Here I go again...

There used to be this thing called National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo).

 I don't think it even exits any more officially, but a few of us are die hards. 

Nine years ago, I decided to pick up the NaBloPoMo challenge and blog every day for the month of November. Now, it's almost become a habit. A once a year habit.

 So here we go.

 THIS November is obviously quite unlike any other, with the pandemic raging all around. Who could have foreseen the craziness we've been living through in 2020?

 So many of the things I typically cover for the newspaper-not happening. I'm getting to be home more, which is my favorite place to be, so I'm not complaining about that.

 Life on the farm still carries on according to the seasons. Gardens and livestock and farm chores and projects have no regard for COVID-19 or politics. The predictable routines of the seasons are comforting and they always keep us busy.

 One of the projects that was needing done got done yesterday. Our two big storm-damaged trees needed to come down.

 Three and a half years ago they were badly damaged by the 100 mile an hour winds that ripped through here. We gave the trees plenty of time to recover, but for some time now, it's been pretty obvious that they weren't going to.

 So yesterday, a neighbor came down and sawed them down in exchange for the fire wood.

 Those big trees provided such nice shade for many years. So many conversations happened beneath them. One time we had a porch swing on a limb of the largest one. The chain broke when I was hugely pregnant with our firstborn and I came crashing down with a thud! I half-way expected that to start my labor, but it didn't. Our kids and grandkids have enjoyed swinging from that limb too!

 More than once, I spotted snakes stretched out overhead, watching us--or birds--through the leaves.

 I've been told that my Uncle Bill planted one of the trees. :(

 The yard looks so different now. We've been thinking about something to plant back, but I think I could get used to there not being any trees in this area. Hmmmmm... anyone have any suggestions for pretty trees that don't get so big they would threaten the house?