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| Photo copyright Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. |
When the come to visit, and bring the whole clan.
That was yesterday, just before sunset, but still daylight. It was also a gift. The entire herd came down; didn't stay long, but while they were here, they were watchful but also relaxed. They know they're safe here, and they also have fully internalized that they can come here with their young and not have to go anywhere near the highway, where they're in far greater jeopardy. They stayed a little while, then headed back up into the backcountry.
We take our gifts where we can find them now.
It's been an expensive week, and a brutal one in other ways that have nothing to do with money. We shelled out $225 for Stormy's spaying Friday, and we will be shelling out probably another $200, at least, for Sunny's neutering on Tuesday. We also have to pick up my remaining scrip and do a supply run tomorrow, and that's going to cost. Why? Because with what's being threatened for this week, nation-wide, the only trips outside our bounds for next week will be the post office to ship something and then Sunny's vet visit. It's not safe for people like us. Meanwhile, sales remain at a complete standstill. We're incredibly lucky to have been able to cover all of this month's outsized bills and expenses, including their vet visits, but at some point, I'm going to have to make it up somewhere, and my Patreon still has nearly $300 in subscriptions for December still unapid. We also paid $200, unexpectedly, for a load of wood this morning, more to help the guy trying to sell it than out of any immediate need. It won't go to waste; at this elevation, we use it nearly year-round. But it wasn't planned; it was just that someone badly needed the help.
And that's the sum of what I can do right now. I have had to spend this week being forcefully reminded of my lack of value, intrinsic or otherwise, and I am done justifying my humanity to anyone. I'm also too tired for writing, so the links are below. Cold and dark, I don't care. I will not come out until summer if need be.
There is no economy now. There's nothing. People are literally dying all around us from the government's failures, and I don't know how we keep them, or us, alive unless I can cover the bills. We have lost SO much to 2020, so very, very many people, and the gifts and the talents and the knowledge and the wisdom they carried too often lost with them. Because this state has followed the lead of the country and refused to do what was required, we are about to see a very big spike in new cases, probably as early as two weeks from now; the current spike in deaths remains sustained daily. 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. So:
And if you've been contemplating a purchase? Marking the birth of 2021 would be a very, very good time to do it. There's even new work, here and here, and there will be two more new pieces shortly, 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.
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