A day full

Some things that happened today:

• I took one of our Labradors to the vet to be spayed.  She was happy for the car ride, and I felt traitorous as I dropped her off.  I felt better after I got the phone call that she was okay. She is now home and resting comfortably.  She still loves me and gave me a face licking.  The recovery of animals is amazing. 
• A covey (or bevy) of wild turkeys crossed the road on my way to the vets.  They were beautiful. I stopped the truck just to watch them walk-run across the road.  I am glad that wild turkeys are still around our farm.  I think they are neat birds and splendid when they spread their feathers.
• I saw a dead deer at the head of the drive.  It appeared to have been hit by a car.  Burying a deer takes a lot of work.  
• I talked with a neighbor who has dairy cattle.  He has these little calf hutches near his back yard where the calves live.  I saw him at his mailbox and stopped to ask how his cows were doing.  He told me that he was sad because a calf was still born two days ago,  and then the mother died yesterday.  And here I was feeling bad about burying a deer.  He said that animals don't tell us when they are sick.  She was fine one day and then dead the next from milk fever.  I think that he cares about his cows as I do about the dogs.  He does have a 2 day old calf that he wants me to see. 
• I stocked up on groceries for our trip on the boat this weekend.  We are going to a different island up the coast.  A few friends are bringing their boats.  I am looking forward to being around some relatively sane boaters. 
• The sailing and boating club that I belong to had a meeting tonight on whether to a moment of silent contemplation, instead of prayer,  as part of the order of business.  I don't know what it is about religion that causes so much divisiveness, but it surely has been the reason for a lot of killing around the world for a long time.  After each person had their chance to speak,  the vote was to have a moment of silence.  Several members got up and angrily stalked out.  I haven't seen adults do that since the church that I attended as a kid was integrated.  Religious fervor and hypocrisy left a bad taste in my mouth then, just as it does now.  
• I was asked to be an officer in the club.  I declined.  De-stressing my life is a priority.  I believe in what the serenity prayer says about knowing the difference between the things I can change and those people, places and things over which I have no control. 
• And the last thing for today is to read a few blogs,  write in my journal, and shut off the light.  Good night to all.