APR’ 20

25

I am ALONE in my house. 

Yesterday, Willa's behavior was challenging to say the least. So, this morning, we got up and went on a hike. Everyone felt much better afterwards. When we got home, I made pancakes from pancake mix, fried up some eggs and sausages, and put out a bowl of strawberries. And, then, I foisted our child on Davis for the morning in a deft move of statecraft. As he was heading out, she asked to go too. Quickly, I filled her backpack up with snacks and water, Monkey, crayons and paper, and a board book. I had her go on the potty and got her boots on. He could hardly refuse.

What will I do with the gloriously free morning before me, you ask? Well, let me tell you.

I took a few minutes to weed outside. I coddled my starter for a loaf of Danish rye bread. I reorganized our chest freezer to accommodate the half pig that Davis is picking up today. The oven is coming to temp so that I can bake off some chocolate chip and double chocolate-hazelnut cookies. And, now, I am seated in front of my computer, with my coffee and tea, to write. 

The state of Colorado is set to begin easing restrictions on Monday. Boulder County, among others in the Front Range, have instituted local orders to shelter-in-place through the first week of May. I have conflicting feelings about all of this. On a personal level (public safety considerations aside), my ambivalence stems from the fact that sheltering-in-place has prompted certain lifestyle changes in our family that are positive on the whole and I worry about how we can preserve what we've gained from this time together. Also, as much as I am longing to see friends again, I feel some anxiety at the thought of being around people outside of my immediate family again. I suspect that I haven't yet fully reckoned with the trauma of recent events and the abrupt changes to our life. In any case, we've decided to continue to practice social distancing and plan to reassess the situation after a full cycle of infection and incubation has passed under the new state guidelines aimed at easing shelter-in-place restrictions. 

The garden continues to be my inspiration and balm in challenging times. The raised beds are full of sprouts. Nearly everything has come up. Exceptions are the parsley and coriander that I planted- I have never had much luck growing either. If they don't take soon, I will try to start them indoors and transplant them outside later. Davis and Willa are out picking up a few fruit trees, spirea bushes, and rosemary plants for me. Our Arp rosemary from last year had survived the winter until I made the fatal error of pruning it in late February. Pretty sure it is dead. The seeds that I planted in soil blocks and have kept indoors on heating pads, under grow lights are all largely sprouted as well and are growing vigorously. The challenge ahead will be to keep them from becoming too leggy. 

We're also looking to refresh our flock. But, there seems to be a run on baby chicks (more words that I never thought I'd say). Toilet paper, yeast, and, now, this. In the end, we did find a hatchery in the Midwest that could deliver chicks to us in mid-May. We were very tempted to dabble in raising meat birds this year but aren't ready to take on the project of building out sufficient infrastructure in our yard to support their healthy and happy development and growth. Something to keep on the back burner until next year perhaps.