Classic Animation

After several hours of crying over the duck, I figured I was in an unproductive cycle of sadness, and needed to get off the farm. Time to think of something else. As a family, we headed out to see the re-released Beauty and the Beast, courtesy of a Christmas present.

It was a shock to see both the beauty of the 20-year-old animation, and the difference that computer animation (a la Pixar) has created. The colors and vistas still amazed me, even as they did when I saw the movie in the theater as a 12-year-old. (Phil said that he had seen it three or four times in the theater with his college friends.) It was, perhaps, mean to take the littlest Lykosh. I had forgotten how very mean the Beast is, and he burst into tears at one point, "I don't like this movie!" But with a running description of what was about to come, he made it through. He admits he liked the library, but everything else ... not so much.

We went to Chipotle, too, after dinner, as I had nothing thawed or prepared. There was a family with five young children, cute, trim mother in a NorthFace jacket. It was like looking at who I would have been (or at least wanted to be), had we not moved to the farm.

And then we headed home. I idly asked if the electric fence protecting the chicken was on, and one of us was reasonably sure that it wasn't. That last hour took forever, as I wondered what kind of carnage I would find on the return. If we had no egg layers left living ... but it was too dreadful to contemplate.

And, thankfully all were living. The duck will stay the night inside, faithfully tended by Isaiah, who warms cloths for her back, and picks up her dung.

Not all was bad. Abraham made Joe an impressive Duplo sword and shield. They weren't much good in actual combat (perhaps I should be grateful), but they looked good.

And, for the record, we have had snow now. A light sprinkling Sunday morning, just enough to make the trees look pretty for an hour or two.