Journal

     12/3/16
                 Clouds and intermittent drizzle and snow showers. 38F Walk 5 miles near Frewsburg. Hunting season and a quagmire of mud on the dirt roads confines the dog and I to macadam. Beth is babysitting today for a friend. After leaving the bank two years ago she has been much happier care taking the elderly and cleaning houses part time. Presently she is replacing the kitchen cupboard doors- all of it hands-on labor that she loves.
                  The higher elevations show light accumulation this afternoon, but two weeks ago I yet saw an occasional red legged grasshopper or sulfur butterfly, so Autumn has been mostly clear and pleasant. There are a few fresh dandelions in the yard and a rare goldenrod or yellow vetch plant shows color despite the snow. The latter are beacons within the drab landscape and had likely been late bloomers. I pass an old bulldozer parked on someone property that appears to be at least 50 years old yet looks as if it is used occasionally. Old weather beaten equipment like this appeals to me because it shows a long history and obviously has seen good care to have lasted so long. In truth I do not know if such things were better built decades ago or simply have been well maintained, but in this disposable age of disposable attitudes these old machines are a treasure. On that account is refreshing to see video from Cuba where the people have been forced to preserve their cars, which over time have become valuable antiques to the rest of the world.