Author: boomingbanter

Man it’s toasty and being a double duty walking day I’m seriously hot. May need to make an appointment for a short back and sides soon or even a shave.

This morning’s outing was bearable apart from some delay on the return as herself has decided to pull up weeds by the root to create a wild flower garden. Tell me the sense in this if you can. One day she spends the whole morning attacking them and the next she’s out plucking them to plant. Hard to understand the workings of the human mind.

This afternoon it hit 30C but we had another walking engagement and since this meant a ride in the car I didn’t object at all.

When we got going though I realized that it was not so easy. Some kind soul had left a big bowl of water outside their house that was guzzled down with thanks and helped a lot.

In the end though when we had reached the half way mark I decided I’d have to take additional action. Each time we hit a shady spot I just lay down. The humans were impressed with my wisdom and let me rest a while. Each time they just went on gabbing. It’s handy being able to sweat like them all I have is my tongue and it can only stretch so far!

Can’t tell how fresh it felt to get the windows down in the car and how good that drop of Adams Ale was when we got back to the ranch.

It’s hotter still tomorrow so walks will be sprints not marathons.

Blessing # 721 – Air Conditioning

So much for Staghorn Sumac being deer resistant. Aaron’s tree is but a shadow of its former shelf. Ma was furious when she saw it this morning. Nothing for it but to put it behind a fence.

The bro has moved many times in his short life. It seems his tree might too. It’s now on the patio and we hope it will recover from that savage attack.

She contemplated planting mint in its place as the deer still haven’t eaten that but thought it might go berserk as it has at the front door.

She can’t say enough good things about mint and finds it very handy even as a foliage with a flower. It overpowers my poor nostrils a bit but I’ll endure for peace!

We decided since it was only 75C we’d weed. I got a nice little car ride to the garden center to get  mulch. We debated whether to buy another tree but decided not.

While Ma pulled out about a million dandelions and cut all the daffodils back I had a good snooze.

She has filled a bag the size of a young dumpster. It worked off her frustration though so now she’s  chuffed it will mean plain sailing for us all this evening. Walkies!!

Blessing # 720 – Moving On

Over the past twenty four hours our yard has become a focal point for cottonwood fluff. Unless you see with your own eyes you will not believe that it has almost entirely bypassed our neighbors to land on us in abundance!

Maybe because we are at the top of the hill or maybe because we have an exposed lot but we’re blanketed

If it was manna from heaven we could feed the five thousand as it is we could start spinning and make a few loincloths.

Ma was mad as every time we open a door the floating fabric flies in. Every nook and cranny is covered in the porch and garage! It sticks to the ground like snow and I find it all awesome.

I’ve had a word with herself to convince her it’s wondrous.

At last she took note and found that indeed this is very special. Native Americans consider it to be nothing less than the source of the stars and a sign of great hope. Check out the full story if you’re so inclined.

https://treespiritwisdom.com/tree-spirit-wisdom/hardwood-trees-swords/xvii-cottonwood-star/

If not here’s the lighter version!

So why worry. Be like me. Embrace it as something delightful. Roll in it and do that Sun Dance!

Blessing #719 – Stardust

 

 

Dad and I have been left to our own devices most of the day. I got two walks so can’t complain just in case she hears of it and gets huffy.

Suppose we’ll have to get used to each other! With all these fitness classes going on again and the pool open to boot herself will be unavailable for snuggles while watching TV. I’ll have to switch channels no more HGTV for me!

Add to this Ma is starting to do some shifts at the antique mall to fund her habit of collecting lost objects and re-homing them. Wish she’d concentrate on a pursuit like fishing where I could join her. 

I’ve been on the lookout for some diversions. If they’d get me an electric fence like most of my pals I could be out guarding and hunting all day. Instead they keep me in “the safety of the house and porch”.

Even those stupid squirrels tease me because they know I can’t get them. Sit right in front of me eating nuts!

Not a bit fair. I’ll have to take to books like Dad. Seems that’s all that remains for those of us still in lockdown apart from munching crunchies and he’s fortunately very generous!

Blessing # 718 – Fatherly Fortune

This morning I was working early frightening those dear deer away.

They are pretty bold and even when I barked out loud they stood still like statues and stared at me. Gave Ma time to take this picture!

You wouldn’t believe it but they got their own back on me. As I was reposing on Ma’s knee this afternoon she spotted one of their passengers stuck to my ear.

Have to give it to her she was fast and got the little beast.

Herself and the bro socked them a blow by digging up some dead wood and putting in a new tree. One they don’t like.

The bro did the digging as the tree marks his graduation. No matter if he moves on he will always be able to come back and see how his Tigers Eye is doing.

He did a good job and it got well watered in by a big downpour.

Definitely the right moment for new beginnings.

Blessing # 717 – Planting Hope

Ma spends a lot of time multitasking watching TV while simultaneously on her phone looking at Facebook. This annoys me as it detracts from time spent with me. Unlike Dad, who eats books, she doesn’t read that much except at the pool. As I’m not around there that’s not a problem.

