I think we’re clear of sub-freezing temperatures ’til fall. From this morning on, it looks like we can set aside any concern about our supply of fresh water icing up.
I could be wrong about that, of course, but I’ll act as if I’m right.
Staying above the meteorological Mendoza Line means that it’s time for me to undo what I did in November. All of my freeze-mitigation measures can come down. Most of them will.
Not today. Possibly tomorrow afternoon.
Probably Sunday.
Shortly after 8am this morning, I paused in the driveway to take in the view to the southwest and west. Actually, I stood and I stared — The Mountain was still in shadow, but the valley beyond was bathed in the warm, gentle light of sunrise.
I lingered because that vista won’t be around much longer. More leaves are popping out every day, and this place has a way of going from zero-to-lush almost overnight. I’m enjoying this while I can.
It must seem to readers like I post the same photo over and over. That’s my attempt, however futile it may be, to show you what I see.
And it never quite does.
We had our girl Scout at the veterinarian yesterday, by the way. Almost 14 now, she has a long history of developing inflammation in her ears. We almost always are able to treat it successfully at Home, but this time she has herself a real doozy.
A vet tech took swabs. Cytology came back showing a bacterial infection, both cocci and bacilli. Scout was prescribed oral antibiotics, an oral corticosteroid and a topical antibiotic.
She appears to be some better today. Head-shaking is our barometer, and she’s doing less of that. We’ll take her back to the clinic in a couple of weeks for a re-check.
On the new Aaron Lewis album, “The Hill,” is “Outlaw (By the Grace of God).” When I played it for the first time this afternoon, it felt familiar. I found myself remembering Charlie Daniels:
If you don’t like the way I’m livin’,
You just leave this long-haired country boy alone.
“Outlaw” brings the same righteous attitude:
Don’t need your permission
To do what I wanna do.
I’ll mind my own business —
How about you mind yours, too?
I’ve included the lyric video here. Beyond the song itself, though, I want you to take particular note of the guitar work.
That breathless pickin’ belongs to one Chuck Ward, AFL’s lead guitarist. I’ve been following his career for a while now. He’s played our favorite honky tonk in Ohio, Squeek’s Bar & Grill.
And this cut was Chuck’s very first master session. He’s proud of it, as he has every reason to be.
Lots of us are proud right along with him.
As long as I’m on the subject of “The Hill,” here’s the refrain from the cut that spawned the album’s title, “Over the Hill”:
And I’ve lived and I’ve learned
I’ve crashed and I’ve burned
Every bridge that’s tried to cross me
Misspent some days that cost me
Everything that’s anything
And damn sure there’s so many things
I wish I had the chance to not get wrong
Now that I’m over the hill I’m dyin’ on
Yeah, that resonates.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB