Saturday, January 23, 2021 (In five days January’s Wolf Moon appears.)

Yesterday’s early falling “light snow” soon turned heavier and finally dropped about six inches of powder. Wearing heavy-duty Sorels, I kicked a path down to the barn where the horses waited. Well, “waited” doesn’t correctly describe their behavior. On the bleak cold morning, they ran, bucked, and kicked. I opened the gate to their area while pulling a hay-loaded sled and waving a space-declaring, whip-like object. In very cold weather my waving helps to distance excited hooves.

Snow days are warmer than post-snow days, and I did the morning work quickly. I wondered if my manager who drives in forty miles from the south might be late, and so, decided to leave early for work at Costco. She reached the store before I arrived, and for awhile, we saw the place nearly empty of shoppers.

Through the day customers that showed up had feet in Sorels, bodies nearly lost in high-zipped parkas, and heads with knitted hats pulled nearly to the tops of face masks. I was over-dressed and too warm, but it’s hard to predict what several hours inside Costco might feel like. Its massive cold cases can dominate inside temperatures.

I enjoy reflecting on how snow recreates the known world. Besides its slippery danger, snow’s soundless and unending whiteness generates a caution of unknowns. While thinking about how snow alters ordinary days, I saw this article in today’s New York Times, “What it Means to Look at Paintings of Snow”, by Amy Waldman.

The writer, during a no-snow, warmest winter on record, visited galleries. She zeroed-in on snow paintings, becoming entranced by landscape colors, shape dynamics, and moods. Her article’s perceptions and writing are as lovely as the paintings that illustrate her observations.

This article lets us walk in the snow and experience its worlds: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/t-magazine/paintings-snow-winter-art.html?action=click&module=card&pageType=theWeekenderLink

Dear Friends: When snow is underfoot, how about those incredible sky colors! Diana

Friday, January 22, 2021 (In six days the Wolf Moon will appear.)

It’s exciting, the appearance next week of the full Wolf Moon that oversees winter’s coldest days. With daylight already lasting a little longer, January’s moon adds the essences of life, love, and sustenance hunting. Every full moon suggests the best of being alive, but right now in winter’s very heart, this particular oncoming full moon will be a welcome sight.

I’ll add, if we’re able to see the next Wolf Moon. Here in Central Oregon this winter has been unusually warm, but lately we’re experiencing sight-limiting cloudiness, and perhaps ahead more than a hint of wintery weather. Last night, for example, snow fell. Not bunches, but a suggestion of more to come. After all, it’s midwinter, with nights of wolf howling, days of snowshoeing, and now as always, hopes for better-lit pathways.

This hour I’ve been writing suggests that dreams may be prescient, for snow has continued to fall. As the dogs go outside, I look and see that early light snow is more accumulated by inches. Soon, I must go out into that snow and feed waiting large animals, but I’m not prepared. I wasn’t expecting a snow onslaught before early next week, to herald the appearance of Wolf Moon.

Dear Friends: In every “bleak midwinter”, a full moon warms and encourages. Diana

Thursday, January 21, 2021 (Seven days until the next full moon)

The inauguration ceremony was amazing, considering that D.C. was on lockdown and without the usual crowds that every four years fill the mall. For much of yesterday I watched, transfixed by beautiful colors, timed choreography, and the superb ceremonial fillers that television captured.

Moreover, instead of that major event ending as usual with formal balls and parties, our President and Vice-President went to work. He signed executive orders that will reverse some of his predecessor’s damage while she immediately began to swear in America’s newest senators. Yep, yesterday’s ceremony preceded activities with sleeves-rolled-up, to shape a welcome new page in American history.

Could the talents of Lady Gaga, J Lo, and Amanda Gorman be complemented beyond their near-perfect performances? Most of us watching found their offerings superb.

Yesterday, above and beyond all else, Joe Biden’s consistent confidence and forthright manner were striking, so different, and almost incredibly from a year ago, on his stumbling emergence as a presidential candidate. His history just gives us more reasons to love this guy, a real person to get to know, learn to understand, and increasingly, to witness his integrity.

Dear Friends: Next week’s full Wolf Moon will shine on good moods and joyous howls. Diana

Wednesday, January 20, 2021 (Finally! It’s America’s Biden/Harris Inauguration Day.)

As I write, President Trump is standing on a tarmac and speaking, just before boarding AF-1 for his final presidential flight out of D.C.

I’m thinking, “Bye, bye, Donald”, with an equally enthusiastic, “So long, Melania”.

It’s a huge relief to witness the fading-away of key Trump lackeys, Barr and Pompeo. No less welcome is a hopeful sign that the stubborn McConnell somewhat might be bending.

