It was an odd Thanksgiving this strange year, and odder still to feel the spirit of “thanks” that rises on mornings like this.

OK, I get it. You cannot feel the ice that coats the old Navy bell on the back deck. It has spent it’s long life in the open, on the ocean, decorating the interior of a house in Grand Rapids, and now on a custom-designed steel mount facing the Russian’s place. It is now for emergencies, only, and we had one last night.

Bed seemed to be a good idea, and a fortuitous once as the chill gray rain transformed with dusk into a ice coating. From Fredericksburg west to Culpeper, the rain turned solid, trees swayed and fell. 22,000 of us were bereft of power from the onset of darkness until nearly ten this morning.

It makes a property-owner proud that our electrical system managed a decent re-start, and my hearty cheer of thanks is for the men and women who spent the freezing night out driving on ice looking for the crucial interruptions in the blackness. It is worth adding to the list of heroes who have served us this year- and saved us. Nurses and paramedics first, and the Docs, and the cops who kept the violence mostly contained. The delivery people, men and dauntless women who man-handled the boxes of supplies that kept us country folk going. And this morning, the ones who drove and worked through the night to keep us warm and alive.

I had to participate in the weekly business meeting this morning, and that process filled me with wonder. I mentioned yesterday that it looked like the Electoral College had picked a President on Monday.

There is more tumult to come on that front, of course, and all the other dwindling events that have dates. Georgia is voting already, which appears to be the new norm for an election scheduled two weeks in advance, and the day after, the Joint Congressional session on January 6th to approve whichever President is most popular that week.

But despite the emotions that rose as the power flickered back on and the thoughts for pals in the NE where the storm walloped its worst, I am a thankful fellow, and Refuge Farm may lurch back to something normal as we close in on Christmas.

Thanks and joy this morning, wherever you are!

– Vic

Copyright 2020 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com