Kacey LIED to Me!

I stayed up late Saturday night and planned to sleep through David’s leaving for church. The streamed service I planned to watch wouldn’t start until 8 am. Kacey started to bark at about 6:45, going on incessantly. When I came out, David was gone and Kacey danced a jig to tell me she desperately needed to go outside. I threw on clothes in a rush. That lying dog ran to the side yard, then she sniffed every blade of grass in her usual path, while pausing to sniff the air and look all around. There was absolutely no need for us to rush out. If I spoke enough “dog”, I would have reprimanded her.

I did check the cam footage from the front porch. I could see where David’s car was turned on at 6:47, and he would have driven off soon after. What I didn’t see was dog and man walking in the front. David must have taken her out in the back, but it was certainly enough to take care of her needs for several hours.

This was a very long Sunday for David, and one that Kacey and I didn’t want to share. He was at church for a brief rehearsal before the early service, and I saw him on the screen with the bell ringers and sitting in the congregation. After that, there were rehearsals for bells and choir then performing again in the late service. I’m fairly sure most of the ringers would have left after performing, but David ran the sound board. He helped the choir director move bells back to the music room and left church at 2 pm. He kindly did the week’s shopping near church and headed home. Last week he was caught in stopped traffic on the interstate, so this time he remembered and had me check the map. There was another massive tie-up, so he knew to get off two exits early. He got home at 3:30, gone for a total of 8 ¾ hours.

Later in the day Kacey heard me tell David that she tricked me. She insisted on her innocence for demanding to go out. “I HAD to sniff everything carefully in case something had changed. It’s my duty to protect you.”

Spring Walk

The weather is warming, and people are coming out again. Welcome Spring! As I walked, neighbor Shawn stopped her car and asked, “Are you going to come with us this afternoon?” Logan must have told her that I was willing (make that eager) to go to his first tennis match of the season after school. He had asked me when he came over to play chess with David. As they drove on to school, Logan had his window down to wave. I used my two-armed wave, a goofy custom we’ve had going for a while.

I spoke to “Woodman” as I walked past the place where he and his 80+ dad split firewood to sell to tourists and locals. He said, “We’ll have all seasons in one week!”

I replied, “I took off my coat.”

“It could be summer by the end of the week,” he said.

I called back, “I might go sun bathing.” It was fun to laugh with him.

Fluffy dandelion puffs waved me on as I went to the creek. Going back through the gas station, I saw Shawn turning off the highway, heading home.

At the top of the hill, I retrieved my jacket and hat hanging on the coat hook that Lisa and Harmony put up for me last year. This time I got a close up that, without the bright sun, shows my name.

Coming toward me were Lisa walking Rosie and Julie walking Mickey. Their animated talk and laughter added life to the mountain air. I’m sure Rosie is the largest dog I see on the road, and Mickey is one of the smallest. Holding my coat, I needed another hand to pet BIG and little at the same time.

It is marvelous to have brief conversations with the best neighbors in the world!

Good Eye News

For months I couldn’t get off the six-week cycle of eye injections for macular degeration. The goal was to go longer and longer between shots. Once before I made it to the 8-week spacing, only to have the eye get worse. This time the doctor tried a more potent medication, and it seems to have worked well. He was pleased, so I’m going to be happy with it, too. After the next injection, I’ll return in eight weeks rather than six.

Substitute Church

Things had to change, because we live much too far from church. Three times we came home to find dog poop on the kitchen floor. Our being gone for five hours was too much for Kacey. I am pleased that grandson David is involved with the bell choir and the choir, with rehearsals before church, and that is why I decided to stay hone and watch church on line. Even that was uphill. I was in the right place at the right time, but the only active thing on the screen was the chat room. I couldn’t get the streaming video to start. Shortly, others commented on not being able to get the service, either. It came on after the sermon started. I saw enough to know it was about letting your light shine (reflect), an updated version using a light bulb instead of a burning candle.

I thought David might be home around 2:30, but he called at 3:30 saying he was just leaving church. He stayed to learn more about running the sound board during services. After shopping for weekly groceries, he headed home, only to be caught in stopped traffic near our interstate exit. He got home eight hours after he left in the morning. Kacey asked to go out three times during that period, so I feel I made the right decision to stay home.

This photo sums up my Sunday. I was dressed for the day before David got up and didn’t look at my feet until he got home. Yes, I wore a non-pair of shoes all day without feeling anything different. Give me full points for having matching earrings, though.

