A DAY IN MAY

 

On this day in 1914 my Mother was born. Her birthday ushered in Spring more than any holiday. She was a Spring time woman. She was a person of the Earth. She loved to garden. She loved flowers. She loved all the creatures of the Earth, including the creepy, crawly things that may inhabit a garden. She was a wonderfully rich woman; very intelligent, extremely well read, opinionated, very tolerant of peoples foibles, [except for intolerance]; paradoxically, she could not tolerate intolerance in others.

Like all people, who walk the Earth, she had great virtues and, of course, some faults. None of her short comings impinged upon me. I never questioned the fact, that she loved me, without measure. One does not see fault in someone who loves you unconditionally. She was not a Mother who possessed. She expected her children to grow up and leave; but she did attract, like a magnet. Her children did love to visit. She was stimulating and fun to be around.

Both of my parents died in their sleep. I feel very fortunate. When my Mother died, it was very clear, she wanted to go. She suffered from emphysema and her last years were a struggle. I did not feel her death separated us. I can talk to her and feel her presence. Love knows no separation or end.

Yesterday I was in a funk. Noah spotted a sheep that got caught in a fence and died. I couldn't believe it. All Winter long, I counted my sheep every day. The Sun didn't go down, without my knowing, all my sheep were accounted for. After the grass greened up, I didn't have any concern of them getting out and I didn't make a point of counting them everyday. This sheep, a yearling ram, attempted to jump over the fence and caught his hind foot and fell backwards, twisting his foot in the wire, there was no way he could pull his leg out. I have had sheep caught in the fence before, usually their head, I can always hear them baaing and I go to the rescue. I don't know why I didn't hear him. He tried to jump over the fence, in a low spot, that the deer have been using. There is well traveled deer trail approaching the fence. One of the reasons I felt bad was because this border fence, is a very old fence, that predated our living here. It has been repaired and added to, but has many questionable spots, where tree branches have fallen on it. I have meant to prop up the weak spots but haven't gotten to it. Sheep, unlike goats, will stay in any fence as long as they are convinced they can't get out. They are happy to go out a left open gate, but they don't look for places, they can squeeze through or jump over, once they are acclimated to their space. If I had goats in that pasture, they would have been on our porch, and peering through the window, in five minutes.

Well the experience caused me to question whether I should be raising sheep at my age. It is obvious I need help in simple things, like patrolling the fence lines, and removing fallen branches and propping up sagging wire. I am not done mulling over possibilities. I am sure I will keep trucking on.

I will talk to my Mom, maybe she will have some advice.

Yes, ALL IS WELL.

Love and Peace, Gregg