Day 24

January 24, 2021

The Sky was Blue

Really

It's cold out there today, but it's really blue and the sun is bright.

The Cove is frozen over enough that there were a lot of ice fishermen out today on the Connecticut.

Driving all the way around the Cove I saw patterns in the ice that were kind of remarkable.  These large circles of  sun cleared ice in what looks like freshly fallen snow in the spot where usually geese, gulls and swan congregate.  Today there were no birds there.  They were all on the canal sliding on the ice.

 

I love Barton's Cove.  I have so many special memories that take place there.  When the nephews and nieces and other children were young we'd take stuff to grill, I learned how to cook catfish there.  When The Literacy Project was going through a turbulent time, Jimmy and I had a dream to start a barbeque boat that would sell ribs off the back of it along the river.  I think we realized that it would be even harder than what we were dealing with, so we stayed in literacy and didn't try to buy a rib boat.

  

I went with many students in canoes led by professional outdoor leaders, Denise DiPaolo and James McNaughton taught several groups how to canoe, how to capsize, how to turn.  Many of those students had never been in a boat of any kind, many did not swim.  We never lost anyone and we laughed awfully damn hard.

In 2010 EJ woke me up on my birthday morning and said let's go on a feather hunt.  I'm sure we found feathers.  Such a special birthday. 

Yeah, The Cove has been a place of special events, special feelings, laughter, adventure and love.

And the rookery was stunning today.  No birds, no noise, just beauty.  I feel home here.  One of my local friends came around the corner while I was writing and was so happy to see me.  Made me feel so good.  I was so happy to see her.  

I smiled a lot today.  Not sure if it was just the blue skies, or just the love I received, but whatever it was, it was a good day.

I was given David Sibley's "What Its Like To  Be a Bird"  I get to curl up on the couch and read it tonight.  Its like being given a new friend.