Getting on with it...

From Jim: Yesterday was another day to say goodbye to dear pets that had reached the end of their life. We were blessed to get to know them and share in their days. Maggie and Tiger Lily passed quietly and peacefully. They deserved that. Today, we'll haul in some more hay in preparation for a week of rain. Better to haul hay on dry roads and have time to tarp up before the storms. We will see more of our very old members off this spring. We have 6 to 10 that are in their late 20's and 30's. For most breeds, that's a full lifespan. Thank goodness for our vet, Dr. Darling. His wise and caring advice makes it easier for us to make the best choices for our friends. We'll try to get water pumped today. Get the laundry done and the dishes washed. Maybe get the floors cleaned up for a few hours. Around here, keeping the floors clean is a fool's task. Our little ranch house has all laminate floors. Carpeting would have been silly. We try to drop wet and muddy coats and boots in the breezeway. The dogs are stopped and paws are wiped off, except when they're not, and the whole place gets tracked up. The woodstove will get fired up and stay that way for awhile. We're about out of firewood for this year. The late winter weather was not planned for. I'll need to cut some more pretty soon. We have a bunch of down wood, so it's not really a problem-just need to do it. I'm looking forward to straw hats and leather boots. Felt hats and rubber boots need to be put up and the seasons need to change. It'll be time to check out the first hay cutting and service the trucks and trailers. There's a lot of building to do and fences to fix. The roads are a disaster and will need graded. We'll need to get on with it. Life does go on and is for the living. The sanctuary will continue to provide the safe haven for the critters and for us. The hard days will become softer memories and the pangs of loss will lessen. Getting on with it is the best medicine. The tempo and rhythm of the days doesn't leave much time to mope and that's good. Well, I guess I better get to work.