STAYCATING, DAYS 3 & 4 -- June 24 and 25

Day 3, I was up and around by 5:30. The dogs were quiet. It was overcast and the wind was blowing. A storm threatened. We hiked to the mailbox and then I did just one load of laundry mid-morning when the wind died down and I felt the heat of the sun.

 

Mike took the Nikon AW100 with him and I brought the old P60. It has its quirks, but I managed to get it to work. We’re surrounded here in a sea of green (winter wheat everywhere), but today I noticed that the green is not as deep as it was. The fields appear uneven in color now as the grain ripens.

After lunch the dogs and I were in the yard when the UPS driver delivered Mike’s Tandy order. The dogs ran to greet him. He hugged them both and said, “You get my love, but I don’t carry treats.” The dogs nuzzled him and then backed off without begging. He went on to explain to me that treats make some dogs sick, and he just decided he didn’t want any part of that. And besides, we agreed, it creates an expectation in the dogs. But clearly, his loving control of the dogs showed.

I continued to sew, both hand and machine work. The little doll quilts are finished now, and I sewed snaps and buttons on a pajama top. Amazing how long it takes to perform that simple task. I’m really out of practice!

I picked a few more strawberries. We have “day neutrals” here, which are delicious but tend to be small. Mike says he likes the small berries because they’re tasty and don’t have that white core. As I picked today, my dad was suddenly standing beside me. “You have a lot of leaf there, he said. “I think you over-fertilized.” Hmmmm.

Mike checked in again tonight. He had solved his tire problem in Billings this morning, but he’ll tell about that in his story. It eases my mind to be able to communicate with him.

Day 4 -- Wednesday

We’re well into our staycation. The plan is to return to town tomorrow, so I designated this a “sewcation” day. After our morning hike to the mailbox, the dogs settled in the yard and I went to the sewing room where I spent most of the day. I had just the last outfit to make – top, slacks, and bag. So really, apart from checking on the dogs, I spent most of the day in the sewing room, and this evening I again sewed buttons and snaps.

When Mike called, we discussed our individual plans for the next day. “This is Tuesday, right?” he asked. Of course, even I, sitting here in “yesterday land,” knew it was Wednesday. “There’s no way I’ll be home tomorrow,” he said. “I’m in Dillon tomorrow night.”

“How could you have planned an itinerary that was a day longer than you realized?” I wailed. “Oh I could do it,” he said.

Well, that change in plans seemed to throw me -- and really, I don’t know why. The original plan was that I would meet Mike at the town house Thursday evening. I could either stay at the farm an extra day – or I could go back to town as planned – and the decision seemed difficult. The world had taken on an “other-worldly” feel – not loneliness, exactly, but perhaps a need for human contact. In town, a trip to Jo-Ann’s would fix me up, but it’s easier to care for the dogs at the farm. I had trouble getting to sleep – and I slept fitfully. KW