Harry and I are both tired today, so here are just a few pictures. If I am tired, I can hardly imagine how exhausted Jane must be, with all the work she is doing.

Harry started the day with a bang, walking to the kitchen and almost cooking again! I convinced him that I actually enjoy cooking now that I am getting experienced, so he let me take over.

Here are a few birds…

Eddy loves his toy from Jane. He plays with it every day, and is very proud of it.

Roscoe has the right idea. Time to catch up on some rest…

A late varmint visitor again…

Be safe, be grateful, be kind, slow down, and rest. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

I am still very sad, of course, but on life goes. Nature and animals can ease grief a little. It was a beautiful day today, warming up and turning the pastures to mud.

Oisin and Stone gave themselves mud treatments. Bart still thinks he might be a show horse, so he stayed clean. So far…

There was a coyote encounter for Eddy in the south pasture yesterday morning! I watched the coyote chase him up the hill. When Eddy got close to the house, the coyote retreated. I think it is a game for them. I certainly hope so! I am partial to coyotes, since I had one that lived with me many years ago. She and my dogs played chase often. First, a dog would chase Joni, the coyote, then they would reverse, and Joni would chase the dog. They wore a path around Wheatfield Cottage, the house I lived in then. On hunting days, when Bridlespur Hunt met at Wheatfield, I locked Joni in a crate, as she had no fear of hounds, but they never bothered her. I think she smelled like the dogs she lived with. Eventually, she met a cute guy coyote and eloped with him. Don Walsh took pictures of her, but I didn’t have a camera in those days. She grew up to look something like this…

Jane continues to work her fingers to the bone.

Some birds for today…

Tom Morris enjoyed the sunshine, as did Weedy…

Just now, we had a varmint visitor on the porch. I actually like possums, with their funny, naked tails and pink toes. This one was very unconcerned about me, quite interested in the water hydrant. Luckily, Eddy was asleep, and missed it!

Speaking of sleeping, here is Harry abed with Weedy just now…

The sky predicts another nice day tomorrow…

Be safe, be well, keep in touch and be grateful. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

I am shattered by news of the sudden death by accident of a dear friend to countless people and animals in Missouri. Don was Dr. Walsh, a veterinarian and character full of stories, and life, and laughter, always with a smile whenever you saw him. It is impossible to explain our long friendship that began in 1973. The effect he had on the life I have led was profound.

Though I have seen little of him in recent years, we never missed a beat, as close friends can do. The last picture I have of Don and Diana was taken November 5, 2024.

They were at Harry’s art show in October, just a few months ago. I spoke to him on the phone in October, and then life got complicated, as it does sometimes. I missed his eightieth birthday in December.

Diana sent me a note just two weeks ago, telling me that Don had put Harry on his prayer list.

“And there with his peers we may leave him, with all the good men and the true / Who have come to the Last of the Gateways and laughed and gone galloping through…” (Will H. Ogilvie)

Godspeed, Don Walsh, you will be missed by more than even you could imagine.

The day began with a visit from Patrick, the “Occupational Therapist”. It’s a funny sounding medical career, but we learned in 2020 how valuable Occupational Therapy is. Another term for it is ergotherapy, from the Greek ergon, which refers to work, and to activity. So, Patrick comes here to help Harry return to his work, ultimately, but also helps him return to normal life around the house. He has excellent ideas for how to accomplish things, and has been a big part of Harry’s remarkable progress.

Once Patrick left, I spent some time outside, cleaning the septic filter. One of the less pleasant aspects of country life, particularly when the hose must be dragged out of the basement to accomplish the task.

It was just “one of those days”, with little to show for a lot of busy work. The daily weight was alarming, as Harry has little desire to eat, so we consulted the Primary Care doctor, who prescribed a new pill to add to the regimen. It’s strange, because he is getting stronger, but has no appetite. Protein drinks are sustaining him.

The doctor’s solution entailed a trip to the pharmacy, hurrying because it was the end of the day. The Medicine Shoppe is one of our favorite places, since Jen, the owner, also rides horses. Eddy came along, which he loved, though he was desperately wild when he saw deer through the window. There were many deer out and about as the day was winding down.

I did try to take some pictures of birds, and of Jane, when she came by with the mail. Not much to report today, though I am exhausted…

Be safe, be well, be grateful. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

Today was a long day, without many pictures. The morning was full of preparation to go to town for a routine visit to the electrophysiologist (the heart “electrician”). We had missed the six month scheduled visit on January 5 because Harry was in surgery to fix his hip. They were kind enough to fit us in today to check on Harry’s heart and pacemaker.

Harry insisted on walking (with the walker) to the car, and then, when we arrived at the medical building, he walked into the building and to the men’s room. This might sound mundane, but it was a feat of epic proportion, just 4 weeks after a hospital stay during which he was in very critical condition.

I did bring the transport chair, and we used that to travel up to the office. Once we returned home, though, Harry insisted on walking from the car to the house. I am astounded by his guts and the progress he has made!

The trip was a 5 hour ordeal, door to door, but news at the doctor was good, and the travel was less miserable for Harry than just a week ago, so it was a good day!

The dogs were thrilled to see us, as was Roscoe. I never even spoke to the horses or barn cats, but Jane reports that everyone is fine. Every day, our gratitude for Jane’s help with this unfortunate circumstance grows exponentially.

Since I don’t have much of interest today, here are a couple of old pictures of Harry doing difficult things.

