Oh, the things we take for granted, snug in our warm houses as we are! Like a drink at the sink, for instance—just turn on the faucet, fill up the glass and enjoy. Glug-glug-glug.
The watering bowl, where not only our birds, but all the little creatures at Hare Hollow come to drink, was frozen solid this morning. As I stood at the kitchen window daze-gazing--that rather slack-jawed pre-second-cuppa mode--out at the crisp-frozen lawn and woods, at least a dozen little birds came swooping in under the overhang to drink, only to land on solid ice. They pecked a few times, just to be sure, but nope… there wasn’t a drop.
Papa Hare soon went out, knocked the ice out of the watering bowl, and filled it with fresh warm water, and in no time there were eager takers lined up for a morning drink.
Makes me wonder how Fivelina will get her wash done these cold months ahead. Likely Fivel has some inventive way to keep their tiny cistern from freezing, and she merely draws the water, heating it on Walnut Woodstove for the washtub. Still, for a family of five, I don’t envy the work involved. She is a cheerful little homemaker though, and I expect nary a squeak of complaint is heard.
Then there’s the drying part. Can you imagine tiny bloomers and overalls, pillowslips and wisps of towels hanging out on Bittersweet Clothesline these frigid mornings? Why they’d be frozen beads of color merely clackity-clacking against each other in the wind. And goodness! If one popped off the line and beaned an unsuspecting passerby below—well, we can only imagine!
Very likely though, Sir Fivel had such a dilemma well-covered long ago. Drying the triplets' diapers, when they were tiny, would’ve been impossible had she only outside lines to use. My guess is that there are hand-crafted stick-and-vine folding clothes-racks for just such a purpose, and doting as he is, likely there are tiny hearts carved here and there in the support pieces.
Yesterday, the aroma of Fivelina’s dried crab-apple pie wafted down onto BackPorch. I smiled as I swept, picturing the two of them enjoying their hearty noon meal, sharing some sweet alone-time conversation before the chaos of after-school began.
Now what was I saying about taking things for granted? The dryer just buzzed, and how blessed I am to fold well-dried fluffy towels fresh out of this marvelous invention, here in my warm snug home.
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