2023
This spring Chloe & Annie turn 15; Flynn, 12 and Willie, 8
28 Feb: Helen Aaron died today. That's 7 departed now. Winter has been pretty mild with little snow and moderate winter temperatures.
22 April: the giant hosta popped up last night. April has been mostly cool and budding is slow but today my world turned pale green and rain is on the way. Got the temp plates for the Taos that I bought on March 6th. Not a lot of frog eggs in the pond this spring but loads of newts and very large tadpoles made it through the winter. I have redwing blackbirds around which, I think, is a first.
23 May: This morning at 8:00 I saw the last baby starling fledge from the hollow in the Maple behind my house. The other three must have left yesterday while I was not home.
The last one floundered about on the side of the tree outside her nest then fell straight to the ground. But when I went out to check on her, she had already made it over to the lumber pile outside the outhouse. She was still calling for her parents. Then I looked away for one moment and she disappeared. I heard another sibling calling from way up the Maple across the stream. I'll be smiling all day thinking about their epic journey into adulthood and my great fortune to have seen at least one of them make the leap.
10 June: Today I said goodbye to the Golf. Sold to a college kid from downstate NY. $5000, in 100 dollar bills.
18 June: Cut the Kiwi vine off the pergola. The late frost killed all the leaves and it was a big ugly brown mess--my chance to start over but it sure looks awful now.
21 June: Finally got the plate transfer. KATZEN-6 rides again! I bought the Taos SE on March 6th—a courtesy car at Langway with 2841 miles on it.
26 June: first water lily of 2023. The big lilies jumped the pot this year and are populating the pond floor.
6 June: The monarchs arrived today with the first bloom of the milkweed. Blistering heat.
17 Sept: This has been a hot wet overcast summer. Lots of rain, almost daily, but no flooding so far.
Chloe died at 7:10 pm on September 10th, exactly one week from the last day I saw Annie. My beautiful girls are gone at 15.
9 October: I started volunteering at the library for the Russell Collection and produced a digital copy of the out-of-print publication of Arlington Along the Battenkill.
