Today ran the gamut of extremes. It began with surgery on my foot; it ended with temperatures up in the 50s; Maria and I sat by the pasture soaking up the sun; Zip was in my lap, and she moved over to talk to her donkeys and Asher, the sheep.

The day turned beautiful as the sun came up and melted the remaining snow; the wood stoves were off, the wind quieted, the air was warm, and sitting outside for a long time with Zip on my shoulder was sweet. I felt like a ship captain with a first mate. We studied the horizon for a long time, and neither moved. I did keep stroking and scratching from time to time.

The donkeys and sheep launched lazily in the pasture, soaking up the warmth.

I’ll just put the photos up. I also took some flower art photos with my new Iris flowers. I can’t think of a more exciting or sweeter day. It was strange for February, even alarming. But it was also beautiful and comfortable, and we loved sitting out in it and walking around the farm—an excellent way to rest after surgery.

My foot is not hurting much, but I can’t walk far in my surgical boot. I didn’t miss it; I had to wear one for over two years. We must keep the stitches from infection. I love the winter, but nothing compares to Spring.

Here are the photos; I loved taking them and hope you enjoy them. It was great to be warm and do some flower art; I’ll put that up shortly. I’m excited about it. (Zip and me photos by Maria Wulf)

Zip was very happy to hang out with us this afternoon; he got all the attention he might have wanted.

The weather sparked a love-a-thon. Maria sat with me and then went to see the donkeys; they went to see the sheep, Asher first. It’s impressive to see a sheep lying still like that while a person comes to scratch his nose. He’s a gentle giant. We have been lucky with our wethers; they are all kind and gentle.

When the donkeys want attention, they bump into us, get close, and wait for us to rub, brush, and scratch them. We are suckers for that. Our farrier says we have the nicest donkeys he has ever worked with.

The blue sky was waiting for me this morning. I was happy to see it and the three clouds that hovered majestically about the Green Mountains of Vermont.

Our warmth time began with my sitting with Zip and ended that way. He would jump off occasionally to investigate some invisible movement and then return. His company on one side and Maria’s on the other was excellent. It was a kind of family.