Hey! Is this what I think it is?
What’s in here mama?
It is! It is! Let me help you!
I know you need my help!
Can we go camping right now? I’m so excited!
I’ll run for camping! No treats needed!
Can’t wait, can’t wait, can’t wait!
Eureka!
Hey. It’s not going to be cold out tonight…is it mama?
Might need an extra blanket. Or two. Mama.
I’ve been counting for a long time, even before there was a definite date. I’ve been counting down to a date I hoped would come some day, a date I’ve dreamed about for a long time. In fact I’ve dreamed about this date for so long I can no longer tell when I’m dreaming or living the truth.
But here’s the truth: A week from tomorrow will be my last day at work. At any work. The truth is that I’ve put my time in, met lots of great people, learned a ton of stuff and now it’s time to do something else.
Because life is short.
Hopefully retirement is long; I’d like this next week to move quickly, as time seems to be doing more and more lately. And then I want the warm summer days to stretch out slowly, the way they used to when I was a kid playing kick the can into the evening. I want to enjoy fireflies and stars, bike rides and camping trips, ice cream, and fresh strawberries. I might even enjoy weeding if I don’t have to get it all done during precious weekends.
We’ll see.
So a new adventure is out there just waiting for me. So close. Five work days. Katie says my first priority should be entertaining her. I told her that she’s going to miss her afternoon naps and she should be careful what she asks for. On the other hand, I guess we could both indulge in an afternoon nap from time to time. I’m nothing if not flexible.
People ask me what I’ll do with all the time. I have a list in my head, and I remember my dad talking about how busy he was after he retired. He had business cards printed with his name and phone # on one side and the word ‘Retired’ on the other. I think I’m going to grow up to be just like him.
Can’t stop smiling. Change is not always hard.
This is part of Carol’s challenge, Five photos, five days, complete with a story; truth or fiction, or maybe some poetry. And you’re supposed to nominate someone each day to join in the fun.
Mom’s new babies!
At Kensington (the park, not the palace) it’s all about babies this time of year. Today mama swan’s eggs began to hatch. There was a huge crowd of paparazzi, cameras clicking as each egg hatched. Mama swan ignored them all and paid exquisite attention to her new little ones, shielding them from the cameras with her wings.
It’s a special time and we’re lucky to be witness to it.
Today I’d like to challenge Karma of Karma’s When I Feel Like It, because I know she has a new camera lens and is just itching to get out and use it!
Mama up close before the little ones arrived.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Dandelions, those pretty little yellow flowers that so many people work so hard to eradicate from their golf course inspired yards, are incessant forces of nature. Turn your back on them for one moment and they spring back to beautiful life.
And Katie-girl, a force of nature in her own stubborn, hyper, crazy, joyous way.
The combination is beautiful.
You can see all the other interpretations of forces of nature at the original post. Or catch a few of my favorites here, here and here. Each is a totally different take on the concept.
I love these challenges because you see wonderful things from all over the world. Enjoy.
Katie here. Guess what, guess what, guess what?
At my park last night.
It finally got warm! And our grass is green! And sometimes I get to sit in my kennel and watch the birds and bark at anyone on my street! It’s amazing. This weekend my mama even said she might put up the tent! That means it’s summer, right?
Well, maybe not quite summer cause she never did put the tent up and we had to sleep inside the boring old house. She said she was too tired. I swear, that mama is always too tired to do fun stuff.
Well, I take it back, she did come home Sunday evening from somewhere all dressed up and she rushed out of her good clothes and put on her park clothes and we got to go to my park just as the sun was going down!
She said we had to get my dandelion photo, whatever that is. And something about the park people mowing the grass if we didn’t hurry up. So we rushed over there so fast she forgot my treats…and she marched me out to the middle of the field and guess what? Apparently dandelions close up when the sun goes down! Who knew? So she found a little patch of them in the last bit of sun and said that would have to do for this year.
Boooorrrring
I found the whole thing terribly boring. But then she and I walked all the way around the park and it was just wonderful. Don’t you think the sun makes my coat look good? I hear I’m going to the groomer Friday. Maybe if you all tell her how beautiful I already look she won’t make me go. It’s worth a shot, right? I’d give you her private cell number to call her, but she won’t tell me what it is.
Golden sun on my golden coat.
So anyway. We also got to do weeding this weekend. I’m not sure what that is either, but it seems to mean I get to lie out in the soft grass while my mama digs around in the dirt and gets all smelly. She is definitely not a princess. Sometimes I wonder why I hang out with her at all.
