I had a day's worth of NYC things to do, enough for it to make sense to spend a night in the big apple. While city life is endlessly fascinating, stimulating, and so different from my daily Shelburne existence, I was so glad to get back to the barn this morning. Throngs of people, herds of yellow taxi cabs, honking horns, sirens, diesel and exhaust . . . . I was quickly exhausted in a way that's so entirely different from being wiped out from a day of physical work on the farm. 

The plus side was the shopping (or window shopping, I should say, having spent a little time strolling Madison & Park and 5th Avenues) and the dining options. And latte on every corner. We grabbed a late lunch at the Oak Bar and it was such fun watching the steady pedestrian stream on Central Park South. Almost as much fun as watching sheep. . . .

Instead of sheep I admired the horses lined up across the street from our hotel. It was way too cold for carriage rides, so they were tethered along the curb to the pay phones and tree supports, huddled under their coats. I felt sorry for them, not able to move to keep warm as the wind whipped down 59th street from the west.

I was in my hotel room when we first  heard the news about the earthquake in Haiti. The stories and images on the news since then are heart wrenching, the hardship – unimaginable. A friend of mine (former teaching colleague) served in the Peace Corps in Haiti in the 90's, and eventually married a Haitian and is living there, raising their two children. My thoughts are with her and her family – and with everyone struggling to search for loved ones, or to receive care, or even just beginning to fathom how to get back on their feet in the wake of such a disaster. Such a strong reality check. Really puts things in perspective.