I slept like a stone. Even though I’ve all but stopped wearing earplugs to bed, I wore them out at the farm because the cardinal in the flowering quince right outside the bedroom window thinks she needs to start singing the song of her people at around 4:00 in the morning. That’s a big nope. And, even with the earplugs in place, I kept hearing something out of place. Not enough to actually wake me up to investigate. Just enough to think…”Huh. I wonder what that is?”
When I finally woke up at about 8:30, I was aware of the noise again and took out my earplugs to listen. It was the FURNACE! It was 92° on Thursday, but it got down to 50° by dawn. Since I sleep with the windows open as often as possible, it was pretty darned chilly in the house. I had a medical appointment yesterday at 2:30 so I finally dragged myself out of bed and started packing up to go home to my sweetheart.
I always pack like I’m going on safari when I go to the farm. Well, when I go anywhere, really…although I tell myself I’m doing better. As I filled each bag, I took them two at a time into the kitchen and lined them up in the kitchen in front of the door. Once they were all there, I started taking them out to the car. I know this farm like the back of my hand. I was brought here as a tiny newborn and I’ve loved it ever since. I navigated the two steps to the sidewalk carefully. Every time I go down those steps, I think of my Aunt Peeps. She fell and broke her wrist. It was obviously broken. But she was never one to suffer a doctor so she went inside, wrapped it with a telephone book to create a splint and went about her business. That wrist was bent and wonky the rest of her life.
Anyway, I digress. I moved the car up by the cellar house when I mowed the other day so I could fit the John Deere by it and mow the front of the house. I looked up and it reminded me so I turned up the driveway. A bird caught my ear and I scanned the trees up on the hillside to see if I could Identify it. Just then, I happened to glance down and very nearly stepped on a good sized Black Racer. The thing coiled up as if to strike. Even though they are non-poisonous, they will bite if they’re cornered. It had the whole yard in which to escape, but it stood its ground. I stomped in an attempt to scare it away. Instead, it reared up and lunged at me!
Ok, game on.
I set my bags down and went back to the porch for the shovel that’s always kept there for instances such as this. I came out and smacked the shovel on the ground right in front of it. I didn’t want to harm the snake. They are great at killing mice around the farm. But…again…it reared up and lunged at me. So I just quickly scooped it up in the shovel and gave it a toss toward the creek. It turned and slithered away over the edge of the bank and we were done with that. The shovel went right back to its place of honor by the back door.
I’ve seen more snakes out there in the last two years than I have in all the time I’ve ever called this place home. As a matter of fact, I had never seen a snake there until three years ago. I suppose they know we’re just in and out now and the place is going wild again. I finished packing the car and scurried home to shower before I headed to town.
I seldom have to wait at my doctor’s office, but yesterday was an exception. It took over an hour and a half, but I had my new issue of Girl Camper Magazine in tow. I could hardly wait to see the t-shirt I designed featured in the “Things We Love” segment! I showed it around the office and encouraged the camping lovers to check it out for themselves. And of course, to check out Marshmallow Ranch Designs!
When I finally got out of the office, I made a trip to the grocery store and to pick up prescriptions. By the time I got home, I told Mr. FixIt that I was beat and asked if he would tote the contents of the shopping spree to the house on the dolly. He is such a good man…and we were SO happy to see each other! We fiddled around in the kitchen putting things away. He’s going to the annual company picnic tomorrow and is taking chicken noodles so I put the chicken on for him in the Instant Pot.
He got a lot done while I was at the farm…namely he got the pool opened. I was hoping we wouldn’t be messing with it this year since we’ll be gone so much this summer, but old habits are hard to break. We hardly ever get in it…only to clean it. It seems like a waste of resources. But maybe the kids will come this summer for some cookouts and they’ll be really happy to have it available.
It was 93° when I came out of Walmart and down to 85° by the time I got home. And this is only the first week of June! Yikes…we need rain!
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“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
Luke 10:19 NIV
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Today I’ll share a link to Girl Camper Magazine. It come out quarterly and is one of the highest quality magazines I’ve ever seen. The spared nothing in the production, the photography, and the stories. It would be a love gift…to a camper friend, a camper wanna be, or an indulgence for yourself. I learn something from every single issue.
