Jun 14, 2012
My friend Mary sent me this photo last week. This turtle came to say hi to her at work. She said it was most likely nesting and laying eggs. A few hours later, the turtle was gone, and there was no sign of any eggs.
I asked her if I could use this photo. First, because it’s just an awesome photo. I mean, look at those eyes! And the size of those claws and feet! I’d hate to tussle with those.
The other reason I wanted to use Mary’s photo is because it reminds me of a story I’d nearly forgotten; one of those funny family tales that I’m sure will be passed down to several generations. Just for the record, I’ve decided to put it here on the blog so there’s no distant-memory-recall-defect.
This is the true story of
Lucky.
I bought my house in September, 2009 and moved in a month later. The yards were overgrown with dried grass, sprawling juniper, and faded, dried branches. During one cleaning excursion I found near the side of the front yard, a pit. It was carved into the ground, and covered with two pieces of wood that had been haphazardly nailed together.
It was a long trench. Nearly three feet long, and a foot deep. It was pretty creepy. And looked as though it could have gone farther. What was its purpose? I’d heard rumors that the previous owner, a fellow cat lover, buried her deceased felines throughout the property. [Don’t worry, this hasn’t been proven… although there are some questionable lumps in the back yard.]
Prior to actually moving in, it didn’t take long for me to hire someone to come in and remove all the dead shrubbery around the house, rake up the dead grass, and fill that ridiculously creepy hole in the ground. [Note to self: in a future blog, explain exactly why creepy yard holes are, well, so creepy.]
It took a few days, but the yard turned out nice. Level. Clean. And filled. I was happy. Dot was happy.
And then it happened. I had some friends over. Neighbors were taking a walk. And since my friend’s husband was close to the driveway, they smiled and waved. He smiled and waved back. And they asked him
“Have you seen the turtle yet?”
What can I say? I’ve never seen him. There was no evidence that he’d been around recently. At all. Except, perhaps, they thought he lived under the wood. And only came out about once a year. Which is, research has proven, very typical of the Federally-protected Desert Tortoise.
That is, until This Girl unwittingly had its home brought down upon it. Never to be seen again. Imagine my angst and horror at learning what I’d possibly been responsible for. But, no. It couldn’t be. Because we never saw a trace of the turtle. Not a clue, not a claw, not a foot, not a paw. No residue or tracks or meal scraps or anything.
It’s a safe bet that the turtle had already left the confines of the property, months before I even knew the house existed. After all, there were caretakers and realtors and property people who took care of everything long before I got here.
And if they knew about the cat bones, surely they’d also know about the Federally-protected Desert Tortoise and remove it to a safer location for its own good.
Surely, I can’t be, what my daughter has often called out, a Turtle Murderer.
I prefer to ignore that supposition, and to believe instead, in the lack of other evidence, that he is somewhere else. Healthy. Happy. And
Lucky.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jun 13, 2012 |
I almost didn’t post this. I didn’t write anything yesterday. At all. No blog posts. No short stories. Didn’t even work on a grocery list.
And late at night, that small, still voice got to me. The one that tried to keep me awake with my Things Unaccomplished List. Luckily for it, I was too tired to listen. I just rolled over and went to sleep.
Then something even stranger happened. I woke up about three hours earlier than usual this morning. In time to catch the sunrise. Really catch it, peeking over the low mountains, coloring the sky with its orange and yellow and purple tints.
And I figure, if the sun can do its thing every morning without fail, so can I.
So here I am. And here you are. And it’s Wednesday.
That means it’s time for What’s the Word? Wednesday.
So… what have you got to say for yourselves? This week’s goal is to have at least ten links before next Tuesday. I’d be ever so grateful if you’d link up and share and invite your peeps on over.
What’s the Word? Wednesdays is a linky that allows other bloggers to share whatever is on their minds that they want to talk about. Think of it as a virtual coffee date with some great friends. What’s going on in your world? Tell us all about it!
A few things to remember:
- Each week’s linky is valid from Wednesday through the following Tuesday. So if you link a post today, you can still come back and link another post tomorrow!
- If you add a link, please put the badge on your post as well.
- Be sure to check out what others are posting, and even leave a few comments.
After all, a great coffee date is one where everyone gets to chat, dontcha think?
Jun 12, 2012 |
Dot’s been out of school for just over one week.
Last week, we got in the car and since it was a weekday morning, I almost automatically drove her to school. I caught myself and said, “Hey, I don’t have to drive you to school today!”
And then I realized, “Hey. I never get to drive you to school again.”
