LEARN MORE

Sunday, July 2, 2023

STAYCATION 2023 DAYS 7 & 8 – FINAL

Friday. I awoke with a start at 5:30, thinking that I had heard Bess whine, but it didn’t continue, so maybe I whined. It was time to get up anyway. I pulled the sheets off the bed and started the laundry.

A beautiful pumpkin blossom

Already the sun was up above the eastern hill. The day will be hot. At 6:45, Bess and I started down the lane. She paused to sniff around a rock, and when I got to the bottom of the lane, she wasn’t with me. I called her to no avail. I decided to walk to the top of the pitch and if Bess still hadn’t joined me, I would return to find her. After all, chief among my few responsibilities is Bess’ care.

“It would be terrible,” I say to myself, “if when I walk back down the pitch she comes along and I have to ascend it again.” However, that would be unlikely. Bess has a timid streak, and she would probably return to the house before seeking me out. And that’s what she did. As I came into the yard, she begged my forgiveness and suggested a game of fetch, but I made her wait while I hung the clothes.

And on this wonderful day, I finished a long-abandoned project – my very first quilt. I’ll tell its complete story another day.

For the afternoon walk, I decided to skirt around the north field as far as I could go. (It becomes impossible on the west edge.) Bess was quite a bit ahead of me as we returned to the house, and when I heard her bark, I knew she’d crossed paths with a rattlesnake and I hoped she was leaving it alone. I hurried as best I could over the uneven ground, taking care to watch and listen. As I approached behind Mike’s shed, Bess was nowhere to be seen, but I heard the telltale buzzing and stopped short to locate the source. I found it and took a mostly useless photo since the snake is camouflaged in the soil. Thankfully, Bess escaped harm. She was waiting in the yard to play fetch. KW

Saturday. Sadly, today Bess and I must return to town. Mike will be back tomorrow.

We took our customary early morning long walk to the mailbox, and I took a few pictures. The fields are ripening quickly, so when we return in a couple of days, the landscape will look different again.

The hummingbirds – at least five and probably more – are draining the feeders rapidly now. Four of them were feeding in peace at one time today – a rare sight because they usually fight each other off. Before I left, I made sure both feeders were full.

The cherries are ripening quickly, and this morning I thought perhaps I should take the time to pick them. However, they didn’t come easily, and the sample I tasted was rather tart. I do think that Mike and I will be picking them when we return. I hope the birds let us have some.

When I opened the Jeep to begin loading, Bess hopped in and made herself comfortable. She probably expected to be reunited with Mike. I didn’t have much to pack – just a little food and our electronics – but it was still six trips back and forth to the house.

It’s simple enough to drive the Jeep, and I can certainly do it. I just don’t understand its “brain” and leave all of that to Mike. It’s really his vehicle. He thought I had enough gas for this trip to the farm, but as I approached town, I realized that IF I got to the house, we might not have enough gas to get to the station. So, I did something else outside my comfort zone. I stopped at the station where we use our grocery reward points and filled up. The pumps aren’t exactly user-friendly, but I figured it out. I didn’t know how to reset the Jeep’s “trip-o-meter.” Oh well.

We arrived at the town house at 1:30. It was hot – 96. By 2:30, my Fitbit buzzed that I had 10,000 steps for the day. (I have reached the 10,000-step goal every day this week.) KW

2 comments:

  1. The quilt is beautiful. And I can see the rattlesnake quite well. I'm especially thankful that you saw it! Or should I say Bess did and sounded the alarm.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Becky. I am cautious at this time of year. A hot afternoon brings them out. I use my eyes and my ears and watch where I step.

    We have had some experience with dogs and rattlesnake bites. As a pup, Nellie was bit on her tongue, and a large section of it sloughed off. She was bit again when she was 12, and she spent an uncomfortable night with no lasting effects. Preventive rattlesnake vaccine is now available, and we have Bess inoculated each spring. Still, avoiding the bite is best.

    ReplyDelete