Be safe, be well, exceed expectations! Be kind, be grateful, be patient. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

Warm weather arrived today. The sun shone brightly and snow has begun to melt. The bad news is, it’s Groundhog Day, and shadows thrown by the balmy sunshine portend six more weeks of winter. I am not superstitious, but I really hope this one is wrong, and winter will end sooner than later.

Meanwhile, no rest for Harry. Devan arrived early and put the patient to work. Harry is making remarkable progress.

Once Devan had worn Harry out, the dogs and I went to Wentzville. There was great enthusiasm for getting in the car and seeing the sights. Not so much for nail trims, but both boys were very good.

It was a beautiful day, and I took the camera out to see the horses.

Eddy had a great time in the nice weather. He is constantly on the run, checking in from time to time, contained by his Freedom Collar.

Weedy looked very handsome at table, hoping for some scraps.

As for Roscoe, he slept in and waited until the sun was high before he ventured outside.

Harry was able to sit in Eddy’s favorite chair, which is lower than the recliner, so requires leg strength to stand. He had no problem, and enjoyed the comfy chair while watching television.

The moon was bright tonight, as I took some trash to the dumpster for Harlan tomorrow.

Be safe, be kind, be grateful. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

Harry fell on the morning of the Full Wolf Moon. Here we are at the next full moon, the Snow Moon. So, four weeks tomorrow since the surgery, and Harry is hard at work recovering.

It is appropriate that I have officially finished shoveling snow on the morning of the Full Snow Moon. It was 3 degrees F again overnight, so I used Harry’s battery operated gloves, which worked well. The path to the dumpster is clear, so I am hoping Harlan will empty it on Tuesday.

Exhaustion prohibits a long blog post, but the day warmed up and we had a nice afternoon, with laughter, which is very therapeutic. The mockingbird has been staying around, and I got an almost great picture of it. I love the sword of a tail and the expressive, yellowish brown eyes.

I got a few pictures of Jane with her equine charges. They are very happy with their new lifestyle. We are so fortunate to have Jane in our life!

Snow horses are out there tonight under the Snow Moon, but with a blanket of clouds.

Be safe, be well, be kind, laugh often, and be grateful. Slava Ukraini! Peace…

At last this awful January is finished. The final day of a horrible month was very cold, but sunny. Even though I am not outside working in the cold – thanks to Jane – (apart from shoveling snow endlessly) I have become accustomed to the colder weather.

It was 3 degrees F (-16 C) this morning here, but my little brother, Michael, who lives in Concord, Massachusetts, near Boston, awoke to MINUS 3 degrees F (-19 C). Undeterred, he dressed warmly and went to protest. Harry and I wish we could participate, but not this year, alas. I am very proud of Michael, and enjoyed the pictures he sent, especially on his way home, when he took selfies near two of Harry’s sculptures.

Here, Harry is getting around quite well, and keeping the dogs well trained.

Jane picked up bedding and I helped her unload it, which gave a sense of normalcy returning. The horses are happy in their new, retired lifestyle. Their manes are getting quite disreputable, but they are keeping all their hair this winter.

Eddy doesn’t mind the cold. He spends his time patrolling his territory, and he just adores Jane!

Just before dark, a varmint came out from under the porch, hungry and searching for spilled bird seed. I felt very sorry for it in such cold weather, so I provided some sustenance. I just hope he and Eddy don’t meet! Eddy would be on the losing end of a contest with a raccoon. They can be fierce! I may have to relocate the varmint, but not until the weather moderates.

Be well, be safe, be warm and grateful. Be kind. Slava Ukraini !! Peace…

The road to recovery is a crooked path, not a straight line. Life is a confusion of good days and bad. Today was not a great day. For one thing, it was very cold.

Harry had Physical Therapy first thing today, with Devan, and that went well. Harry was able to stand without touching the walker. While they worked, I tried to get some projects done, but always got sidetracked and never quite finished anything.

Harry had time for a short rest, and then Patrick arrived for Occupational Therapy. I forgot to get a picture of Patrick, but, like Devan, he is coaching Harry toward a return to the studio.

Lunch was delayed by the arrival of an enormous vehicle from Lowe’s that had delivered something to a neighbor, then drove in here looking for a way to turn around. Bill, the driver, was very apologetic and got very stuck. I should not judge, but he was very stupid. I managed to free him by blading lots of snow with the tractor, and eventually he did escape. That used up more than an hour.

The most frightening thing that happened today illustrates my stupidity. I had assembled the raised, comfortable seat for the toilet that Harry uses. He is able to get out of the chair and go to the bathroom without my help. Well, I had failed to realize that one leg of the seat had not locked properly into place. For three weeks, we never noticed it, and today, the toilet seat collapsed with Harry on it! He called to me, and I did not hear him, so he managed to extricate himself from the predicament. Then he called me, and I did hear him, and was mortified at both my bad assemblage and my poor hearing. The disaster had a happy ending, at least, in that Harry was not hurt. I am immensely grateful to the therapists for the strengthening that they have given Harry in just three weeks, so that he could survive my ineptitude!

Jane came over and we moved more hay from the shed to the barn. The horses are happy and healthy, staying warm by devouring lots of lovely hay. I have not had much time for pictures, but I snapped one of hard working Jane and her greatest admirer.

Roscoe and Weedy have no interest in going outside in frigid weather.

Here are a few bird pictures…

Be safe, be well, be warm (physically and temperamentally). Life is crazy, hang on, and hope for the best! Slava Ukraini!! Peace…