This is a political post so you can skip it, if you would like.

But first, on Sunday we visited Al in his nursing home.  He had a set back due to an infection so hadn’t been as energetic as he had been.  When he arrived he was pretty sleepy but later in the visit was more awake and communicative so that was nice.  We even showed him Ryeleigh through his window.  Tom, Mom, Ryeleigh and I walked around the grounds a little bit.  It is a nice place.  There were Ukrainian flags about too.

Yesterday, of course, we had to put Shorty down so it was very depressing day.

Today, doing the chores, I noticed these woodpeckers on a fence post and gate.  These were the best photos my phone could take.

I had washed some skeins that I had previously spun.  Here they are drying.  There’s Alpaca (from Purly Shell), Southdown, Border Leicester and Bond.  The latter three are from the Explore 4 retreat from last March that Deb Robson had gifted me after Tom’s burns.  I know they did not represent perfect spinning and plying, but I am still in love with all of them and their uniqueness.  Not sure what they want to be yet though.

I have become increasingly upset about our president and his administration.  About the fear being caused for federal workers, threats against immigrants, cutting off decades old international aid programs leaving its workers in the lurch, ignoring the constitution and the checks and balances created by our country’s founders, disrupting medical research, tariffs, and threats to Social Security, Veterans services, Medicaid, etc., etc.  But the tipping point for me (and hopefully many others) was the disgraceful “press conference” with President Zelensky.  So Tom and I decided to participate in the March to the Courthouse with Indivisible Skagit.  We gathered at Edgewater Park.  There were more people than I was expecting.

We headed across the Skagit River Bridge.  The rain and wind had just started.

It was nice to see the whole bridge with people on it.

Tom really seemed to relish it.  He’s been so upset as well.

Then we stopped at the Skagit County Courthouse and had our protesters on each of the corners of the intersection there.  I was also surprised by the amount of support we got from the local businesses and the cars driving by.  There was a lot of positive honks and thumbs up.  It was really encouraging.

I hadn’t participated in a protest since the March for Science in April 2017.  It felt really nice to stand up against this regime.  I did see quite a few doctors and nurses that I have worked with in the past there as well.  Good to feel less alone.