There is a method to her summer madness. She gathers books for the marathon at sales throughout the year and makes a little pile in the bedroom of « must reads ». If she has a Maeve Binchy she reads it first as it gets her in the right mood and also into the swing. It’s a bit like training a muscle!

Once the Maeve is finished then she puts part of her stockpile into her big pink plastic purse that goes with her to the pool. There has to be some classics included that have never been read before.

Today I helped with the selection and she took three books. The choice of book is made like a lucky dip. It’s the first she touches with her eyes closed when she opens the pink purse. If she starts and doesn’t like it then it goes back in the purse to be read later when she’s stronger and takes another.

Today’s pick was good it seems. Utopia! Written in 1516 it’s fair to say it’s been read by generations.

Sir Thomas More the author was a man of great courage. The Man for All Seasons. He stood his ground on his principles even against his King the infamous Henry VIII.

Some phrases from Book One seemed very timely even though they were written so long ago.

Sometimes when we can’t find the words the words have a way of finding us!

Blessing # 716 – The Right Read

We have lots of deer around here so it’s not surprising we also have deer ticks. Each month I get a treatment to make sure they jump off me. They’ve developed a habit though of jumping from me to Ma.

It was funny today because on our walk she’d just had a conversation with her pals about Lymes diseases and how her former love, a Labrador called Bingley, got this disease. We were no sooner home than surprise surprise one of the beasts jumped off me and into her hair. There was a frenzy to get it off her without loosing it into the carpet but she managed.

She said the thought of it made her itchy all over and that was her excuse to abandon me for the pool. Didn’t matter as I was flaked out with the heat.

She came home with another great wildlife story. Seems a big Mallard Daddy Duck mistook the pool for his pond and made a super landing right in the middle of it during break time when the water was still because the kids were out.

Everyone was transfixed. The duck had some trouble taking off again but when he made it there was a big round of applause.

It’s the first time ever Ma has seen such a thing so thinks there should be some sort of saying about it.

We all know those sayings. Bull in a China Shop, Once in A Blue Moon, Can’t Teach and Old Dog New Trick.

What would it mean though Duck In The Pool?

Blessing # 715 – Flights of Fancy

Today I got so much attention to make up for the neglect of yesterday. There was no rushing as the bro was off work and Ma decided to forgo setting the alarm to go to the gym and have a lie in!

Instead of weights we just did our walk to the park and admired all the beauty of nature at its best.

The sky was pure blue again. We love the contrast with the color of the trees and the grass even though the saying goes «blue and green should never be seen». Who comes up with these things anyway? Ma says the color combination reminds her of San Pellegrino the worlds best water!

She went for a quick dip but soon came back to take me out again. We went for a little drive and a walk around the lake at Auntie Carolyns.

It’s so sweet cruising around in the sun with the windows down playing The Beach Boys. We pretend we’re by the ocean even if we’re at a little lake in the mid west and at least eight hours to the nearest shore. A wee wave would be welcome but we feel happy to go round round get around even if we can’t go surfing!

Blessing # 714 – Compensation

This morning was chaotic. We were all up at the streak of dawn and I’d a trot before you could say Jack Robinson.

Things then became so very strange I was ready to run. My bro put on this huge dress and hat. Everyone was hugging and taking pics and saying how proud they were of him! Of course I joined in!

Seems it is one of the most important days in a young humans life and this one was going to be different than any other.

Usually when high school is complete a big ceremony takes place in a huge stadium and parents and families go and watch.  This year though my bro and his friends got to do things different.

They had a drive-thru ceremony. Our car got all dressed up too with all sorts of bells and whistle stuck to it! Shame I wasn’t allowed to go!

The whole thing was streamed live so not just Mum and Dad but our family and friends all around the world got to watch. We know our nears and dears from India, Switzerland, UK and USA all followed it live. That’s unique and super special don’t you think?

The bro was quite pleased with how things went and was very philosophical about the whole affair. Instead of sitting for five hours in the one place he was in and out in a matter of minutes and on his way to his first celebratory meal of the day breakfast at Bob Evans down on the Farm!

Now they are back from the bro’s walk with his very important diploma and a cute little gift from Ma and Pa. They say they need  a quick rest before taking me for my walk before they head off again for some afternoon fun at the pool and dinner tonight. Hope they’ll remember leftovers this time!

Blessing # 713 – Graduation

Remember I told you how wet it was yesterday. Well it was so bad a massive sink hole developed on our main road into Columbus. Can you imagine that eating you up.

If you thought that’s bad it’s nothing compared to the crazy things going on in our city. It’s so serious the mayor has had to enact a curfew. We’re north of the center so we can still go out but it makes our family all very sad indeed.

We are, as you know, multiracial with all skin colors represented. We see discrimination and we know it’s so unfair that all souls are not treated equally but riots and hurting each other is not going to solve any problem. It’s just digging deeper holes.

Blessing # 712 – Common Ground