Biden and Harris know they must hit the ground running. It’s become apparent in these months after the election that they’re a fast-thinking, collaborative leadership team. They must face really hot issues, like campaign financing, gerrymandering, an overly conservative Supreme Court, voting rights issues, work and wage inequalities, and a still-raging epidemic.

I feel optimistic, even excited. This transition might prove capable, consistent, and trustworthy.

Dear Friends: After years of collective anger, maybe now we may begin to hope. Diana

Tuesday, January 19, 2021 (Tomorrow, Joe Biden/Kamala Harris will become America’s leaders.)

I’m enthralled by a New York Times story of 10 Nepalese climbers making it to the top of K2. In print, their ascent may be as easily visualized, as eventually, it might be on video. The story, “How Climbers Reached the Summit of K2 in Winter for the First Time”, documents the team’s challenges, in decision-making and climbing efforts, to reach the top of gleaming K2, a glacial 28,251-foot monolith straddling the China-Pakistan border.

This read is breathtaking, equally, for those “in the know” and others “not into climbing”.

My writing time today now is short, for it’s my third day having to be at work by 8 a.m. Even with warnings about short-time in my head, it was impossible to breeze through this superb reporting of an incredible Sherpa team’s climb.

Later today, I’ll re-read and re-experience their adventure. Probably soon and likely, there will be a video, for this well-planned project apparently was well-covered. A video would be very welcome.

Enjoy the climb for yourself, here’s a link: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/sports/summit-k2-nepalese-sherpas.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage

Dear Friends: The climbers/reporters/photographers created a superb documentary. Diana

Monday, January 18, 2021 (Today, MLK Day, and in another two days, Biden’s inauguration)

Today is all about heroes.

First, MLK, and his larger-than-life legacy. Long after his death, King has continued to encourage people of color, and the growing supporters of social equality, to use their voices and affirmative activities to improve citizenship in America. Around the world, similar activities in these days excite and encourage many to re-think and re-define their social and economic positions.

Second–at least as brave as King–is the Russian opposition leader, Alexey Navalny. Last night he flew into Moscow from Berlin, after recovering from poisoning last summer by Putin’s goons. He’d nearly been killed, was saved by quick-thinking airline personnel and Merkel’s allowance of safe haven in Germany.

Navalny’s popularity is growing in Russia despite Putin’s attempts to quash key opposition activities. The factor diminishing Putin’s overt activities is a huge growth in worldwide media attention. The world has been witnessing and grasping the similar personalities of Putin and Trump. An increasingly aware Russian population, like Americans, are understanding more how clearly dictatorships bind, control, and make the wealthy wealthier.

Whew! A big day and there’s more to come. Joe Biden will have his hands full. America is beyond lucky to have a leader coming on board with a world of political experience, who already knows the key players.

And now, I must go into action and get ready to leave for work.

Dear Friends: This political season, an exciting horse race, brings serious changes. Diana

Sunday, January 17, 2021 (Next Wednesday, America will have a new President)

I’m breathing steam off a cup of Fog Chaser, to wrap my head around today, tomorrow, and the next. For these days, I must manage the demo team in our Costco, each for eight-hours–tiring, but not the worst problem. Nor is the worst having to take care of my equines in negative natural light before and after work.

Most bugging about long work days is confining my horses to dry lot. These short-light winter days prevent our walking early (and safely) a third-mile to our neighbor’s pasture (and, in later no-light, walking home). In these unusually beautiful winter days, my horses ought instead to roam and graze.

Oh well, so, I’ll sit in an office and they’ll stand in dry lot.

This week, I attempted to quit my supervisory role, to slip back into the team, and to work only two days weekly. But it’s hard to drop off teaming with someone likeable and kind as my manager. Perhaps we both needed to get frustrations off our chests, for after yelling back and forth, we got over it. There’s plenty good about participating in a relationship in which pieces can blow up and fall back into place.

These three days’ lunchtimes, I’ll scoot home, toss hay to my horses and apologize to them.

On the other hand, it’s a bonus having two days off this Wednesday and Thursday. I’ll watch Biden’s inauguration. In concert with most Americans, I’ll sigh mightily in relief. My friend, Susie, is conjuring a celebratory something-or-other, in her family’s TiPi, where several politically-like minds may share. That’s so cool!

Dear Friends: This spring, job or no job, I’ll be re-conditioning the horses for driving. Diana

Saturday, January 16, 2021 (On Wednesday, Biden becomes America’s President.)

