Today is a gloomy, cloudy day, and I decided to honor my Leica Monochrome (my first Leica) by using it all day to take my photographs. Fate is always a good place to start; she is the most photogenic of our dogs.

She hurt her foot today, pretending she was herding sheep, and I was drawn to this image of Maria comforting her.

Maria is a love machine around here, but she never gets sappy. Mess with her work schedule, and you’ll see the dark side of her. There’s a werewolf in there.

Bishop Gibbons was excellent yesterday, and I’ve been invited to meet with the new International School for new refugees opened in Albany last year.

These refugee students have just arrived; it’s right up my alley and the Army Of Good. It won’t affect my connection with Sue Silverstein or Bishop Gibbons, but I think some fascinating and needy new arrivals could use a hand. I know some of the teachers there; this is a great place.

Despite the many efforts to choke off or eliminate support and deny them entry, the refugees are here, and I am called to help them as well as I can. I see that the white male culture is fighting to the death for dominance and survival. I am coming to see that almost all of the conflict and division in our country begins with race when you think about it. The haters won’t prevail.

As for me, I’m going to do good every day until I keel over. That’s my purpose.

More later.

We’re expecting a good-sized snowstorm tonight and all through Friday. We’re ready. Fate is resting, which doesn’t come easy for her. Our generator is in the barn with lots of gasoline.

We’ve never been able to pin down the identity of our saintly statue, so I’ve decided to call her Mother Therese since she was the inspiration for our small acts of great kindness. I’m enjoying the fallen limbs of the white birch. So is my camera.

The Bedlam Farm Treat Committee, President Bud, was waiting for me this morning when I came out of the shower. He’s the boss. I call him “My Little Man.”

The Imperious Hens were doing their business as usual, butts up, the hunt for bugs and seeds was still on.

I am taking daily photos of our landscape around the farmhouse; I like it; This photo reflects the gray day.