The Never-ending Song

It was hot---very, very hot and muggy.  So humid that when you stepped from your air-conditioned apartment you thought "Who the heck just threw that soggy blanket over me?" At noon on the dot, eight residents , sweltering behind their masks, clustered on the small porch of the community room.   Two cars had arrived earlier, one bearing a lady with some bags who went right into the community room, and the other with two men in shirt, tie & jackets (UGH)  carrying clipboards and pamphlets.   Small foam bowls with a dab of vanilla ice cream (no toppings) were handed from the community room door  to the waiting eight, who pulled their masks down to beneath their chins.  (how else could they eat?)  Now there were no masks and no social distancing.  A   car pulled up.  A very obese young man oozed out and going to the back of his vehicle he withdrew a guitar and lawn chair.  He set the chair back from the group,onto the parking area where he was directly in the blazing sun. 

Last night Hannah and I went out later than usual -around 10:30. The moon was very bright, even though only about half it's potential size. Someone was at the dumpster making a lot of noise.  Hannah peed first, then noticing the racket, she began sniffing the air.  We have a lot of  street lights out now including those on the office building.  Dark by the mail boxes and the dumpster.  I thought it was strange that Hannah was not barking as she always does at people she doesn't know (or recognize) and dogs.  So I rolled the wheelchair down the sidewalk a way to see who was making the noises.  A really big black bear was shaking the dumpster., his gleaming white claws hooked into the door frame,  Standing taller than any man here, he opened the door , which is high up on the side of the large dumpster,  and hauled out bulging white plastic bags. He batted them around like a kitten playing with a ball of yarn,  until they tore open, the contents tumbling forth. Ging

I have been watching and very much enjoying a video series on  Amazon Prime entitled Pioneer Quest.  It is a taped reality show about two couples, one in their 50s and one a young couple-20s? who are selected to attempt to live on a prairie site in Canada for a year.  They arrive in a wagon drawn by a team of horses with basic supplies such as their ancestors  would have had, a milk cow, a pregnant sow and some hens  and roosters.  They have to plow  with an old single bottom plow, heavy sod that had not been farmed in many years.  They had to build their barn and homes from trees they cut on the property.  They dug a well through packed clay soil. They lived for 6 weeks in a tent--two couples who had been strangers--learning to get along, to work together in rough conditions.  It rained for days, flooded, the seeds they planted rotted before they could sprout.  Mosquitoes and ticks attacked en force .  No repellents in the 1850s.   If you think you might have been born in th

For a large part of the Covid 19 attack on the humans, and a few reported animals, the county of Bedford, Va. kept the numbers low. I guess we should have expected we would not escape entirely.  With August, the numbers began to jump.  I check with the Va. dept. of health posting every day.  This past week we went from 418 documented cases to 485, with 1 more hospitalized.  There have been 8 deaths in this county.  Viewing the countrywide numbers this may not seem to be many.  But it is the sudden increase that is alarming for 184 of those cases have occurred in the 3 weeks of August. Everyone is bored.  Churches are opening and in some the participants are not wearing masks and certainly not observing the 6 foot social distance.  People are going to the beach.  Having parties.  Understandable, but responsible?   Here at Joseph's Dream most people are being careful.  We also have a new manager.  The Support Services Coordinator says she has received many complaints about him.  O

Remember the tiny tomato plant I have hidden behind the lavender?  It had three cherry tomatoes which ripened to deliciousness.  Now it has 12 wee tomatoes forming, 3 of which are beginning to turn red.  This is the unknown plant that I discovered on my porch in rather sad condition.  I planted it in my flower bed, hidden behind the tall lush lavender as I had a feeling it was a tomato plant--which is illegal at Joseph's Dream.  I fed it and watered it.  Now it is repaying me with these yummy treats.

  Tonight I have two very unhappy housemates.  Both Susie and Hannah are overweight.  I do not feed many treats and never give either of them "people" food.  The main problem is lack of exercise.  That problem pertains to me also.  I have been adding the pounds, apparent in the fit (or rather non-fit) of my clothes.  Hannah's arthritis and her old leg injury bother her during the humid weather and the rainy cooler weather which we are presently experiencing.  So we have not been going for our "walks".  (She walks, I ride).   Susie is just plain lazy.  Once in a while she goes on a wheeze, tearing around through the tiny apartment, up and over chairs and the bed.  Good kitty--she never gets on the table or counter tops or dresser.  Those wheezes are too far apart to be in any way considered exercise. When I try to play with her, swinging a toy mouse or feather on a string, she lies on her back, one paw taking a listless swipe at the dangler as it passes over her

A few days ago I heard many ladies complaining about having to lug water in gallon jugs to the flowers, wishing, so wishing for rain.  It has been so hot, in the 90's every day in July, that sun scorching.  I stayed out for 45 minutes two days ago.  Had intended to just make a quick trip to the dumpster and mailbox but got caught by a neighbor and the  visit lasted until I told her I thought my arms were becoming crispy.  She was in the shade of a very small tree.  I , on my scooter and minding social distance, was in full sun.  One thing you can be certain of these days is that if you happen to be out of your apartment at the same time as a neighbor, you better not have left something on the stove.  People are suffering from COVID 19 isolation.  Anyway I was caught without my mask so I had to stay the six foot distance---in full sun.  I honestly felt as though I might have a touch of sunstroke when I came inside--dizzy, a bit nauseous and COLD!  I drank a lot of water and felt muc