A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

photos by Bill Slavin

We marched right by Pi Day, the Ides of March, and St. Patrick's Day this week, days that usually provide us with a bit of fun during the end of winter. This week, like so many of us, I am sequestered at home with husband Bill, enjoying the extra time together and working on projects. I am occasionally stricken with doubt that we as a country are no longer up to the challenge of a crisis. Then I receive a series of texts from neighbors offering grocery or pharmacy deliveries. Another group of friends shares photos of their backyard flowers or views of the sunsets. Other friends let me know they have returned safely from trips and share, through their emails, their travel experiences and disbelief at what has happened this week. Our son checks in with us to offer help when needed. We are still together but in different ways.

Outdoors the world around us goes on, oblivious to our concerns. The apple trees are just starting to bud out as the leaves unfurl with deliberation. The birds scramble for a place at the bird feeder. Someone said that for the first time in many years people in Wuhan can hear the birds since there is no traffic noise.

We discovered yesterday that a squirrel has found an unlikely den between a rock and a concrete step that leads to our backyard patio. We watched as she brought mouthfuls of leaves and twigs and disappeared into a small hole. Her actions brought us to a standstill as she captured our attention with her pursuit of a safe place to nest.

Remember to breathe.