Friday, July 5, 2013

Alone Isn't All Bad

There I was sitting on the front porch Wednesday evening watching the hummingbirds and chatting with them like I usually do in the evenings. Enjoying the cool breeze in the air and unwinding at the end of my day. Preparing to make that next journey up the stairs to my bed for a good nights sleep.

I watched as two female hummingbirds seemed to take turns at the feeder while preparing for their night. A male flew in and chased the girls away. I asked him just what the heck was wrong with him. Having the chance to be with two nice ladies and then chasing them away like that. Next I asked him if maybe he didn't know how to love.

That made me stop in my tracks and get lost in a sorta bad train of thought.
After thirteen years of being alone, do I even know how to be in love...
Maybe after thirteen years I wouldn't know how to treat a woman, let alone how to really love a woman.

Many things in life are like riding a bike. You never really forget, yet I find one can get very out of practice, rusty, unskilled. Shaking and even falling on your face trying to relearn. Then it takes practice once again to get a sense of balance back.

Yup, maybe I've been alone too long.
Heck what woman in her right mind would want some old smiling fool who doesn't even know how to love!

So I guess maybe it's really best I just go on gardening and farming a little like I do. Taking my walks and talking to the birds and wild critters. Pondering people and life as I wonder the fields and woods. Having my fun, smiling and playing as nature makes me shake my head in wonder and often making me laugh. Enjoying that love between two as shared by other creatures and the people I see here and there.

Oh there is that twinge upon the heart when evening comes and there is no one to share it with. It's not like the birds can do a good job at carrying on a conversation. The dogs are bored with listening to me go on and on. Heck they just fall asleep!

There is that awkwardness when invited to things and I'm always the one to go alone. Yet I always end up in good conversation and having a good time. I can even stay as little or as long as I want. Heck I can stay until I bore the host's to sleep if I want. Though I never do because there are mornings and things at home to deal with when mornings come.

When I get the itch to take time away and travel, I can do that without worrying that it might not suit someone else. Again I can stay as little or as long as I want.
The only thing I have to worry about if I'm away is finding someone to feed the critters while I'm gone and keep them in water.

So there may be moments of feeling lonely and wishing for someone to share with, but it's not all bad.
If your alone too, find what you like doing the most and do it. Smile about all the little things you find silly and funny.
Heck you can even start a blog and share what you find that makes you smile so others can smile along.
If you do be sure to tell me here so I and others can share in that smile.

After all, maybe the love we share with all the world is even better than love shared by only two...




Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Weather or not

Wow, it's been well over a month since I last wrote.
Things around here have been hectic. Spring was totally against me and the garden. The cold would not let up and it was too wet. Seeds planted in the garden, drowned in the garden which made some replanting necessary. Just last week I had to again plant more seed.

The sweet corn is looking good as are the pumpkin plants. I had to battle to get the cucumbers to finally grow without loosing them to cold and drowning.
My tomato sets died about a week after planting them because of the cold. Then I had to buy sets from a garden center and put them in. Same for my bell peppers. Only the few hot peppers I plant survived.
Green beans which I've never before had problems with had to be replanted. Not once, but several times.

Even fields had to do some waiting. But again this year the hills will be covered in corn.

Not only did I have to battle mother nature but I also had to battle what I'm pretty sure was walking pneumonia. I never did get to a doctor to find out for sure. I didn't have time for the luxury of taking time to see a doctor. So I started eating foods, herbs and spices that were rated high as natural antibiotics. And uhg, I even started taking a shot of cider vinegar every morning because it's rated so high as a natural antibiotic. Hey, it worked. I'm still alive a kicking. I think...

Then on top of everything else I had to watch the grandkids while their mom went to work.
When I'm really busy I sometimes don't bother to eat, but when you have two hungry kids around eating is no optional. And wow can they eat!

Heck I even broke a tooth and suffered with that for several days before I finally took time to go to the dentist and have what little was left removed. Luckily I made it just in time to head off an abscess that was beginning to grow.

Add all that to this messed up back and neck I live with and you have an old guy about ready to give up. But no... I'm to dumb to surrender.

Instead I just keep doing what I can, when I can and resting in bed a lot.
About the only planting that did go right was the gutter planters I hung on the porch railing last year. The herbs and flowers I planted there are doing nicely.

Even the long long wildflower garden I plant along the road is doing badly. Some seeds sprouted and many seem to have succumbed to the mixed up weather this year. But I am not replanting them. What grows and blossoms into beautiful flowers will.
I even dug up some ground in a corner of the yard and planted some perennial flowers. They too have not made it.
So until next year those two will have to wait.

Hopefully I'm back now.
I have continued to smile right through this mess. Maybe I'm looney but even when things go bad I can always find something to smile about.