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Snow and Flowers

Looking out the window right now, I'm struck with a medley of holiday songs and find myself humming "Winter Wonderland." After weeks of unseasonably warm, dry weather - it's snowing. It's not just sprinkly snowing, it's snowing like it means it. The trees are white. The leaves are covered, and while it's beautiful, I'm fretting for all of the new growth. The daffodils look frosted with sugar...it's beautiful. And worrisome.

There's a cluster of trees outside of my work that have dangling fruit. Maybe little cherries? Or berries? Anyway, there's a flock of Cedar Waxwings eating berries in the snow. They're some of the most amazingly beautiful birds. The shocks of color on their tails and wing tips are breathtaking. Seeing them huddled together on a snowy branch is almost too much beauty to bear. I would have taken a picture, but I didn't want to disturb them.

Last night I visited New Village Farm in Shelburne, Vermont. My brother-in-law will be working there this summer and he gave us a brief tour. There are chickens free-ranging EVERYWHERE! Everywhere you look, there's a chicken. They're up on things, in things, running around. They mean "FREE RANGE." The best part of the farm is the pigs. I visited with two huge sows and their babies. I marveled at how strong piglet snouts are, and had my fingers suckled by some excited piggies. They're such marvelous creatures. I felt a pang while leaving the farm knowing they're meat pigs, and I'm considering aligning my diet with my ethics. I once heard a quote "I only eat things I'd kill myself." I could never take any of those lives, and while I have no disdain for meat-eaters or farmers at all - I just wonder how I can continue to live unconscious of my own innate desires to be meat free? I will explore this personally - my art blog is not really the place to talk about it - but the piglets were amazing and got me thinking.

I have to start taking my camera with me everywhere I go....

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