Musings on a midwinter morning in Maine

I'm trying to collect my thoughts here, sitting by the big window which looks out to the woods. The ground is covered in snow and the birdfeeder is a hub of activity. There is a red cardinal sitting on a branch, waiting for some privacy before he decides to peck. Meanwhile, the goldfinches and gnatcatchers parlay around the seed dispenser and the suet grille. A hairy woodpecker holds onto the largest suet feeder pecking at it like its wood. Three squirrels are romping up and down a white pine, I'm not sure if they're playing or being aggressive...who cares right? The brightness from the snow blinds me if I stare out at it too long, so I have to avert my eyes and try to think of what to write here while staring at the screen... seeing my words as stream of consciousness appear on the monitor. I know that when I hit "post", its there fore ad infinitum.

The boyo is sitting quietly at my feet. He loves to go outside normally and chase critters up trees. He has this look of glee when he is romping..but in this cold ( its 5 F ) he prefers to snooze and will move only when I move about.. he is my shadow, he is also my buddy and his little tale wagging makes me smile.

My other half, Jacko as the Hugo clan of Sydney call him, is doing chores around the house. Living here in rural Maine was supposed to be a good idea for both of us looking to make a new start after leaving Massachusetts. Last year, he lost his job, I was perilously ill, until some brilliant ( and I mean this complimentary) doctors discovered the nature of my illness and cured me...bless them all.. meanwhile.. we thought Maine would be a good place to reconnect. The plan was to get decent jobs. I recently finished my undergrad degree in criminal justice. The best anyplace would offer me is 12 bucks an hour as a C.O. Jack who has a degree and years of experience in HR has not been able to get a job, even in retail.. now the Governor of this State wonders why all the brain drain away from Maine ( hey that rhymes) occurs. Well if he asked me I'd tell him, the people in this state have to decide whether they want to come into the 21st century, or sit around the woodstove at the general store talkin about killing critters... honestly.. I better stop here because I might say too much..