This Monday is Martin Luther King Day. His ability to articulate, his leadership skills and sheer social bravery, are beacons for savvy Americans. On King’s shoulders, people of color, understanding their social history and fighting for social changes, are gaining in social and political status. The current election season reflects their high influence. A woman of color will be America’s next Vice-President, and there’s the Georgia runoff election. There, people worked hard to get voters of color to cast votes. Their success has granted to Democrats a majority in the Senate.

America’s changing power structure, increasingly becoming populated by women and people of color, upsets a status quo. For eons, the status quo ensured that all the most powerful–socially, financially, and politically–were white men.

I’ve been reflecting on the symbolism that Trump’s family brought to the White House. The President has proved himself to be a bully, disdainful of a non-traditional social order, and focused on gaining personal wealth above attending to social and political needs. His whole family reflects an old order, from the wife always in stiletto heels, to generally unlikeable children who still depend on daddy’s support.

Our larger population has awakened to some 70 million voters who support Trump. We question how this has occurred. I see them as the kinds who supported a long-standing Jim Crow South, who suppressed people of color, and who for centuries disallowed women the right to vote and control money and property. They wish to regain control over a woman’s right to choose, refuse to curb weapons ownership, and hope to keep alive many more evils.

Perhaps their last bastion of hope has been Trump, with whom they share mutual adoration and support. It’s lip-biting to consider the alternative outcome to our recent election cycle. And equally lip-biting to give a nod to Corona Virus which became a long-lasting major issue.

These clues to insight deserve more thought.

Dear Friends: This week’s great relief will be welcoming a new administration. Diana

Friday, January 15, 2021 (In 5 days, Biden’s inauguration!)

I’m reading a book by an excellent writer who touches my interests and inspires imagination.

Late Migrations, by Maregaret Renkl (2019), subtitled “A natural history of love and loss”, is a collection of essays, interwoven in patterns that cross-over between adulthood and childhood. For example, an essay describes a visual-thought process during adulthood related to nature, followed by an essay recalling a relevant experience from the author’s childhood.

This pattern is how our minds process. On tuning-in to something that interests us, our brains immediately make associations to past experiences and emotions. The author is an “opinion writer” for The New York Times, living in Nashville and writing often about the natural world. Her recent contribution to the Times, explaining her dismay over destructive events that deteriorate Nashville, carried me toward her book.

A wonderful writer, Renkl feels deeply about the natural world and observes it carefully. I’m caught by the beauty in which she writes experiences, memories, and above all, her prose style verging on sheer poetry. Her words, ideas, and images flow into my brain. The essays drift me into a world that sees what she’s seeing, and draw upon my own memories, similar to hers.

She speaks to two worlds–one natural, the other our own, and illustrates the steady interweaving in our minds of images connecting present and past.

Dear Friends: “A natural history of love and loss,” the essence of humankind. Diana

Thursday, January 14, 2021 (6 days to ignauration)

The next six days will be crazy. The President, again, is impeached, national guard troops are hanging out on the floors of America’s Capital Building, the futures of greedy politicians (like Hawley and Cruz) are up for grabs, as the FBI searches to identify the Trump-supporting police and/or Republicans who aided Capital rioters. There’s more, for everybody knows that events ahead might explode again into mayhem.

Underlying all is an ever-widening divide between America’s haves and have-nots. Pundits estimate that our current economic problems began with Reagan’s support for an idea of trickle-down economics. Vice-President, George H.W. Bush, called that “voodoo economics”. Nonetheless, under Reagan, the government’s budget handling began to change.

In essence, America’s rich has become richer and its middle class is disappearing. In recent years, Republicans greatly opposed attempts by President Obama, to improve living for a majority of Americans and to improve immigration policies. The Republicans fussed throughout Obama’s eight years in office, they renewed promises based on trickle-down economics, opening a path into leadership by the worst of all possible Presidents–he who’s now twice impeached by the House. This second impeachment might be upheld, since in the Senate more Democrats will be seated and voting.

Asked how America’s social and political changes have evolved, Adam Schiff responded this way: “Craven conduct often occurs when ambition becomes temping.” It’s another way of saying what finally we understand: “Follow the money”.

A huge population of some seventy million Americans again would vote for Republicans. And that Party must hang onto every available vote in order to remain viable. The extent to which Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can manage well and productively over the next few years will determine our political and social future.

Meanwhile, we who are pleased about the current turn of events must stay hopeful, and alert, especially through another six days. There are possibilities that (1) introducing impeachment in the Senate and (2) inaugurating Biden, may ignite warfare among portions of the millions who fear losing what they perceive as power.

Dear Friends: In these, the best of times and worst of times, we must hold onto faith. Diana