Making Do

Zoe hopped off the ethereal blue bus, which had stopped in a cloud of cyber dust just outside RUGfarm. She preferred the "chicken" buses when she went into town, because there were always Guatemalans in the back carrying their chickens and goats to market, and she loved the informality and good humor.

Today Zoe had been to a lecture on Peter Singer's theories on ethics. Zoe loves lectures on ethics, because despite what the Jews, Greeks, Romans, and so many others had argued over time, philosophers still are arguing over how we know what's ethical. Kicking up more cyberdustwith her tan cowboy boots as she walked up the drive, she thought about the Tibetan Buddhist texts she studied late at night (after Mrs. Lytle did the room checks), and decided to think more about the power of karma...maybe Princess Afternoon would want to talk about this tomorrow as they hung the prayer flags between the barn and the big oak tree.

As she starts to enter the house Zoe sees the tent, zipped up tight with a "no girls allowed" sign posted in front. Tiny Bill must still be avoiding the ethereal women. Surely he'll let the exotic new RUGfarm resident, Sophie, in for a nightcap? Zoe decided to call his cellphone and ask.

Entering the dark kitchen, Zoe was reminded how tidiness (thanks to Mrs. Lytle) doesn't make up for the quiet now that Princess Afternoon is out sending faxes, smoke signals, and missiles to Baubo and Butler, among others. The quiet, sexy Sophie appeared and disappeared, and Tiny Bill popped in and out with fantastic ideas, but he was like a wood sprite...Zoe never knew when he would show up with something fun to talk about.

She longed for Butler and Bagman's return, and to see all the other former residents, who must be campaigning for some candidate somewhere. Clomping up the stairs to bed, Zoe decided that the farm needed art. She would work on a new poem and would paint the barn a lovely shade of purple.