If the storm turns out to be less than advertised, I’ll be blogging away. If not, this may be goodbye until Tuesday. I could do a lot of thinking and meditation then. If I had to bet, I’d say the storm will be another storm.

Zip, as always, noses himself into the life of the farm. He misses nothing, checks out everything, and then shocks me with the big heart inside of him.

Zip surprises me with his intelligence, heart, and intense curiosity. He has to know what’s happening, he has a genis for posing. When he came to the farm, he chased the White Hen everywhere, away from anything he might think of as food.

He always manages to get himself into the picture. Today, it was different. He got himself into the White Hen’s stall.

This week, as the White Hen struggles to stay alive, Zip wants to visit, understand, and – I think – protect her. He shows up occasionally and even hops into her stall to listen to and sit with her. I can’t account for or explain this; I wouldn’t dare to try.

She talks to Maria; she talks to Zip.

Zip is a ham, but he also has something more profound and generous in him. He and the White Hen are friends. The other hens have rejected her, and she vanished for five days and returned nearly dead. She is at ease with him; she always used to run and hide from him.  She trusts him now.

He is watching out for her, and she is glad to see him. Maria took this photo today at my request. I cannot go outside much until the ice is gone and the storm is past, and Maria does it beautifully.

The Winter Pasture.

Sheep in the snow and ice.

Something to keep people warm. Beauty is everywhere; I am always learning to look for it. I am so glad I have a camera like this again.