Still with us.

Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved.

Yes, Spice is still with us.  I didn't think she'd make it through Friday night, but she did, and she even ventured out into the open to enjoy the sun and warmer air.

And, of course, a couple of the other chickens went for her, because they are bullies, and that's what they do. So I scooped her up and kept her with me, and Wings created a nest for her out a cardboard box and some hay, and she's been spending her days and nights in the studio next to the heater ever since. She gets fresh water and food and the chicken treats she loves so much (and that's mostly what she eats now), and she can still get around on her own, although she's sleeping for longer and longer stretches. It's not a question of getting well; it's one of making sure she's safe and comfortable and happy while her little body slowly winds itself down. She's had a good long life (in chicken years).

Meanwhile, a few tiny flurries is all we've had so far, although you can see snow falling on the peaks and slopes on all sides of us.  We're supposed to get five consecutive days of this, but as always, we'll believe it when we see it. At lest the wind is not as bad now; yesterday was brutal, and we're both paying for it today. I'm hobbling, and that's not going to improve anytime soon.

This day isn't improving, either; it's been a nightmare of interruptions and disruptions and derailments all day so far, and I have gotten nothing accomplished. Mostly because literally no one regards my time or my work as valuable, as something that can't just be interrupted on the slightest whim, because I can just delay everything for everybody else, no matter how trivial. That's not how this works, and at the moment, I'm ready to start throwing things, because I have GOT to be left alone to fucking work. It doesn't help that tomorrow is going to be a shit day no matter what happens, because it's one of the worst markers of the year for me, and I spend weeks before dreading it and weeks after coping with the inevitable fallout.

This coming week is already going to be slammed, weather or no weather, and the next three weeks or so will be more of the same. I have to get to work this week anyway on organizing our taxes and a bunch of other stuff for the year to come. The delay on the freezer (and they charged us a FORTUNE this time around for delivery) means delaying our inquiry into Pojoaque's bison program (or any real meat purchases at all right now) and see how much it will cost to buy a share of a buffalo. Early research suggests around ~$2K, so we may need to crowdfund that. The thing about it is that it won't feed only us; it'll get shared with other folks.

Also, last Sunday, we submitted an application to the state for a grant that, if we're lucky enough to get it, will cover about 2/3 of the cost of the well we have to drill as soon as possible ("as soon as possible" being months in the offing yet, because $15K total for the whole operation, and also they're booked for several months already). And then there's Wings's hearing aids, because I think he's finally convinced that we need to make the investment. I'm going to need to set up PayPal pools to fund them, absent making a whole bunch of sales now. It's endless, and I am so tired just thinking about it.

We need sales. Sales, sales, SALES.

SALES. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS RIGHT NOW, AND I CANNOT GET ANY TIME TO MAKE SALES.

The last couple of years have required us to dig deep and ante up to help others at a level we've never done before. This year? The first two and a half months of 2021? Has already buried that. But as I said about that being why we do what we do, especially now in these days of pandemic, it's become abundantly clear that too often, there IS NO tomorrow, and the only chance you might have to help someone stay alive is TODAY. Things are bad locally; no economy, nothing. No vaccines for most folks dependent on the state system, either. We have lost SO much to 2020 (and already in 2021), so very, very many people, and the gifts and the talents and the knowledge and the wisdom they carried too often lost with them. People have needed so much more help than we could give them, but we did as much as we could, even when it put us in a bind, and we will need to do much more of that this year. People continue to need help, and we give it, but we're up well over $2 grand in just that one week, and a whole lot more before and since. 

I can juggle for now, but I've got to find it again somewhere. Part of my work involves me reorganizing the Web site and then promoting the hell out of everything again. That's on top of all the other work I need to do around here, and I have been mostly useless, largely due to the recent flurry of episodes with my health. For every episode, it takes me multiple days to recover, all while hoping that another one doesn't set me back even further. That's not good. Too many people need help, and the government remains determined to see us die. There's work to do. This is why I've had to stop doing some things; there are just not enough hours in the day anymore, and I've got to make it all of this up somewhere. So:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are LaminaSaver for Miika & metal/glass cleaners);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

And if you've been contemplating a purchase? This would be a very, very good time to do it; I've got to make up this staggering outlay somehow. There's even new work, here and here and now here, among other new pieces from 3 weeks ago, too, so please watch for them and share the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.