Copacetic

His muscles tense and twitch in a slow rhythm keeping a steady pace with the slight breeze. His eyes big and round stare with a touch of fright and total concentration locked in place. A dog barks incessantly on the next street over. A car horn toots several times, tires squeal and the sound of metal crushing into metal fills the air. Far in the distance a siren wails, moving closer.

The engine of a lawn mover sputters to silence. A storm door creaks the hum of a heat pump and the roar of a chainsaw become melodies of the day. A lone wind chime tinkles in the breeze. The sprinkler hisses fast sending spurts of water droplets across the newly mown grass.

His ears now are arched toward the back of his head his nostrils flare ever so slightly. The grayness of the chain link fence melds into the dusk settling in for the evening. Little black hairs rise along his spine. A low soft growl leaks.

His paw reaches quickly and makes one slash through the rectangle in the chain link fence.
A small gray tabby returns the slap. Muscles twitching and whiskers flinching the fight drags on. Slow, methodical without the intensity or harm. It’s more like a warning or a threat. You stay on your side and I’ll stay on mine, guarding ones territory with the protection of the fence. Playing, teasing and testing knowing they are safe and secure behind the security wall.

The black cat shakes his head and lumbers under the shade of a mimosa tree. He lays partially hidden in the tangles of the unkempt flowers. The gray tabby paces along the fence searching for his foe with the fence shielding them from danger separating them from hostilities.
Darkness spills into the yard as the sun disappears for the day as both felines with their confidence waning dash for a safer place.

Purveyor of Lost Thoughts

I'm not that touchy-feely sort of person - especially from strangers. This morning I walked to the corner to buy a paper from the corner paper hawker. I walk to the corner because I have been robbed too many times from the paper dispenser right around the corner from my house. So, I now boycott the paper dispense thief. The extra walk does me good. I always take the dog just in case there is a human robber ready to steal my four quarters from me.

I get to the corner and - behold - a new paper hawker. They do not seem to last very long, hhhmmm, I wonder why? Selling papers from a street corner is not a lifelong career. I hold up my hand to this new fella and he struts over to me and the dog - separated by a big metal railing. He makes small talk about the dog and I pull his leash away from him. Big boy - Ron is not a friendly chap - especially with strangers. Some people just don't get this about dogs. I tell them he's not stranger friendly and they make a stupid comment about all dogs liking them. Well my friend this dog doesn't like people and he will bite.

I hold out my four quarters to drop in the hawkers hand and he grasps my fingers and clutches them. Creepy. If I act concerned or frightened the Ronster man will notice and be on alert. If I scream he will attack. It's nice to have a protector at your side when paper hawkers are fondling your fingers. I do not want a lawsuit brought against me for a vicious dog.

I pull my hand back out of the paper hawkers grip of death and leave it dangling at my side. As soon as I get home I put on massive amounts of germicide and wash both hands with anti-bacterial soap and them rinse them in bleach. My creep out of the day.

10 Places to Visit

10 places I have visited in the last 30 days.

1. Arches National Park in Utah. The scenery, the hiking and connecting with nature were awesome.

2. Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Standing in such vastness is overwhelming.

3. Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah. History was interesting and the colors were off the color chart.

4. Hole in the Rock in Utah. A very upscale tacky tourist trap. Great sculptures and a two story outhouse - what more can one ask for?

5. Park City in Utah. Stunning.

6. Tangier Island in Virginia. A wonderful ferry ride in the Chesapeake Bay to an island lost in time.

7. Pratts Falls in New York. A hidden gem right out in the open.

8. Chittenango Falls State Park in New York. Very much like its neighbor Pratts Falls.

9. Herkimer Diamond Mines in New York. A rose by any other name would be called a crystal.

10. Currituck Sound in North Carolina. A little bit of heaven, miles of shoreline and lots of mosquitos.

Ten awesome places that are permanently etched in my ramblin soul.

