Letters from Ascension Hermitage and Sanctuary

Well, we certainly need the rain, so no complaints here. Imagine says it's a great day to stay inside the run-in, especially since there is delicious hay - grain first, and then hay . . . good breakfast, good day!  

 "It's a well-known fact," Anya explained, "that cats have the prerogative to sleep late, even on Monday mornings - so if you don't mind, I'm going to stay right here in my bed, and you can bring my breakfast later."  . . . whatever you say, Anya kitty!

Time for a late afternoon snack! We hope everyone had a wonderful Sunday. From Common Worship: Daily Prayer  - In peace we will lie down and sleep; for you alone, Lord, make us dwell in safety. Abide with us, Lord Jesus, for the night is at hand and the day is now past. As the night watch looks for the morning, so do we look for you, O Christ. May the living waters of Christ cleanse us, may the Spirit descend upon us, and the blessing of God be with us this night and always.  

 One of my two recurring nightmares is driving on the causeway across Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana! I don't know why I thought of it today, but when there was snow in New Orleans, there was ice on the Lake Pontchartrain Bridge . . . from icy roads and bridges, good Lord deliver us! Of course, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is (for me!) a nightmare too, but at least at only 18 miles long, it's six miles shorter than the Lake Pontchartrain Bridge. Stay safe, wherever you are!

 Another cold, cold day . . . but the sun is out!  Advice from Mouse, the cat? "Find a sunny window and a comfy blanket and take a cat nap!" We had a little snow last night - fortunately very dry snow that was easy to sweep off of the steps. And tomorrow the temperature may  get up to 34, with even warmer temperatures predicted for the weekend and next week. We're looking forward to that! Stay warm, stay safe.

 The day's first light and early morning visitors to the bird feeders shared the good news - the snow is melting! Sure enough, by early afternoon it's 41 degrees and sunny, and all water hoses are unfrozen. Hooray!

The first full moon of 2025, the Wolf Moon - this is how it looked just after dawn, about 7 a.m., when I went out to fill the birdfeeders. By 7:10 it was gone from sight.  This full moon gets its name from the wolf that howls at night. No wolves in Maryland - the last gray wolf here was killed in 1850. There are coyotes, but if they howl at the moon, I haven't heard them. Of course, beagles howl . . . my beagle Sammy howls, but not at the moon - he has been known to howl when he thinks I am too slow getting his breakfast!  The Wolf Moon will be full for two more nights - perhaps Sammy and I will go outside after dark tonight . . . who knows, maybe this will be the Beagle Moon!