Well, that was a long slog, January, wasn't it?
For me it was, anyway, though slightly eased last week by the news that two regular people I know (not medical staff) got vaccinated--including my 95-y.o. auntie.
Yay!
February can be a slog too, but at least there's March to look forward to. Here in the northland that's still frozen wintertime, but I expect we'll be sitting outside at coffee shops anyway this year.
In fact, people gather to eat and drink outside now too (in small numbers). Yesterday, at 28ºF / -2ºC, a local brewery hosted winter bicyclists on their outside patio. Biker birds of a feather--outfitted inblack, striped in bright lyrca, and big protective goggles.
I saw them as I was riding past in a car--a treat: I was helping Marz move yesterday. She's gone almost 5 miles away to the Other Side--across the River, where she'll be walking distance to her new co-op job.
I will miss her. It's not an easy trek in winter.
Though she's been biking back and forth to work, it's still icy too icy for me.
When it warms up, I look forward to exploring over in her new neighborhood--an interesting area. It's between an old U.S. military fort built in 1819 where the rivers meet––a sacred site for the Dakota nation––and the first landing for white traders/settlers on the River.
Marz answered an ad to be a roommate in one of the old houses in the area, from the 1880s. It's wonderful.
Not a fancy residence on the register Historic Places, more like an old farmhouse, with wide-wood floorboards and everything at an angle.
As I was carrying stuff including her ukulele into the house, an old guy came out of his house next door, hacking like a chronic smoker (for my sake, though not his, I hope it was COPD and not COVID).
Seeing the ukulele, he said, "Play me something."
I started singing "Tiptoe Thru' the Tulips," and he told me I'd made his day--he'd met Tiny Tim at our airport once.
Tiny Tim the ukulele player had a house and died here.
Hm--there's another field trip I could take--to the Cemetery where he's buried. Do tulips grow there?
photo via BBC article
