May 13, 2020
Day 53
Rain on and off again today. Winter is officially here and the drought is broken for sure and at last. What is also official is that for the first time in five years the quail have not left to winter down in the blackberry cane thicket near the community vegetable garden. It seems about thirty in three groups of fat and happy and thoroughly friendly birds have decided that the pickings are easy and the company nice here at Lot #18. Where once we could back off the feeding for a few months and rest and relax, we now have a new paradigm of our own making. It’s a happy challenge and the quail are worth it. Seeing them standing patiently on the steps outside our bedroom window, looking in at us, calling ‘Good morning! What’s up? We’re here!’ is so beautiful it melts our hearts. We walk outside and they come down the steps and skitter and dash into the grove and out again and set to with a will when we scatter their seed on the pavers. Life is good, life is good, life is good!
I am finally healed. My lungs are clear as they ever get and that’s a good feeling. Valerie’s back is slowly mending and her stomach, which has suffered terribly from the cocktail of medicines she had to take, is slowly recovering. Yogurt is now on the menu and things are looking up. We spent most of the morning in bed listening to wind buffeting the trees and rain drumming on the metal roof. Inside we are snug and warm and though I never got to replace the roof this summer, it will probably last until next year.
After a late lunch of sausage sandwiches and soup I went out to the workshop and made headway on projects. I finished fabricating a new and better mount for my homemade laser sight and flashlight attachment for my crossbow. Tested it until it was spot on, then made seven new bolts using epoxy, nails and knitting needles. I built a magnetic calendar from some small tile squares, magnets and glue. Found the parts for the lamp repair and got them ready for tomorrow. Organised the shelves and the spare parts and hardware bins. Lots of tiny steps, each taken at the right moment, contributing to the greater whole, all while the river of time rolls majestically past.
Wrapped up at dusk and found that one of our neighbours dropped off a mother’s day package for Valerie that her daughter had couriered to the estate gate. They also left some groceries for us from a trip they’d made into town. There is a buzz in the estate, in town and even countrywide, that you can feel deep down. We are moving to Level 2, stage one, tomorrow. The country is going to open up internally, climb back onto the saddle and ride. Whether we can figure out a way for external visitors to join us in our rodeo is another story, but for now, we’re going to see whether we can stay on top of the numbers and emerge into the sunshine of a new day.
Checking the figures before dinner I see that we have gone another day without a new case and there are still five Zeroes on the board.
Zero New cases. 4 Recovered cases. Ratio of recovered cases to active cases is 93.6%.
For 53 days we’ve felt like this…
Now we feel like this…
Lots to do yet. Many questions to answer, but for now, for a day or two while we shift down another level, we’re going to have to be excused for smiling just a little.
Thank you all. Stay safe and good luck.
ironwoodwind 