First with Zack and Gus, then with Karl and Gus, Karl, Gus and Bob, Karl and Bob … for something in the neighborhood of 16 years I have started each morning with quiet reflection, some of Oswald Chambers “My Utmost for His Highest”, a cup of coffee and my dear boys.
This morning, for the first time…Bear and Bob – together – shared the time with me.
A peaceable kingdom.
As Summer wanes, I look forward to the day I can put away the multiple hoses and sprinklers AND put away the behemoth air conditioner!
I always feel like I am tempting fate…aka the weather gods/goddesses…
But today was the day.
That is the other thing. Although always in the back of my mind, there is suddenly a day when I decide and today was the day.
This morning…I decided…and I could not proceed with my work day until all was restored to what I consider normal.
A cool morning, gave way to a warm afternoon, that cooled quickly in the early evening. I’m counting on a continuance of that :) !!
Bob: Well, against all odds, all the herbs are still alive. And believe me, it is pure luck. The nursery person TOLD her, EMPHATICALLY!!!…that the parsley needed to be watered 4 times a day. A number of times it has just laid down and gasped its next to last breath before she got out here and watered.
Bob, cont’d.: It has been warm and even a bit hot and smoky. Fortunately she remembers to feed me better than she remembers to water the poor herbs.
Today, it got dark between my second breakfast and my elevenses and then it thundered and rained and got cool.
The darn dog is pretty happy about the cool.
Bear: Thank goodness for the air conditioner! And today it cooled off a little. I’m ready for snow!
August 15, my birthday eve day…a beautiful day.
Yesterday was hot, smoky, stuffy…a little miserable weather-wise. But overnight, a cold front whooshed through. And it rained. And the morning dawned cool, clear and fall-like.
Not only is today my birthday eve day but it is also the anniversary of Julia Child’s birth and this year is the 100th. Julia Child is a recent inspiration to me. I love and admire her fearlessness and passion for life.
“The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appetit.”*
Bon appetit, indeed :) !!!
This evening, Bear, Bob and I shared a space of proximity that I thought might be impossible a year ago.
“Learn how to cook — try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun.”*
Oh, yes.
*Julia Child
Despite my prior very poor batting average at identifying birds…and especially birds of prey…I believe this is a Cooper’s Hawk.
And, I have to credit Bob for seeing it at all :( !!
Bob was where you see him, but instead of looking at me, he was looking up – with GREAT intenseness. His tail was thwap-thawapping on the porch.
So I looked also – and saw the hawk. Hawk was my first thought but when I was looking at the photos and thinking about my past experiences, I wasn’t sure…young eagle???
I settled on Cooper’s Hawk as it fits other photos I found on the web AND the behavior fits as well. According to my reading, the Cooper’s Hawk is at home in the “forrest”, is an extraordinary flyer capable of darting among the trees in a dense wood. And they typically perch low. That was my other quandry…I had NEVER seen a hawk – in the woods – and as low as this bird at maybe 10 feet off the ground.
Earlier in the day, I had a somewhat terse conversation with God regarding the mice that have been frequenting my house in the night. Despite traps, despite Bob and Bear, despite me picking up every bit of tempting food…in they come, leaving their little poopie calling cards here, there and everywhere. (traps, Bob and Bear have dispatched a number of them, but in more of them come!!)
So…seeing the hawk, I gave thanks. God sent a hawk to help with the mice! But then I read that the Cooper’s Hawk hunts small birds…like chickadees and nuthatches… I have no quarrel with the little birds and would hate to think of them being hunted even though I also love the birds of prey and know everything has to eat… hmmm. Ultimately, I decided that it was not an issue that was mine to trouble over and the circle of life must go on.
Still earlier in the day – earlier than the hawk and mice but later than the moon and Venus…Bear and I were on the last leg of our morning perimeter walk when Bear alerted and ran toward the house but down on the game trail below the footpath that I walk.
A bear! A smallish bear, but not a cub and it stood quietly by a tree as Bear approached and then stopped. All was a standoff until Bear barked. The bear went up the tree, Bear rushed to the tree and stood on it barking. I was a little concerned as the tree was sounding a bit stressed…approximately 120 pounds of black bear went up a medium-smallish tree with a LOT of noise and branch breaking. I had visions of tree and bear toppling on to my Bear…I called and he came and headed straight for the front door and in the house.
Bear (the dog) was trembling with adrenalin and I was not far behind. I praised Bear, hugged him tightly (I’ve found this calms him … it doesn’t hurt me either!), removed his collar and got his normal treat.
He was not interested in the treat, but ran for the bedroom to watch…and to sniff. The windows were open.
That is not a smile…he is gulping scent. He gulped scent, barked, watched and stuck his nose up and sniffed. I stayed back and let him figure it all out. I am sure he now knows what a bear smells like and what a bear is. It was a good first experience for a ‘Jersey dog’ without western wilderness experience.
Later when we went out he was calm. We have had two outings…just like normal. Hoo rah Bear!
My Wednesday did not go according to plan from the get-go.
One thing that slipped was a trip to town for supplies.
This morning, Thursday morning … in a “kill two birds with one stone” frame of mind, I whistled Bear into Wild Thing for the gathering of supplies, the download of some large files on town’s 4Glte (!!!) and who knew what else.
The morning was beautiful: cool and misty as the sun rose over the mountains and through the woods.
Bear was ALL in for a bit of RV adventure!
We stopped on the way for a walk, parked in a shady spot near the grocery for the download and supply gathering…we both had our breakfast “on the road” – and then headed for home to make it just in the nick of time for a late morning work/meeting session.
Later…
Thursday, is CSA garden day.
Yesterday, I got to thinking about it being August… and we’ve had some heat and sun and …WOW, the garden might start spewing forth some different things pretty soon!
And it did! The bag felt like 10 pounds: beets (WITH greens!!), ‘taters, peas & carrots, a head of lettuce, parsley, basil, KALE!, some “spring green” mix. I called on neighbors and friends to share.
Last week’s bag was good and I used it all…nothing new to report but I continued to enjoy the shredded carrot salad, the pea pesto (my absolute favorite non-basil pesto), a broccoli salad, chard-spinach-mushroom stir fry…
Next week’s cooking from the garden – it should have some new stuff.
Meanwhile, Thursday evening…Bear did his “it is too hot” version of the perimeter patrol and then found a shady spot to have a treat. I let Bob out and he sprawled near us on the porch. I told them, that their nearness to each other and me – it was the absolute BEST birthday month present they could give.
We all sat together and enjoyed. It was 85 but not unpleasant in the shade with a soft breeze and my good boys. Actually, it was heaven to me.
Bear ultimately decided the cool of the house had appeal. I got the camera and tripod to capture a moment with Bob…who has apparently forgiven my passe taste for white wine…well, I am the one who dispenses the food, allows access to the bed, puts fleece cat blankies hither and yon…
A Thursday.