Panorama Point

For the past several weeks I have been wallowing in the deep dark pit of despair. Woe is me. Sometimes that just happens and you need to go with the flow. I'm over that black abyss and am climbing as fast as I can up those slippery slopes to reach the sunlight.
It rained really, really, really hard last night. We desperately need the rain - now we are getting out of that deep dark pit of drought.
Utah was my savior in the bleak times. Surrounded every day by beauty and new experiences. Awesome! I am now a confirmed ATV rider. Done that - had fun - checked it off my list and probably won't do that again. I have so many escapades checked off my list but then I keep adding new ones. I climbed a mile and a half straight up into the heavens to view Delicate Arch. Absolutely worth every painful breath, muscle ache and fear of heights. Check that off my list of things to do before I die. I might even attempt that journey again.
Utah inspired me with her beauty and quiet. Now, I shall hike the Appalachian trail - no not Argentina on Father's Day. My bags are packed I'm ready to go - not leaving on a jet plane but do know when I'll be back again.
This time the over sized suitcase is packed to its bursting point with no airline restrictions cuz that big boy is going in the back of the truck. My life is rather like Balanced Rock - looking like it will tip over with a small puff of wind but in reality planted firmly in the bedrock. And I can see life and all of her wonders from Panorama Point.

Jon & Kate Plus 8

Jon and Kate plus 8 minus 2 divided by 4 equals = cancelled show, battered egos, caustic accusations with reality banging at your back door. Who suffers? The children.
I have no sympathy or empathy for Jon and Kate. I have overwhelming sadness for the children.
Is this greed and the American Dream, exploitaion and degeneration? It's similar to winning the lottery. One cannot comprehend the pressures that comes with instant fame and fortune so they go over the edge into oblivian - that dark abyss of selfishness.
It's not all about me-me-me. Others are involved.
Still if given the oportunity I too would go for the money. $75,000.00 an episode is not hard to accept. Strange and bizarre world in which we live.
The merry go round has ceased to play the melody. The roller coaster has jumped the track. And the twirling teacups have agravated my motion sickness.

In the name of Progress

We painted the coping of our pool a cool blue, actually hubby painted it he's good at that sort of thing - but I did suggest the color. It's a baby blue-sky blue- robins egg blue - very tropical and goes with our decor. Our decor being freebies from friends and tables bought on clearance but who is keeping track. In my opinion it's eclectic-tropical-country.
So the coping looks wonderful but is in sad contrast to the decking. So the decking got painted by hubby and once again I picked out the color. I'm good at that sort of thing.
Then real quick like it became dirty and disgusting looking. That sky blue now looked like a hurricane sky. So we repainted it again, actually hubby painted and I supervised, I'm good at that. And at my suggestion we put a clear sealer over all the painted surfaces, Hubby did a wonderful job. He's good at that sort of stuff. The area was all bright and shiny and slippery.
I let everyone know to be careful because the decking and the coping was very-very slippery and I didn't want anyone falling and getting hurt. So the first casualty was - guess who? Me. I went slip-sliding away right over the edge into the pool. It was kind of okay because I did have on my bathing suit and my intent was to take a dip just not so fast and hard. I hit my knee on the edge of the pool and it hurt like hull.
Still is aching today but I will survive. I just get so annoyed with myself when I become the victim. Hopefully all have learned a lesson at my expense. And the pool does look lovely.

5 Ways To Go GREEN

For whatever reason you are still stuck with your gas guzzling, non-hybrid regular car, truck, minivan or SUV - do not fret - you can still go GREEN. It just takes a little more creativity.

5 Ways to go GREEN with your old clunker.

1. Instead of driving your children to school - walk with them or ride bikes. Not only are you helping to save the environment but you are getting healthy and bonding with those little darlings.

2. Make one trip per day instead of three or four.

3. Walk to places if at all possible.

4. Ride the bus.

5.Car pool with neighbors to the grocery store or the mall.

5 - Easy steps to stay GREEN with a vehicle that does not conform with today's dire economy and global awareness.