Barnett Greetings 2020

A Month-by-Month View of the year that wasn't ... normal!

January

Instead of a January thaw, we had a January flood. The river just barely started to encroach upon our pond, before it began to recede and spared the pond. It did snow a few days after the flood, and of course, Winter also brought our share of hoar frosts and ice and snow, gracing our trees and sometimes making it look like a fairyland here.

The Turkey flock visited down the road from us. It was quite a sight to see so many turkeys all in one place.

February

Remember the days back when we could visit friends or have them over -- without having to wear masks or worry about social distancing? -- That was February.

But the highlight of February was the family celebration of Barnett Mom's 99th Birthday.

March

While there was plenty of Winter left, bringing more snow, and bone-chilling cold, March winds are a harbinger of the changing of the seasons. And snowdrops of the flower kind soon began emerging, even as the world around us was shutting down because of Covid-19.

This might be symbollic of the year to come. The image is innocent enough: Lee is burning the grasses down by the pond while Dot was by the house photographing the scene with her iPhone. As the flames lept higher, all of a sudden this image appeared -- is it a fire dragon or a fire swan? Will it consume all it comes into contact with? Or will the swan take over and bring good tidings?

Looking back on the year, perhaps it is both. Certainly the world was, and is still, consumed by the pandemic that seems to get worse as time goes by, but now there is the promise of a vaccine and a new administration that commits to take control and finally give national guidance.