Letters from Ascension Hermitage and Sanctuary

Fifteen degrees - feels like 5. Yep, that's cold, maybe not by mid-west standards, but cold for us.  Goldie claimed a space in front of the heater . . . the chickens fluffed up and looked for a spot in the sun.

Yes, it's another cold day, but Giddy says, "Please open that window  so I can sit in the cold sun!"                "Go right ahead," Hemmy says, "I'll take my chair and blanket any day!"

Our calendar for January includes this quotation from the poet Saadi, "A grateful dog is better than an ungrateful man." Thea the beagle says, "Well, isn't that rather obvious? Everyone knows that dogs are usually better than people!" Yep, Thea, we know that!

 Today was sunny, but chilly - all of the cats found a favorite napping place: for Mr. Boots that was a chair; Claudia and Yanah chose Chewy boxes; Merwyn found a spot on a blanket on the floor. Merwyn is one of the few cats to wear a collar, and today he was glad to show off his new collar - a Lupine  collar decorated with geckos. Why you might wonder does Merwyn wear a collar . . . no one quite remembers! He has lived with us for over 10 years . . . since he and his brothers Nigel and Morley were tiny, abandoned, all black kittens. Merwyn just likes "clothes" and what could be better than a stylish collar! While the cats were napping,  Trudy  agreed to pose for a close-up photo. Our sweet girl is inside for a few days recovering from an injury.

"We shall overcome because the arc of the moral  universe is long, but it bends toward justice." (Washington National Cathedral, March 31, 1968) "We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience." ( Montgomery, Alabama, March 25, 1965 ) "True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice." (Stride Toward Freedom , 1958) . . . and I say apparently the arc is very long - may God grant that we live to see justice. .

The Wolf Moon in a cloudy sky - later tonight there will be a total lunar eclipse and the moon will appear red - a blood moon. No doubt wolves will howl at the moon tonight . . . the beagles are planning to be warm and safe in their beds - no howling tonight for them!

Hmm . . . to go out into the snow or not?? The doggies ran out for a quick drink . . . Willan said, "Keep the door open - we are not staying out today!" And yes, in case you've wondered, Willan is named for  Healey Willan  - may his music live forever.

Celebrating the feast of St. Sava (January 12) - yep, that's my name day, said Sava the cat, maybe I'll be a saint too!

A cold and cloudy Saturday afternoon . . . Imagine and Sonny watched as Cindy introduced Willow to her new winter blanket - Willow was not exactly enthusiastic about the idea, but by the time all of the horses had their blankets and supper, she seemed quite content. Thanks to our friend Ann for the gift of Willow's blanket - and Rosie's blanket too, but that's a story and picture for another day.

Another sunny day, and Goldie was ready for a ride in the car, so off we went to the post office! Goldie has only recently discovered that she enjoys riding in the car - it's really a great nap time, she says. Actually she wanted to go into the post office building, but a large NO PETS sign on the door nixed that idea. . . . of course service animals are allowed in the post office, but Goldie has a different mission in life and would probably not pass the service animal test!

With her very long whiskers, Pansy Louise is certain that she detects a coming snow storm . . . yes it's sunny today, but very cold and windy, and snow is expected by the weekend! Melita climbed to the top of the cat tower - she'll sit in the sun today  . . . and hope the coming weekend will not be too cloudy. And in the chicken yard, Trudy and two of her Polish friends found a good space in the sun. As you can see, this  Polish hen  has a beautiful feather "hat" - unfortunately it is not really very warm. Enjoy the sun today. . . snow may be on the way!

Epiphany A star hangs bright,      Far in the dark Announcing bliss and blessedness, Calls to the seer of a distant day, The singer of a ballad, And a drummer, and a dreamer. Then the seeker is the sought, And an ancient riddle rhymes a tune, And wise men go to Bethlehem. [ Handful of Stars , ©2018] On this great feast day may God grant us the wisdon, humility, honesty, love, and loyalty of a cat or dog which far exceeds that of ordinary humans.

Remembering Edward Nason West who entered the larger life beyond death here on January 3, 1990. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. Memory eternal.

Early this morning, breakfast time for doggies, it appeared that the day would be clear and bright. But only a few hours later, the horses were lined up under a gray sky. No denying that it's wet and muddy - even  Willow , who doesn't mind rainy weather, is ready for the sun to brighten the day. . . maybe tomorrow, Willow!