There is nothing particularly interesting about cleaning out the garage. I mean, maybe fascinating to me, but a lack of general interest. Sorry. I don’t have to sign up for health Care today- or at least I don’t think so- and will suspend concern until we see what happens in the New Year.

I am making some significant progress at the farm, though, as I am sure you are pleased to hear. The tough part still lies ahead, I am afraid. At some point I am going to have to actually start looking at things and making the hard choices about what to let go.

“Forward!” I think is what they say.

Things to think about while humping empty boxes over to the barn to stack for the run to the public solid waste repository. Once that is gone, I will feel like I have actually accomplished something.

The unseasonably warm temperatures let me get to something else: the leaves. I fired up the Stihl leaf-blower and burned a tank of gasoline blasting leaves into the woods, and even got the garage and barn blown out. It was very liberating, and all the activity was conducted in t-shirt.

The noise of the blower made me realize I ought to wear my shooting earmuffs, and for a while the din made the raptors cease to patrol the property. Is it just me, or am I noticing the hawks and falcons and great black ravens more? Is it the length of time since Rachel Carson’s campaign against DDT and to save the beleaguered robin red-breast population?

I have never seen so many birds of prey in the air. It is true up North, though of course not to the extent that it is in the country. But they are a constant presence above the roads, coming and going, and before coming down I noted a very large bird with a white head, graceful wing-tip fingers extended, playing on the currents of air around the flank of Big Pink.

Eagle? I don’t know. We are more accustomed to Turkey Buzzards in Culpeper, but I like the hawks. Keeps the mice out of the mailbox, you know?

Have a delightful Christmas, if you are celebrating it, and a tranquil but joyous holiday!

Copyright 2013 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
Twitter: @jayare303