Early this morning, as I let the dogs out, the change hit me. The sharp bite of the bright morning air took me by surprise. Two days ago, I went outside at dawn in my nightie without shivering. I photographed the lovely grounds. My phone shot photos of the flowering trees, the hundreds of daffodils, and the cottage where I am staying while I am here. The main house and the outbuildings are all represented in my pictures. The warm moist air felt full of Spring, and it was light and cheerful. My joyful heart beat against my chest in gratitude for the beauty and the coming of Spring.

Today I hurried back inside to build my fire and put a cashmere shawl around my shoulders. It was 39 degrees and felt FREEZING. Finding kindling, one piece of fatwood as my son-in-law has instructed me, and a couple of wads of newspaper, I managed to start a fire quickly. It roared into being after a little tweaking and began to warm me up. In fact, I am sitting next to it now as I type. The excellent draw of this fireplace makes it easy to get a fire going and keep it there. How lucky it is to have a functional fireplace and logs and the makings of a good blaze.

My three dachshunds lie nearby. One, Sisi, the red smooth-haired bitch, is in a cozy dog bed under the coffee table where I am writing on my computer. I have the laptop sitting on top of a stack of books so that it will be a proper height for me. My attention to posture is essential. A stiff neck would not enhance my time out here in the country. My standard sized black and tan long-hair male, Magnus is lying curled on the sofa at the foot of my bed. His curly hair cascades around his neck, almost like a ruff. Dandy, who came into my possession after my mother’s death is also asleep. He is lying on the duvet in the very center of my bed. He lays on his back with his short little legs spread wide in complete trust and relaxation. He is a small reddish long-haired dachshund. He may still be grieving for my mother. But he has assimilated well, and he exhibits what appears to be dog gratitude. He just loves me all the time now.

Weather and dogs are a lot like life in general. The weather changes all the time. It changes all the time and sometimes it is fierce and destructive, deadly even. But we deal with it and accept it as natural most of the time. During those dark periods of flood or fire or hurricane, we live our lives to work around the weather and change what we do accordingly.

Dogs are like people. The variety in shapes and sizes and colors and fur types is stupendous. Most people consistently love their animals. And people who love dogs are fun to be around. They tend to be less uptight, less demanding of others, and more laid back and happy. I am a dog lover. And because of them, I am never lonely. I don’t even understand the concept. You cannot be lonely if you are paying attention because no one loves you more than your dog.

So, in this unsettled time of Covid-19, we must remember to treat this uncertainty as we would weather. It may be a long storm, but we are up to it. And if you have a dog, you need not fear self-isolation or self-quarantine because you are not alone. They say cats are good company, too. (I wouldn’t know)

True! This mystery virus is not like any other event in my lifetime. But humans are adaptable, and it is up to us to adapt! Good luck, everyone. Hang in there. See you on the other side. Let’s hope we will all be full of gratitude when this done.

Copyright?. 2020 Bonnie B. Matheson