In the last week, she’s been hanging with her peeps, reading, and doing the usual, “What are we doing today?” questioning.
So this weekend we saw MEN IN BLACK 3. Great movie! I mean, Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, New York City, the suits… what’s not to love, right!?
Today we walked to my mom’s house. It’s exactly one mile door-to-door. And since I’ve been wanting to get in a little more exercise, I figure this is a good way to start. Along the way, we took some great nature photographs.
To keep the Family Time Ball rolling tonight, we did something we haven’t done in years: we put together a puzzle!
We had the TV on in the background and watched the Kings take the Stanley Cup! [SHOUT OUT TO THE SECOND FAMILY! BEST HOCKEY FANS ON EARTH!]
It was so much fun! We worked together, we talked, we laughed. For two hours, my daughter and I were solely focused on our Family Time. It went by too fast.
So you know what? I think we’re gonna do it again soon.
Just one of the advantages of being unemployed while Dot’s out of school.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jun 12, 2012 |
[This post is inspired by Ann at Doodles and Jots. I just love her amazing nature photography!]
Since Dot and I walked the mile to my Mom’s house today, I thought I’d also work on my photography skills at the same time.
Dot’s much more creative than I am, but I’m happy with what I’ve captured. I guess I thought the walk would be just asphalt and stop signs. But with a lens in my hand, I saw much more.
As we left our own yard, I was so excited to see my Eggplant start to revive and even flourish. This picture’s a little blurry, but you can see new buds in the middle. In a month or so, I hope to have a harvest of eggplants!
Here’s another view, more flower buds. And they’re really developing. What great Ratatouille I’ll make!
This is a view of just a few of the buds on my Green Bell Pepper plant. I love Green Bell Pepper. I use it in my Ratatouille, on pizza, in salad. I can’t wait for this harvest, either!
Here’s the sole flower that’s thriving in my front window flower bed. As you can see from the background, others are trying hard. There are a few blooms almost ready to pop open. Maybe tomorrow…
This is the first shrub I really liked on our walk. It’s a typical desert weedy wildlife, but I love the bright yellow flowers on it.
Only in the desert could dry weeds grow around a fire hydrant.
And now my artistic attempt with the same object. Which photo do you like better?
I tried to capture the Moon in the clear blue sky.
I’m not sure what this plant/shrub is, but I’m glad it’s not in my yard. It’s beautiful to look at, but my allergies would prob’ly give me no rest.
This fallen Joshua Tree was laying in a vacant lot. It was at one time very big with many branches, but the rains last year were more than it could take. It collapsed upon itself and ever since I’ve been watching birds flit in and out when I drive by.
Pampas Grass. I love this. I might put several of these on my property line next year. They remind me of the Cattail plants back in Michigan. And I love the long, flowing grass. 
I don’t know why, but this power line really got my attention. I like the “HIGH VOLTAGE” sign.
This line of three stumps on the side of the road is all that remains of overgrown trees.
It was a great walk. I plan to do it again soon, with a new perspective.
What’s your favorite photo?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jun 11, 2012 |
I got this great idea from Charlene at A Divine Walk. She got it from another of her blog friends.
As Charlene puts it, “The sand pail list is a take off of a “bucket list” but instead of being a before you die list, it’s a list of things you want to accomplish during the summer.”
I already have a To-Do List from last August. I’ve kept up with some of it; not all. It was a good refresher to take another look at it for this post. Kinda inspiring. Kinda guilt-laden.
Anyway. I still like lists. So here’s my Sand Pail List for 2012:
- Finish the first draft of Book No. 1.
- Order another print run of The Unemployment Cookbook.
- Sell the entire print run of the Cookbook, then order yet another.
- Visit the local Route 66 Museum.
- Get caught up on my Bible reading.
- Take Dot to the beach. I like Redondo. It’s where my favorite 80’s show was set: RIPTIDE, created by Stephen J. Cannell. Huntington is also nice.
- Go to the movies at least twice a month.
- Take Mom and Dot out at least once a month.
- Finish three assignments for the Institute of Children’s Literature.
- Get caught up on my reading list.
- Say less “no” to Dot when she wants to do spur-of-the-moment activities.
- Get a job. The job. The one that specifically answers the prayers of so many family and friends. And my own.
It’s a bit of a long list, but I’m excited for it. I like lists. I like putting things on paper, because then I can cross them off. Also, it’s a reminder. It kinda shouts in my face to have the list nearby while I’m sitting down wondering what to do for the next few minutes.
So. What’s your Sand Pail List this year?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
