Last Spring. It was our brief period of hope and freedom. The vaccines were here and maybe a new sort of normal was a’comin’. So that didn’t turn out exactly as anticipated – but – It was a breather. A time to run about and accomplish tasks and get that very excellent coffee at that little shop and see people and sometimes, take a long trip to see those people.
Successfully fully vaccinated, I booked myself on a lengthy flight to see my sister. A nonstop four hour flight in a jammed plane in a non cushioned plastic seat that did not recline whist wearing a mask. Being gluten free (celiac), I had brought my own snacks and a bottle of water – which was good since passengers needed go to the attendants for water. Not that that was unreasonable given the pandemic, just that after… hmmm my goodness it must have at least five (or was it six?) hours in my seat, I was questioning my potential mobility.
But I seem to be fixating on such a minor point.
The major point, of course, was an extra long weekend spent seeing family members I thought I’d might not see again. Their company was an utter delight. We had agreed to build a little personal time into the trip, so off in my rental I went. And that was when I saw a moment of magic. Or hope. Maybe inspiration.
Remember the reports that came in early in the pandemic about wild animals strolling about city streets? Well. I had a chance to see long horn rams enjoying the sun. People who lived in the area had never seen a wild ram anywhere let alone in a heavily visited park. While their appearance does have all sorts human/planet implications, and yes I have considered all of them, in that moment, to me, these rams were nothing short of little bit magic.
I hope to return this coming spring. I doubt if the rams will be there. And I think I’ll avoid the seven hour nonstop on unpadded seats. Or not. I’ll decide later.
AnotherDay - vmc 