disconcerting, especially among cats who have lived so long together. Lavinia, it’s been lovely visiting. I’m glad to hear you are playing your music, too. Jeanne
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Always good to see you, Jeanne! Thanks for stopping by from Still A Dreamer, and thanks for the kind comments!
It was 36 degrees this morning, and our spider was not on her web. Snow is in the forecast now, so we will see what becomes of her. Stay tuned! 🙂
Various cats can hold grudges and get into tiffs from time to time. Nod is an aspiring female alpha, surprising in itself as she is the 2nd smallest cat out of the eight. Old Abby is the smallest, and oldest, and will be 18 in April.
Wishing you a happy and healthy 2020!
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When I worked on the humane society’s premises in the city, I saw Chihuahuas back down Rottweilers, so it really is all about attitude, and sometimes gaining ascendancy in the pack order. No less disturbing, though.
And a wonderful New Year to you, too!
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Beautifully written and thank you for posting. Our cat is currently hiding under the bed covers keeping warm and not contributing like Mr. Nano, however, he is staying out of trouble, for now. Allan
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Allan, it is always a pleasure to hear from the folks at Tangly Cottage and Southwest Washington Paddle Trips. Thank you for stopping by and for the kind comments! I enjoy reading about the work you and Skyler do up in Ilwaco. I haven’t ventured up the coast that far yet, but hope to sometime. It sounds like a wonderful community.
Good to hear your Skooter kitty is staying warm, and out of trouble. Mr. Nano’s tail has healed up nicely, and he and Lucio are busy regrowing fur where it was shaved for veterinary intervention.
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Happy New Year!!!
Hope your winter hasn’t been too cold. Ours, though dry, is kind of normal. Snowfall here doesn’t pick up until March and April. It hasn’t stopped it from becoming too cold. The brawl you suspected, cats rarely tattle on each other. They just hope you’re unable to connect the dots.
Nice to read your husband, Rick, will be singing a couple of songs at the end of your concerts. His bluesman photo of years ago, he really looks the part of a true musician. Looking forward to your new video, when that gets done. 🙂
Staying with music, my daughter, Elizabeth, had a singing gig at our favorite BBQ restaurant on New Year’s night. I played her lead guitar, Andrea played keyboards, and we picked up our bassist and drummer from a church band Andrea and I sang with years ago. Much of the music was Fleetwood Mac material from the Stevie Nicks-Christine McVie-Lindsay Buckingham era. Black Magic Woman from the early FM days did find its way onto the playlist. From what we understand, we had plenty of listeners hanging back in front of the restaurant on the sidewalk. The other restaurants on the street, most were having karaoke nights. One other restaurant had a band playing that night. While our set was supposed to last 45 minutes, and have another set an hour later, we ended up with an hour and half concert of sorts. Most unexpected.
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Always good to see you, David. Thanks for stopping by from Hidden Lens, and for the kind comments. We are into the rainy season here now, at least this winter so far, seeing precipitation as rain rather than snow. The snow reports go by elevation. We are at 800 feet.
All the best to Elizabeth and her band! Sounds like you all had a good night. You have a very talented family, all of you.
Glad you liked Rick’s photo from his younger days. Here is the title song from his first CD, “Fireflies In The Rain”.
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I suppose that’s a young Lavinia on the album cover. 🙂
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A younger one, for sure. 🙂
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Happy New Year to you all at the farm! My mother had a pet rooster when she was a young girl but during the depression it became dinner; she never forgot that. Nod is such a pretty kitty.
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Always a pleasure to see you, Teri! Thanks for stopping by from Images by T.Dashfield Photography. Glad you liked Mr. Pluff, the rooster. Sorry to hear about your mother’s chicken 😦
Yes, Nod is a very pretty girl, and reminds us constantly. 🙂
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It’s good to read all that you’ve been up to during the past few months. The photos are glorious especially the sunrise ones. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2020, Lavinia!
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It is always good to see you, Clare!. Thanks for stopping by from A Suffolk Lane, and thank you for the kind comments! The clouds that come and go here at this time of year make for some spectacular sunrises and sunsets.
Wishing you and your family and happy and healthy 2020, too! Looking forward to more posts from you this year. Perhaps someday I will make it over to England and visit your beautiful corner of the world.
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If ever you do, please let me know.
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Will do!
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Thank you for another wonderful post, Lavinia! We are traveling south in our airstream camper, for adventure and warmer climes – as we had done last year. I am performing along the way. It’s so very rewarding! Glad to read that you are still performing and that Rick has begun again. Hope you enjoy all the beauty your winter there has to offer. Happy New Year! Wishing you both – much Love and Wellness, Nina
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A real pleasure to see you, Nina! Thank you for stopping by on your travels south, and for the kind comments! Wishing you and Michael a Happy New Year as well!
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Love the farm concert idea and your videos Lavinia, I know a woman who puts on concerts like this with lots of fairy lights and buffet food and makes a full evening party event out of it.
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Always good to see you, Charlotte. Thanks so much for stopping by, and for the kind comments! A concert with fairy lights and buffet food sounds like a wonderful evening event!
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I’m so glad the tumors were benign! Yay!
I wish I were local so I could come to a performance! Happy Monday, Lavinia.
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Always good to see you, Luanne! Thanks for stopping by and for the kind comments. Yes, we were very relieved that Lucio’s tumors were benign. He is an older kitty and will be 15 years old this June.
A Happy Monday to you, too! 🙂
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Older, yes, but now you have given him a new lease on life. My oldest is turning 20 :).
