Philosophical Cat

Happy Autumn!

For the occasion, I send you another picture of Christmas trees.

As we unloaded the trees from a trailer onto a hay wagon, all three cats sniffed at the needles and rubbed against them. I tried multiple times to catch a good picture, but with each click, a head made swift movements or a paw twitched at the wrong moment.

Eventually, Meaux posed for me, but interestingly, this one turned out to be my favorite picture. I felt rather philosophical about it when I saw the result, thinking about the temporal nature of life that we try to rectify by planting trees, even though they also are temporary. And there are the beloved animals that drift in and out of our lives, often painfully like we experienced this summer and with an approaching culling (selling of an older ewe) that we don't want to happen.

So, what do you think about the picture? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Simply reply to this email, and then forward it to someone who would enjoy the philosophical exercise.

Thanks for Reading!

And I hope you feel refreshed and rejuvenated for the week ahead with this moment preserved in picture and prose. Consider:

• What does this picture mean to you?

Think of someone who could use a pause this week, and share your answer and this newsletter with them.

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This Week on the Farm

For the last several weekends, we've been traveling across the state, whether picking up new sheep or trees, exhibiting at State Fair, or attending the Indiana Sheep Association annual meeting (at which yours truly was elected secretary!). Now, we're staying put for a while to plant trees, plan grazing for the fall and early winter, prepare for the second season of Light in Winter (here's an example of Season 1), and catch up on record keeping.

Oh, and we also are taking care of two fall lambs, born Monday.