Julie Field spent a lot of time during the pandemic chasing her two donkeys, Rosie and Peanut, and a mule named Gully around a neighbor’s pasture in Concord. Along with the animals, she hiked the property with a self-described “motley crew” of good friends: Stephanie Tilton, Eleanor Kuchar, Jane Huber, Jane’s husband, Gee Kiwanuka, and their son, Ezekiel.
“I always knew it was beautiful out here, but I saw more. For instance, Stephanie showed me the difference between a hawk’s wings and a turkey buzzard’s wings.” And Eleanor, studying to be a veterinarian, showed them an acorn filled with an ant colony.
On Saturday mornings, the group would meet for coffee with other friends. In the early days of the pandemic, their chairs were 6 feet apart. The tradition continues, but the chairs are closer.
“Life slowed down,” Field said. “It would be easy to get sped up again, especially in New England. I don’t want that to happen. I want to keep appreciating these people around me.”

A great-great coincidence
Jessica Pesce
Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Graduate School of Education