Author: Anne Mehrling

I'm a retiree who loves to write about life in the mountains of North Carolina.

One-handed Gardening

This was my first time to try one-handed gardening. There was nothing physically wrong with me, but I didn’t have the heart to leave a dancing dog inside. As soon as I went near the back door, Kacey began jumping and trying to stand on her hind legs, her usual routine when she wants to go outside. The occasion was a happy one – removing screens that had covered the areas where daughter Lise and brother Bob planted tulip bulbs she bought in the Amsterdam airport. There were several tiny bits of green pushing through the dirt, and I knew I had to remove the protective screens before the first shoots were stunted.

Kacey would go as far as the leash would reach without jerking me off my feet. I was able to move the anchoring stones and the screens with one hand. She went back in the house while I moved the scratchy things into the garage. David plans to put a heavy stake that screws in the ground near the garden so that she will have some freedom when I begin pruning things in February. I’ll admit that gardening is not my favorite pastime, but having doggy company might make it more fun.

David Helps a Horse

When grandson David takes Kacey outside, he generally walks around our property several times. This morning he saw Vixen, a horse in the pasture behind our house, caught in barbed wire. He couldn’t see any way to free her, so he called me on the phone. You might guess, my first thought was to get a photo. He sent it to me, and I shared it with neighbor Joyce., whose property also borders the pasture. I couldn’t see the wires until I put it on the computer screen after the crisis had passed.

While waiting, David took a second shot. Joyce enjoys those horses as much as we do, but she had no contact to call. David said Vixen had one foot on our land.

David called an anonymous neighbor who came right over. He grew up on a farm and is comfortable around big animals. “Anon” persuaded Vixen to back up so that he could untangle the wires. Soon she was free and went to the shed on the hill where she could get hay to eat. “Anon” continued working with the barbed wire, getting it off the ground and reconnected to the rickety gate. His face has been blurred in the photo. He observed that Vixen might have been there for hours, judging by the amount of manure on the ground. We were all relieved that the horse was finally free.

Kasey and the Golf Cart

Neighbor Shawn sat on the porch with grandson David and me. She petted Kasey and spoke words of love to her. The dog lapped it up, of course.

Neighbor Bob drove over in his golf cart, unsettling the dog. David took her toward the cart, but she was very skittish. Finally, when both David and Bob were sitting in the cart, Kacey was willing to approach it.

I liked the video of the neighbors dispersing.

Before going home, Bob gave Kasey a nice run in our yard. The leash is 16 feet long, so you can see that she happily kept up with the cart and was never dragged along.

My New Marital Status

I spent 21 years with “Miss” in front of my name and 58 years with “Mrs”. Although I am still “Mrs” in addresses, within days of John’s death, I realized I had to change how I filled out forms. Overnight I was no longer married. I would have called myself a widow, but widow was not given as a choice. What was I? Single!! Although I did still sing, I didn’t feel single and probably never will.

Now, seven months later, I found my official marital status on a legally binding document. According to the papers I signed, I am an Unremarried Widow. No wonder they don’t put that on ordinary forms! That’s enough to scare anyone away!

Logan and Kacey

Neighbor Logan has lived with dogs all his life. He is good with them, taking care of them and playing with them. Kacey’s jumping and barking don’t bother him. When Logan came over to visit me, the dog was soon snuggling up to him. The young man, as always, was willing to pose until I got a fairly good photo.

The picture I really liked is blurred, because Logan was moving quickly, trying to get his own photo of Kacey. Both were moving targets for me.

David’s Dog

Grandson David wanted a dog for a long time. Friends of his had taken in a rescue and were willing to part with her. Kacey (or as I write her name KC) was a bit anxious at first, but she seems more at ease with us after two days.

Our snow didn’t stick until it snowed all night. David and KC loved it, staying outside about two hours. I couldn’t believe she had icicles hanging from her stomach!

KC barks at neighbors

KC has now met the most dog-loving neighbors in two households. What a lovely welcome they gave her!

Thunder!

We were expecting a thunderstorm but were surprised at the intensity. David was sitting in the family room when lightning hit nearby, followed by a crash. The thunder knocked a painting off the wall. It, in turn, took angels and a Danish nisse to the floor with it. None of the figures were harmed, but there is a small tear in the sky of the painting. I am very sorry about that, because it was painted by neighbors Shawn and Bob’s daughter. They will look at it with me and see what can be done to repair it.

Our weather forecast included snow. It did snow here, not just in higher elevations, and so far we have about a zillionth (of whatever measurement you use) of accumulated snow on the ground. I enjoyed watching it, even when it looked more like rain than snow.

Washed my Teeth and Brushed my Hands

I had already washed my hands and picked up the toothpaste to use in the normal way. Instead, I was looking at hand lotion and squeezed toothpaste onto my hand! At least the shock of that kept me from hitting my forehead with my toothpasted hand.

Yes, I’m still a miser. The toothpaste went on the toothbrush where it belonged, and I went to bed before my brain absented itself again.