Back in the Saddle Again

After thirty-one days of not getting to go on my walks each morning, I was dreading excited to get back and walk like it was exercise.

You can tell when it is just exercise and not walking, because you aren't really going anywhere, and you wind up where you started without bags of purchases or library books or something to show for your walk.

At least where I walk is a beautiful place. It's right by the river, and today we saw a Great Blue Heron. It didn't seem to mind our presence, but finally got a little antsy and carefully picked up it's skinny little legs and moved carefully to the other side of the river. It had been standing on a dead tree, probably looking for fish. I tried to take a picture, but I only had my phone which is old and really just a phone, the pictures it takes ain't nothing to brag about.

Other than the bird, the highlight of the walk was Husband's straw hat blew off his head and floated down the river.

We saw a deer on the way there and three on the way back.

They were regular deer, not the Black Tailed loner deer I have in my yard. She's either on vacation from South Georgia or someone set her out. Husband says when rutting season starts the bucks won't care. I guess he's right.

Last evening Daughter and I were returning home and saw about six deer on the side of the road, grazing. The two closest to us were bucks, very young, their someday racks only four inch velvet stubs.

On the way to exercise walk, I also saw a grouse, a beautiful bird. It was so large, I at first thought it was a turkey hen, but I realized it didn't look "right". Husband said it was a grouse, so I looked up images, and sure enough, it was a Blue Grouse.

Today is the day for large, blue birds.

My sister-in-law and her husband are in  Africa right now (Hey ya'll!). He reports on, and shows pictures of wild beasts and unusual, beautiful wildlife.

But I have concluded: you don't really have to go much past your own backyard to see amazingly new stuff every single day.

I just need to carry my camera more often, like my kin in Africa does.

God's creatures are everywhere. I'm glad. It's makes my exercise  walk more pleasant.

Man, I have got to start believing it's fun again...

A Long Trip Home

Today,  my Mother had surgery. It's a sixty-something mile drive and it's one of those trips where you think it will never end. Getting to that town is always that way, and I'm not sure why.

Going over was a bit anxiety producing, as my Mother was pretty nervous and hungry and thirsty. She had fasted since yesterday and her surgery wasn't scheduled until 1:30 p.m.

We got there early. Husband and Daughter left to get us lunch, which we thought we could eat while Mother was in surgery.

First, the place we had all slobbered over was closed down when they got there, and I think a, um, difference of opinion followed.

A place was finally settled on, and Daughter got ice cream for dessert. They handed it to her hurriedly and Husband drove off.

Ice cream sort of exploded all over Daughter because they had not put the lid on properly.

Oh, yes. Our air conditioning fan on the car seems to be dying. Good thing it was only ninety degrees today.

When Daughter got back to the surgery waiting room we weren't there. They had invited me back to sit with Mother while they prepped her for surgery. I knew they'd be looking for me, but figured they could ask around.

Daughter finally showed up, and they let her back with us. She was rather irate and sticky. She isn't feeling well to start with, as she fell all over a restaurant's floor last evening. She's has a sore hip, knee, and shoulder, which has gotten worse as the day progresses.

The restaurant put up a wet floor sign after she fell. How thoughtful of them.

Anyway, the surgery went smoothly, Mother was feeling good when they helped put her in the car. She ate all the peanut butter crackers they gave her and drank a full glass of ginger ale.

On the way home Daughter and I saw a bear at the edge of the wood on the side of the road. He was big and beautiful.

When we finally got home, the odd deer, that my friend says is a Black Tailed Deer, was in the yard. They live in South Georgia and are rarely seen in North Georgia. The doe is a loner and is eating all our plants. At least she doesn't touch the day lilies. She's very large. I don't have the heart to run her off.

I ate too many leftovers for supper, because squash, potatoes, okra, chicken, and Vidalia onions are too good not to indulge a little.

It was a long trip. I have a lot to be thankful for. Successful surgery, safe trip, bears and deer.

And leftovers.