Fate came in from the cold and curled next to the wood stove. Her sleep and rest were beautiful and affirming.
20 January
Fate At Rest, A Study In Peace
by Jon Katz
Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz
20 January
Photo Journal, 12 Pictures: The Winter Pasture On Another Cold, Snowy and Beautiuful Day, Inside And Out
by Jon Katz
I called it dark winter today; it was the coldest day so far, and it is snowing again. Maria and I went out to buy her some boots and stopped to shop and bring some Asian food home for lunch from Bennington, Vt. On the way home, I stopped to take some pictures of the winter pasture; it was beautiful and foreboding simultaneously. I also walked all over the farm with Zinnia and Zip trailing to check on the animals and try to capture the light and beautiful gloom.
This horse was so peaceful and proud and paid no attention to snow. I loved his color.
The yellow barn is one of my continuing photographic subjects; the yellow is lovely against the gray sky.
I saw a bull standing alone in a cow pasture, looking imperious and patient. I couldn’t tell if bulls get lonely or not, I think not.
Inside the house, there was warmth and peace. Zinnia had an excellent long walk in the woods, and when she came in, she collapsed in her big bed and went to sleep. Bud, who always loves to be close to her, jumped up on his sofa to join her. Neither of them moved for an hour.
As the snow got heavier, Maria spread the hay out so everybody could get the same amount. We have to watch the donkeys; they’ll grab all of it if we let them.
Bud left his heated cat house behind to romp in the snow and pick off some hungry mice, moles, and maybe a chipmunk. I think he’s gotten all of the rats already.
A single flower is growing in the living room; it’s pretty beautiful.
Lulu gets hungry in the cold; she is working on me to give her some alfalfa treats. I did.
The winter pasture is beautiful; I’m trying to rise to the occasion.
A winter cow pasture is a stirring site, especially on a hill like that. The cows are coming.
My afternoon meeting with Zip was right on time. 4 p.m. He was waiting in his usual spot.
19 January
Color And Light Twice, A Running Dining Room Table Chess Game, (I’m losing). Warmer Weather Coming
by Jon Katz
Good news: warmer weather is coming next week after one final burst of hysteria from the Weather Channel. Watch out when they name a storm; it’s usually a stinker in a different way than the forecast. One more is coming next week, and then it will warm up noticeably. I’m ready for that, and so is every animal on the farm. Stay warm and dry; Maria and I will play chess again after dinner.
We love it; it’s excellent brain food for hungry brains. Having the board painted on the dining room table is a hoot.
These flowers have kept me warm and peaceful. They are better than cannabis.
Maria and I have perked up the dark days by painting a chessboard on the dining room table. We both love the game and are evenly matched. We both like to win but don’t overdo it. We go back and forth, have the same strengths, and make the same mistakes. We’ll sort it, as the Brits say. Sometimes, our games take a day on and off to end.
We take breaks for work, phone calls, writing, quilting, and shopping. Also, I like reading and going to the movies. In the winter, we work harder to get out and have fun at home. The darkness and cold can get to you if you let it. It feels like we have one chess game going, and it hardly matters who wins.
19 January
Art Lives! Sue Silverstein’s Artists Strike Again. See What They Have Done With Your Support And Donations
by Jon Katz
Sue Silverstein has her groundbreaking art program on high drive. Her students happily abandon TikTok to sit for hours painting, weaving, sewing, and brushing.
Her students’ art (eight classes) is made from the discarded objects sent to her by the Army Of Good.
Here are three more examples today. You can send all kinds of discarded objects to Sue – clothes, wood lamps, cameras, hats, jewelry, shoes, old photos, paint, brushes, etc. – at Sue Silverstein, Bishop Gibbons High School, 2600 Albany Street, Schenectady, N.Y., 12304 and Sue and her students will turn it into art.
She might be the first St Sue The Magician.
Here are three more examples of their work – mixed media fashion designs from the design class and one painting by an 8th-grade student.
Sue’s seniors are working hard to set up a healthy breakfast canteen in her classroom with the food you are sending. It’s a tremendous gift; it taught the students much about America. Thanks again. Food contributions will always be welcome and put to good use—same address as above.
There are more hungry kids out there than you might imagine.
Her students all have art assignments but also get to make art from the things they love that have meaning.
19 January
Zip And Winter Gate: Am I Cruel And Heartless? Sometimes. I Do Listen To Farmers. Zip Gets A Heavy Towel On His Heated House Today
by Jon Katz
A cat-loving woman in Texas wrote me an angry message this morning daring me to sleep between two hay bales in subzero weather before I thought I knew how Zip might feel in the cold. I was tempted to write back and say I sleep in the barn every night and love it, but I decided that would be immature and false and might upset Maria.
It’s the demon in me; I deleted her message and those of her disapproving friends.
There is no pleasing an extremist cat lover any more than it’s possible to get a member of the Mean Boys And Girls Caucus in Congress to negotiate with the opposition.
I got a good chuckle out of the message. Maria and I have been getting some.
I didn’t chase sheep for miles to spare my border collies or teach Bud how to herd, hunt, and eat moles so he could learn to catch and eat them.
Some things dogs and cats will have to figure out for themselves. And yes, there are risks, as there are for all of us. Zip is good at that. But I will sleep a tad easier in subzero weather, knowing he has a shot at being warm.
But I know this: this wasn’t a question about what Zip needed; it was about what I needed, and I’m happy to admit it.
I listen to the farmers because they are all squishes at heart, often pretending to be tough like me and many men. They are not burdensome. They are too tired and beat up for that, and no one knows animals better than they do, surely not animal rights theologians clucking in their following.
I have a lot of cat-loving friends now, but the Cat Trolls are out there and aren’t happy with me. I suspect they’ll be done in a day or so. There are so many animal outrage stories to keep them busy and writing those checks.
I should say that I do listen to farmers when they give me advice. They live with animals, understand cold, rats, coyotes, mice, and vermin, and their advice is sensible and sound. They aren’t arrogant about it; or pompous or annoying, they share their experience and leave it up to me. I have gotten good advice from them and listen to it.
Today, two of my farm advisers wrote to suggest I put a plastic sheet or towel or blanket over Zip’s heated cat c.e. In sub zero weather, they said, the heat rises up and out of most enclosed spaces, it can go right through cloth. They both suggested I put a cover over it to ensure that it does not block any hopes for ventilation and holds the warmth.
I can’t say if they are right or not, but it made sense to me, and Maria, who is wearing my worry about Zip, just shrugged her shoulders. Every man can be annoying without really trying.
I dug out an old towel. And I covered the top. I didn’t think it was necessary.
But the farmers seemed to know what they were talking about, and I was impressed they had given the issue some thought. Farmers, relentless targets of the Animal Rights crusaders, are the biggest animal lovers that I know. They know animals better than any city person because they live and work with them; animals are most often their whole lives.
Zip is happy with his heated house, but his schedule hasn’t changed much. He slept in there last night and went in for naps, but he was out in the snow hunting for moles, mice, and chipmunks and catching some. I feel more straightforward about Zip. He wasn’t coming inside, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel – 10-degree temperatures.
I can’t claim to know his feelings, but I’d rather not worry about it. To the outraged cat fanatics, time to get lost, my delete finger is warm and ready. You will not be listened to or missed.
Maybe I’ll carry some hot chocolate out to the barn tonight and sit out there with Zip, listening to the coyotes howl.