Then tonight after supper she and dad went back outside to weed some more. I loved it because I got to sit in the grass again and watch my road. I kept them safe from two marauding joggers and a couple of trucks. Good thing I’m around.
But when the sun started going down mama said that was enough and now she and I are hanging out on the deck!f The sky is getting all apricot, and there’s a big pink puffy cloud to the south. AND…best of all mama saw the green herons come back for the summer! All three of them flew over and made a big production of landing in our trees. Boy they are noisy! She seemed awfully glad to see them though.
AND we just saw a humming bird! Mama put the feeder up yesterday cause she figured they’d be around by now and sure enough, just a few minutes ago a little hummer flew around our heads and went to the feeder! He seems more skittish then he was when he left last fall, but he’ll get used to me. I never bark at hummingbirds. They are so cool and they make my mama happy.
So anyway, I almost forgot…mama says that by Friday it’s supposed to be hot here! And if there aren’t any storms for sure we’re going to go camping in the back yard! I almost can’t remember what that means, but I’m sure when I help her put up the tent I’ll be all excited again.
This was me last year!
So all of that means it’s summer. Right? I think it is. Princess Katie proclaims that summer has arrived. I don’t care about stupid calendars and official dates. I can’t count anyway.
Everybody enjoy this beautiful weather! I hope no one has storms and you all get to go out for walks with your peoples or your dogs or (I suppose) even your cats.
Now I need a nap. This weeding thing gets a girl exhausted.
See you soon in my tent!
Come camping with me!
We’ve been taking care of our neighbors’ chickens for the past couple of weeks. Well. I have only been up there a couple of times; husband has head egg collection duty.
Busy chickens
But I went up last weekend and as I approached their space they commenced to clucking and racing around, coming up to whatever side of the pen I was on. I think they miss their people. Husband says no – they’re just excited to get fed.
Whatcha doing out there?
Which could also be true.
But I prefer to think they enjoyed my company while I was there. I talked to them and took their pictures. I thought they were quite beautiful.
So are their eggs.
Yum
Husband mowed the yard last night, and I moved the kennel up against the deck. This morning I moved Katie’s kennel further away from the deck steps. As I walked back into the house I said to myself:
“Self, that kennel is way too close to the bird feeder. Wonder how long till the squirrels figure it out.”
Answer: Under an hour.
Breakfast!
Excuse me while I go move the kennel.
Run!
I have a friend I’ve missed talking to, seeing regularly. We worked together for many years and probably would have become good friends but I ended up being her manager and you just can’t be friends with people that work for you. She retired a year ago shortly after her husband died and we promised we’d get together. We meant it.
But you know it didn’t happen.
I’ve thought of her often, mostly when I’m at work where things remind me of her. And I’ve pulled out my cell phone to call her and then thought I’d wait till I wasn’t at my desk, maybe at lunch, or before the drive home. But lunch never happens and by the time I leave I’m so tired I don’t think about anything but the traffic jams waiting for me out on the freeway.
Then this week someone else asked about her, assuming I’d kept in touch, and I made a concerted effort to reach her. As we talked today I wondered aloud how her retirement was going, what she’d been doing, how life was. What was new.
She said she’d renewed her library card, read a lot of books, watched a lot of movies, spent time with her grand kids. Slept. All good things.
And then her voice broke and stilled. With a little wobble in her throat she softly mentioned that it had been lonely. Without her husband of so many years, without her friends at work she’d been lonely. Oh she didn’t want to start working again, face the traffic in the mornings, the stress of the industry we’re in, but still…
And I felt terrible. I was supposed to have her over for dinner. I was supposed to keep in touch. And I let it go every day, day after day, while I got sucked into the endless funnel of work and life.
And she’d been lonely.
It’s ridiculous. Me, who knows more than most how short life is, who knows what’s important, let it slide. She’s someone I care about, someone who makes me laugh, someone who was there for me when things were very very bad.
She was lonely. Damn.
We’re having dinner early next week, she and I and a few more people from work who have wondered how she is and have missed her. I can’t wait. She made me laugh this afternoon in the middle of work craziness. Even while I was beating myself up. She’s good like that.
Some lessons have to be learned and relearned. What’s important are the people, not the profit. It’s pretty simple really, but oh so hard to follow through. Lesson learned.
Again.
Change Is Hard 