A Blog for 2025

 April 30, 2026 April was actually more comforting than the previous three months even though I have spent most of it waiting for doctor appointments in May.  But I've allowed myself to rest and do what my body is telling me to do.  It's very strange and awkward, but I think it's been good for me. I had an extremely slow day.  I had an extremely horrific nightmare last night.  I made myself get up and go to the bathroom and then I tried to remember it as a whole, which I did.  Then I went back to bed wanting to remember it because I felt it was an important dream.  I don't remember any of it now.  I don't remember who was in it and I remember I was in a car, but that's it.   I think it I'm going to have these epic dreams I'm going to have to keep a dream journal by my bed.  I know last night's was important.  4/30/25 Gerard and I went up to the rookery this afternoon.  It was quite meditative, serene.   There wer...

April 29, 2026 My bestest on my other bestest's birthday. Happy  Birthday, Annie.  You are so important to me, if April 29, 1957 had not brought you into this world my life would not have been so full.  It's the truth. I now have 12 friends who have birthdays today.  I can't believe what a successful day it is to be born on. They are an incredible group  of people and I still think it would be so cool to have a dinner party with all of them plus their one. I'd ask EJ to cook the appetizers. This is the outcome of the major pruning done last fall to the quince bush.   It was so beautiful this morning.   By the time I  took this the sun  was not shining on it,, but you can still see the color, I love this color. The rookery was 67 when I first got there, but the sun was covered up and a breeze came through so by the time I got home again, it was too cool to sit in the yard without my jacket. The bird count was pretty good today. ...

April 28, 2026 Rarely do I take a photograph that reminds me of how much time has passed since I moved to Greenfield.  I left Marlboro in August 1978 and moved on to Federal St.  This photograph is of 3 people who influenced my life starting back then.  I have known all 3 since before 1981.  Joanne, I have known since 1974.  She was my first writing teacher at Marlboro and I went to on to be her colleague at GCC.  All 3 of them are over 80 now.  Remarkable humans.   More hanging out by the bush   Very sweet to have one of us win tonight. Fin has been having a pretty good run this month and it was great to see her take home the Poet Seat Seat tonight.   Very pleased with the youth poets tonight.  We, as judges, had no idea whose poetry we were reading.  We ended out choosing 5 kids all from the same Bement school poetry class.  Very interesting, and I think probably reinforced some sense  of polish that the t...

                                                                                                 April 27, 2026 The bush is littered with buds                 about to explode. The sun’s angle exposes the abundance of spider webs and a house finch hops happily alongside the bumble bees, whose shadows tip us off that they are present. Red bellied woodpecker sings nearby. Signs of May have flipped into April And April will be left behind. Earlier than usual ride, therefore, I got to see the goats in the sun, happy. The rookery was 73 and beautiful, just beautiful.  There was a butterfly  or two, a l...

April 26, 2026 Happy Birthday, Alex. I'd love to see you. Took the night off last night.  Needed to just sink into my bed with a book.   I did take some photos yesterday during my ride.  There is a 1 year old eagle hanging out at the rookery. They have a very bad rap in the neighborhood.  I don't think this one will stick around though because there isn't anything really interesting for him there.  There are a few coupled off geese and I believe that the wood ducks have found their nests, but it appears that the convention broke up early this weekend.  Maybe there was a shooter. It's hard to tell.  We'll track this guy, though.  Did not see him today. This felt like quintessential Greenfield today, a no parking sign next a chair in the middle of a parking lot.   Perfection. The town is grating the places where the water runs on the road.  There are a couple of creeks that follow the road or come down from the hill and flows into thi...

April 24, 2026 9 months before this week is August and its hot and who wants to be touched, and yet, there are so many birthdays, holy moly. And the quince begins as the forsythia ends.  

April 23, 2026 Now I know you all think I'm a little looney thinking there are duck conferences going on at the rookery, but I'm telling you today there were 6 separate species of ducks congregating in the blue. They had hired the geese to manage things, but the early attendants were getting their rooms ready for the weekend. Such a pretty morning, made it out early and the quince is just beginning to flower.  Gary did such a good job on it last summer I think its going to be gorgeous this year.   Everything is way too early.  Even my clump of purple irises have already popped up against the fence.     Peaches are safe. I'm used to looking for 9 shades of green in early spring, but today was filled with reds.    I had lunch with David and Ozzie.  You know I really do miss having a dog.   I don't think I will ever be able to have one again though, I can't imagine being able to accept the responsibility ever again.   I ...