Amaryllis (again)

 

After the constitutional and breakfast, I was ready to go back to bed.  Unfortunately there were things that had to get done.   I gathered together the garbage and flung the bag into the car.  Stopped at the end of the drive and put it in the garbage bin.   Continued on into town.  Stopped at the school.  Announced myself as "Town of Atlanta" at the visitor entrance and was buzzed in.  In the office stood the district administrator, an aide, and a very cute white curly dog.  The dog, I found out, is a regular visitor to the kindergarten through 3rd grade classrooms.   (Why didn't they allow dogs in the classrooms when I was a kid here?)  The election yesterday included school board members so I handed off election paperwork, made friends w/ the little dog, and was off to my next stop.  That was Walmart to pick up toilet tissue and hand soap.   Durng the election we hade noted the hall was pretty low on those items.  Needed to restock before this weekend when the Kelly clan is renting the Town Hall for a party.   Also got a pastry for me.  Back in town I checked my mail and stopped for a latte.  One of the guys in the shop stopped me to point out the likeness of President Trump  he had just finished carving into a large chunk of snow next to the sidewalk.  Watching the bust getting splashed as cars went by did have it's charms.  Stopped at the Town Hall to drop off  keys, toilet paper, hand soap, and receipt.  Back home I made some phone calls and then it was time to finally get down to doing taxes.  I couldn't seem to get in the mood to do them this year but time was running down.   Realized fairly quickly I was missing a form from Social Security.  Thought I'd put it in w/ all of the other documents.   Called SSA and surprisingly they were very helpful.  Another half hour and I had a hard copy of my missing form.  Whip came over and kept bumping her nose under my elbow.  Her sign that she wanted attention.  I could use a break so we both went outside.  The snow had receded enough for her to dig out the dead squirrel.  Realizing that I wouldn't let her back in the house w/ it, she reburied it atop of the now only 5 foot snowbank by the front door.  Expect when  I next see the carcass it will be in a vernal puddle 15 feet out from the front door.  We walked down and brought in the now empty garbage can.  Very windy and cold so Whip decided that was enough.  She opened the front door and we went back inside.  I warmed up the latte, put the pastry on a plate, and sat down at the computer.   The latte, pastry, and taxes were all finished around the same time.  I looked up from my desk and noted the same amaryllis that bloomed last month has put up a second stalk and is in bloom again.  Turned out to be a pretty good day.  I looked out into the deepening dark.  It's snowing.