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20 is a venerable age! Cats can live a long time. Abby, our present oldest, will be 18 in April. We had to have old Willow put to sleep in December of 2018. She was roughly 22 years old as best we could tell, as we had taken her in late in life as a rescue. She already had the “marble” eyes of an ancient cat. Her kidneys finally gave out.
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Oh dear Willow, 22! I’ve never heard that about the marble eyes. is it the cataracts? Pear’s eyes look half blind with cataracts. They don’t have the shine of a young cat.
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It’s not the opaqueness of cataracts, but a “marbling” effect of the iris itself. Willow was the second cat I had with this kind of iris marbling. We had her for about 6 1/2 years, and her eyes were like that from day one. Old Mr. Austin developed it when he was around 18. He was a few months shy of 20 when he passed on from kidney problems in 2009.
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OK, I will examine Pear for that, but I think the cataracts are covering up her eyeballs! Kidney problems are such an issue for cats, unfortunately. my two “old ladies” have kidney problems.
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I would consult your veterinarian as to what might be going on with your kitty.
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Oh, I hate bringing her to the vet unless she’s sick because she’s considered too old to get a dental (because of anesthesia). But if she gets another UTI (knock on wood that she doesn’t), I will ask! Now Felix is sick! URI!
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Good luck on all counts.
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Thank you!
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Life goes on which is great. I suppose you are also longing for spring. I am so much, cannot wait.
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It is always a pleasure to see you, Inese! Thanks for stopping by! Winter is passing relatively quickly here and has been on the warmer than expected side, although the weather has been variable. Daffodils, snow iris, crocus and snow drops are blooming. Our Pacific Northwest is quite wet and rainy at this time of year. Tonight is is 46 degrees and a good strong chorus of frogs is singing out in the wooded areas and rain pools.
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Gosh, I love your writing about nature. Spider, daffodils, moon and all. Hello to the feline correspondents and so glad those tumours were benign. And one day, I hope to hear you and Rick perform in person!
Love to you all.
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It is always a pleasure to see you, Cynthia, thanks for stopping by from Canada, and for the kind comments! Your encouragement helps keep me going!
It’s been a rough time with the correspondents, but all are pulling through the winter, and looking forward to spring. I have been ill recently, too, with the winter bug that has been going about. We are getting our winter rain now, and plenty of it! The frogs have begun chorusing in the wetlands and rain pools already, and sing in the night. They are the heralds of warmer, longer days to come, and the heady scent of cherry blossoms on the wind.
Rick is still saying he does not want to perform as such anymore, but just do a few songs from time to time. We will see where things go over time. 🙂
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I am sorry you and the correspondents are having to tough out the winter. I can relate, as I keep getting sick too. But I love your beautiful reply. “The frogs have begun chorusing in the wetlands and rain pools already, and sing in the night. They are the heralds of warmer, longer days to come, and the heady scent of cherry blossoms on the wind.” Gosh, girl: you must be a singer-songwriter! (haha)
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Right now I am croaking along with the frogs. They sound a lot better than I do. 🙂
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I hear you, sister. I have been croaking all week too.
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May we both get well, real soon! 🙂
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Mesmerising captures Lavinia. Looking forward for the future post.
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Welcome aboard Sumith! I am glad you enjoy the blog site. 🙂
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I hope and wish you are fine in there and in safe, be careful dear Lavinia, Love and Hugs, nia
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Good to see you, dear Nia! We are still all OK here, and sheltering in place during this coronavirus epidemic. We are keeping you and your family in our thoughts and prayers, too, dear friend.
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Thank you dear Lavinia, it is same for me too, my love, prayers for you all, there and please stay in your home… Love, nia
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This original post is 1 month and half old , Lavinia . However I did not comment it. Why ? The reason is it has been posted at the time where I started my break.Is not a geat pleasure to enjoy a sun ray in walking of working in the garden ?
Love ❤
Michel
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Do not worry, it is always good to see you, Michel, whenever that may be. I am only posting every 3 months now. I am glad you and Janine are alright. Enjoy the spring weather!
Much love to you and the family, ❤
Lavinia
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Sorry Lavinia, I’m falling behind with my reading again. Good to see the big colourful skies again. I hope you are both continuing to stay well. I see you have quite a lot of cases in the North West.
Mr Nano has my sincere sympathy – a few years ago I had an abscess in a similar area (though not as a result of a bite!) and it was an unpleasant experience on several levels.
Glad the cats are all managing to stay well despite their occasional visits to the vet.
Look forward to reading the next instalment in due course – I will try to be more punctual next time.
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Always good to see your Quercus, no matter when you show up, and I am glad you did not suffer a bite. Mr.Nano sympathizes with you. 🙂
So far all is well here, we are both well, and aging along with the cats. No venues open for playing music these days, at least for while. Yes, the number of cases are increasing here, and not all people are taking the new distancing recommendations seriously, while others are still stripping the store shelves clean. It is a strange new world.
This is what our Governor has posted:
https://govstatus.egov.com/or-covid-19
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It seems very much like the restrictions we have here – all good sense in view of the situation. Who are the “veterans” who are allowed to stay on State camping grounds? My imagination is showing me a picture of an ancient grey-bearded camper…
Sorry to hear you have the same problems we have – people ignoring rules and stripping shelves.
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I missed that information on the veterans allowed to stay and couldn’t find it. I’ll look again. I did find this which seems to indicate everyone is out of the parks.
https://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=v.dsp_featureArticle&articleId=272
Normal situation for military personnel: https://oregonstateparks.org/?do=v.page&id=19
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Thanks Lavinia – interesting to see how people do things. Glad it’s not just the Brits who are having trouble getting their heads round the restrictions. 🙂
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I think it is a worldwide problem, no matter what the nationality. 🙂
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