Thank you

Thank you for the comments and personal emails of condolence on the passing of my best bud Jesse. I had him cremated and returned to me. After I visit for a spell, and when the time feels right, I've picked out one of his favourite spots by the shade of a spruce tree - where he could watch to see if I came out the door and at the same time surveil his kingdom.

One of my brothers was a Buddhist. Years ago he told me he liked to think my dad was reincarnated as a blue heron.

His choice of the heron made sense to me, in the context of my father's life. (photo: wikipedia)

I don't see blue herons often on the farm. I have a pond up near the house, and another pond about half way back of the farm. Three or four times a year I see a heron at the back pond and I always smile and say, "hi Dad!" Its rare to see one at the front pond.

Two weeks ago, the week Jesse died, there was a blue heron in the front pond. Jesse and I walked past that pond 6 times or more a day doing our regular farm chores. Each and every time that entire week the heron was there. Each and every time I smiled and said "hi Dad!". Jesse passed on the Friday night and I haven't seen the heron since.

Jesse

Jesse
Jan 2 2004 - Sep 27 2014

I am devastated to say that my true and faithful companion Jesse passed away in the wee hours of the morning.

I was just getting ready for bed, and Jesse didn't jump up to go outside for his evening business. When I called him he staggered a bit. I think maybe he had a stroke. His hind end more or less gave out.

I lay on the floor and held his paw and gently petted him and he just slipped away.

Jesse has been my constant companion. My most serious dread, as a senior, was that I would pre decease him and he wouldn't know or understand why I left him. My heart, while heavy, is relieved that he was loved, fussed over, played with, spoiled and heaped with attention from the beginning to the end of his years. I thank God for the blessing of Jesse's devoted company.

Rest in peace my friend. I'll see you on the other side.

Crisp

'Twas another crisp day on the farm, but the sun felt gorgeous on my face, even as my fingers were freezing inside my sheep fleece mittens.

One of the many things I hate about my smart phone is that I can't see a blessed thing on it while outside in any kind of brightness. So I just kind of aimed off in the distance to try and get this shot.

Jesse's appearance in the shot is gratuitous.What I was trying to capture, and perhaps you can just make it out, is the totally frozen over Georgian Bay on the horizon.

Forecasts I was reading this morning suggest spring won't truly arrive til at least mid April, due to effects of the Great Lakes largely being frozen over.

Knitting up a storm...

Well, not really, but knitting a fair bit while hunkered down in a seemingly never ending storm.

I've been snow bound on the farm for 6 days this time. Fortunately the larder is in good shape and I got enough hay out for the sheep to last through the current carnation. The temperature has risen above -10, so the tractor should start this morning, and the hydraulics should work - hopefully to get another week's hay out and clear the driveway so I can make a run to town to replenish milk and produce. It's a fairly tight window, as temperatures are supposed to plummet again this afternoon.

As cold as its been I've had a good snow shoe hike every day. On the coldest days I'm splitting the hike into two - one to set the trail without Jesse - slower, harder work - and the second time with Jesse at a quicker pace so that he doesn't get too cold. (I still call Jesse 'puppy', but he turned 10 this month.)

Through the bad weather I've continued rebuilding my inventory of Koigu socks. Here are some of the ones I knit this week:

I haven't figured out how to put labels on photos in blogspot yet - but the colour ways, from the top, are: P339, P706, P733, P218.  These are all in Koigu KPPPM, knit with 36 ribber and 72 cylinder on the Verdun 47. Size Medium.

Oh,

here's a pic of Jesse just after I brought him home Feb 28, 2004 :