Neighborhood Walking

We are not out of winter yet, but Spring walking has started. From time to time I will join someone already out walking, or a neighbor will walk part of my route with me. Today Lisa and dog Rosie came out of their house, walked to the stop sign with me, and came all the way to my house. Rosie got excited, because she adores Shawn, across the street from me.

As we got near, Lisa said she thought Shawn was not up yet. I said, “If we stand here talking loudly, maybe it will wake her up.”

As I walked to my driveway, Shawn’s door opened, and she was waving at us. I had to keep going to stay on schedule, but Lisa and Rosie went in so Shawn could get her “big dog” fix. Sadly, her boxer died recently, so Rosie helps fill the dog section of Shawn’s heart.

Chatting Over the Fence

I always thought it would be fun to chat with a neighbor over a fence. I found out how delightful it can be. Having let Kacey onto the front porch, I secured the wire gate to keep her in. Shawn’s Abbey returned Kacey’s bark, which alerted us humans that we were all outside. They came across the street while Shawn’s weed eater was being charged and had a lovely visit over the “fence”. We didn’t know, and didn’t want to find out, how the little dog and big dog would get along without the barrier. With it in place, Abbey took a nap in the sun, while Kacey found things to chew on. Shawn and I had no trouble filling the air with lots of words. How pleasant and satisfying that was!

Neighbors at the Creek

Knowing the temperature was right at the freezing point, I didn’t expect to see other walkers on the road. The cold didn’t keep neighbor Lisa from walking Rosie. One was wearing almost enough layers, and the other was fully equipped for chilly weather. They walked to the creek with me for the second time. I can’t remember when they first went, but I forgot to take photos and kicked myself afterward. This time the camera was ready. Lisa nimbly hopped down the rocks in two places so that Rosie could take a drink.

I don’t mind walking alone, but it’s delightful to have two-footed and four-footed friends to share the joy of the morning. I didn’t tell Kacey, in case she would get jealous.

Wild Weather and a New Gate

The weather was wild across the United States last week, but we had wind and a severe thunderstorm. I’m not making light of it, because people we know were without power for hours. Neighbor Lisa said she saw huge bolts of lightning as she drove home from town. I didn’t see them, but I heard the thunder. Luckily Kacey didn’t react. You never know if a new-to-you dog will be scared of storms. I watched the wind push a plastic porch chair five feet and caught a video of ghostly chairs rocking with its force. As is so often the case, I didn’t get the most dramatic footage.

Ghostly Rockers on the Porch

Rain was about to hit full force when I ran out to catch the dance of the daffodils. In their frenzy, they didn’t seem to mind being captured by the camera. A day or so later I saw that one clump warming in the sun as I came home from walking. My eye-path was from the road to the back yard, quite a distance for these stalwart blooms.

Dozen Daffodil Dance

Neighbor D told us she had some wire for David, something she thought could have once been a bird cage. David put it across the landing of the front steps, and instantly Kacey had a big new play pen – the whole porch! Watch her exuberance as she sniffs her gate. She ran back and forth to me and David, finally leaning against him sitting on the steps. She also ran from one end of the porch to the other. I’ll say it once again, we have the greatest neighbors in the world!

Kacey Explores her New Gate

Final February Flourish

I started trimming one shrub a day on February 9. Even that was a daring thing to do, since February is a winter month and usually much colder. Yesterday I finished all the Rose of Sharon plants along the back fence. Both David and I wanted to cut the large bush next to the garage down to size. It blocked a path the dog liked to use. On the last day of the month, I went out armed with loppers and great determination. The light was not the greatest, nor was my eyesight. I trimmed almost a quarter of it when I noticed some small green branches. Uh oh! This was new growth. I should have consulted a gardening book before wildly whacking away at it. Too late. David joined me and used the loppers that are too heavy for me. He cut the largest bits and also made two trips to the burn pile. I should have gotten a photo of what looked like a small tree walking down the hill. I made three trips with the lighter branches. We had great satisfaction in seeing the road from the back porch as we ate lunch there.

For once, I took before and after photos.

Heart Art and Daffodils

I was surprised to spot a whole heart and half a heart beside the road to the stop sign. There were dried weeds waving above this scene, and I guess that’s where the hearts dropped from.

Back home, I took a photo of my entire crop of daffodils and a close-up for people who can’t see very well.