I had just dumped a pile of sticks and leaves on the burn pile when I heard flapping wings. I was facing the right way to see two ducks swoop down from the pasture and fly under the lowest limbs of the old oak tree. That put them almost at eye level, only a short distance from my head. They flew over the back yard at the end of the street, landing near the creek. Perhaps they were the couple that I watched walk through our neighborhood only days ago. They have been hanging out in Shawn and Bob’s pond. Shawn said they wanted to watch the ducks, but a couple of nesting robins screech at them every time they go out on their deck.

The forecast said rain would come about the time I would finish walking. Scratch that, I thought. I threw on walking clothes and went straight into the garden. The waterfall had been perfect the first day, but I fiddled with two stones the second day, making it leak about an inch an hour. The pump would have been sucking air if I had left it going all night. I used two pieces of slate to change the slant, and I think everything is going to be fine. A few sprinkles hit my head, so Kacey and I went inside. The sprinkles were an empty threat, because it never did rain.

Kacey accidentally locked me out!!! I stepped outside to get the lead hanging on the stair rail, and the dog dropped a soft plastic toy right inside the screen door. It was a perfect door-stopper! Before panic could set in, I reminded myself that I could walk around the house and use a code to get in the front door. Whew! Thank you Lise for getting me a fancy new lock.

I wonder if any of you move an object to an unusual place to remind yourself to do something later. It’s much quicker than writing a note. I’m finding it amusing that I now have to really think to follow my direction. A number of times I have forgotten to clean the bathroom on Friday, so I moved a washcloth to the other end of the rack. When I was ready to shower, I wondered for a second why I’d put the cloth there. Oh! Yes! Clean, then get cleaned. Fast forward a few years, and someone might ask me why the rocking chair is facing the wall or the bed pillows are pointing upward. Hope I’ll remember.