January 16, 2016

Been a tough few weeks. I lost another friend.

This time it was my wife’s aunt Carolyn. And at times, my partner in crime.

Aunt Carolyn was always the one who could tell a joke and laugh at one.

She always “got” my sarcasms and when I was around her I never felt alone, or like I was the only one in left field. She was always in left field with me, or maybe I was in left field with her. We caught a lot of balls together and threw a lot of runners out at third.

She said what she thought, and sometimes she said things to see what others thought. Call it a poke, a jab, or whatever. You had to be on your toes around her.

She made me laugh, some of the things she said. She had timing.

And she was tough. All the Robinsons are tough. And what makes them so tough is that they are always honest. Carolyn was no exception.

She loved life. Something that is not always easy for someone like me. She didn’t love life like a witty quote. She loved it because she enjoyed it. I looked up to that. She always had a gleam in her eye that was a reflection of the world around her.

This spring she won’t be calling me for honey before the bees come out of their hive. She won’t send me $5.00 and I won’t send it back. One year we traded that $5.00 for maybe three times before she gave up…until the next year when she sent a $10.

The last time I saw her she lifted up her head and smiled. She lifted her hand and pointed her finger at me. It had the little red light on it – the one that is wired to the monitor. She shook it at me and said “You…you...it’s you…” That little red light pointing at me like a bouncing flash light. All I could do was smile. For a half hour I sat near her. Both of us in left field, throwing to third.

It would be our last throw.

January 5, 2016

Yesterday the weather turned seasonably cold and the animals, instead of huddling up, were wound up and ready to play. With fully grown winter coats combined with the warm temperatures we’ve had these past weeks, they have been lethargic and uncomfortable, moving slowly, sweating, and generally moping around. On New Years eve, Zip had colic, which we are assuming was the result of the warm weather. We considered shaving them, but felt that the cold would soon come, and from past experience, we know our guys don’t like blankets – Louie had a habit of reaching back and grabbing the blanket with his teeth, pulling it off every time we tried to get it on. Zip and Pat resisted in their own ways too. We always ended up with torn blankets, and at times found them trampled in the mud.

Yesterday it finally was cold enough outside to make them completely comfortable which lifted their spirits, and what fun it was to watch the horses race and the goats play! Pat (despite his DSLD) and Zip took off across the fields while ‘ol Lou pranced and did his trademark sideways dance across the paddock, getting all four of his ‘clompers” off the ground at the same time. Not bad for an old guy.

And the goats played chase the goat with each other, and after a while, Frances decided to get playful rearing up on Mary and Irene. For an hour or so, they were acting like they did when they were “kids” years ago.

Snoops, who doesn’t want anything to do with the other goats, was on her own close by,  excitedly chomping away at all the green grass she could stuff herself with. We always call her a 747 after she eats, as she expands almost to the size of one!

The chickens? Well chickens don’t show much excitement, but it seems they were all running around as if they too were feeling better in this cold.