Quick check-in

Home. After a dreary, drippy, soggy day yesterday that brought back memories of growing up in Indiana winters, today was more to my liking. Not really cold, but more of a Vermont January thaw variety and that's just fine. I was going to go into a sentence here explaining that a lot of my time is being spent in Manhattan these days so I put pressure on Vermont to be perfect when I do visit, but that's really not true. I like this place any way it presents itself. I love Vermont. It's home. It fortifies me, soothes me, grounds me, delights me any old way it wants to be. Even today with the snow having big patches of grass sticking out like Walt Whitman's unkempt hair of graves. Even with the snowmobilers once more not obeying the signs to stay on the designated VAT trail across our land. Even with the thaw yesterday exposing where we've put our chicken and goose coop shavings on our land. Even with that, it's beautiful to me.

So some updates. Richard hatched 13 little chicks this past week and they're healthy and rambunctious and cute as all get out. Our older chickens are producing at least 10 eggs a day, so we're thinking of selling eggs locally. It's unreal going out to the coop each morning and seeing this mass of eggs in one nest, like some egg fairy came and deposited them. Man! Our geese are stunning. With the weather going through a warm spell, we let them out of their pen during the day to stride around the property. Schmul is an incredible guard and protector. He's so handsome standing watch as the girls graze or swim in the kiddie pool we popped out again for the warm-ish days. Every once in awhile he'll give a sterling trumpet to the air and wave his wings to announce that he's going to shepherd them to another part of our property. He's going to be a great father. Richard spied fox tracks around both the goose enclosure and the chicken coop, but nothing since that night. Knock on wood, he or she did a little scouting out, saw they couldn't get in, and moved on. That would be nice. No new tracks since then.

I'm in my kitchen now, wood fire in the stove, just finished supper, Richard's away so I'm here alone, save for my 4 beautiful cats. Astrid's on my lap, grounding me. The other's in their own way seem to be saying "It's fine not to be doing anything. It's good to just be here. If you want to go to bed at 8, go to bed at 8 - we'll be right there with you, we're expert nappers and sleepers, you know that." Alright, maybe I'm putting words in their mouths, but what the hey, they don't seem to mind. I think I'm going to cave to their siren songs.

But before I go, I'm going to have to list another reason I love Vermont. Let's call this number 30 because I've completely lost count. "The Local Buzz" our local coffee shop on the main drag in Bradford, Vermont. Within the first 6 months of living here I began imagining a place that served GOOD coffee, strong coffee, and also gave the options of various espresso beverages. The Local Buzz offers that and more - excellent sandwiches, pastries, cookies, and baked goods, heirloom tomatoes, local produce and products. And people are coming. People are supporting it. It has wifi. It has atmosphere. It has promise. I am so happy to be an investor in this place. Hip-hip-hooray.

And now to bed. Enjoy the pics of the geese. Aren't they gorgeous?!