The Honest Courtesan

I was planning to take down the shutters sometime between yesterday and Easter, depending on the weather.  But on Saturday it was so nice and warm I just decided to do it then, even though we are supposed to get a few more cold nights next week.  I think the chilly nights will be made up before by warm days, and it’s nice to have more fresh air blowing through, plus I like being able to see the animals through the screens.  In fact, I am planning in the next few weeks to extend the fence around the north side of the house, so the animals will be able to walk anywhere completely around the house except for the west side.  Not only will that allow the animals access to another large expanse of green grass, it will also allow Cicero and Shiloh to get at fallen apples in the autumn.  And since there are two large windows on the north side of the house, that will also allow us to see the animals in that direction.  I like having animals around, so the more ways I can casually see them while going about my day, the more I like it.  And I plan to install a sliding screen on the window behind where Grace normally sits, so that she can open it up and give treats to Cicero that way.  It may seem silly, but that’s part of the pleasure of country life to me; being able to look out a window and see grass and trees and animals, even wild animals sometimes, is so much better for my mental and spiritual health then being subjected to a “view” which consists of nothing but concrete, glass, and automobiles, and background noise consisting mostly of traffic and sirens (occasionally broken by some person yelling in the distance).  And now that I’m mostly finished with the building projects,  maybe I’ll be able to actually relax and enjoy it this year.