Sunday, April 19, 2015

And The Rain Came Down


And rain it did and it cracked and it thundered and lightening lit up the sky and the ground, already so wet, could barely contain it. It was beautiful.

Before the rain came in though, I did weed those tomatoes and mulched them good. I got filthy. And when I was finishing up I wondered why I've ever let myself regard any time in the garden or in the yard as wasted time. My god! How ridiculous! Some people go to the gym and spend money to lift weights and run or walk or stairclimb or bike in one place and yet I can be outside, listening to birdsong and feel the breeze and the sun, squatting and standing up, bending and stretching and handling big bags of leaves that are pretty darn heavy and digging and pulling and I can see the results of my efforts when I look around me and it makes me so happy. The food I get is almost beside the point. The point is the very joy of the work of it. Bringing forth life in dirt. With chickens and ducks about to keep me company, listening to a good book all the while.
Ah, man. For me there is nothing better.
I came in when the rain truly began to fall, when the lightening and thunder started crashing about.

I did clean out some cabinets. And then I went totally Little Housewife On The Big Fucking Prairie and cleaned out the refrigerator. Child, please! Of course I'm doing laundry because I'm always doing laundry. And pretty soon here I'm going to make us a nice supper.

A little while ago I was out gathering eggs and I just had to take a picture of my birds, or some of them, at least, as they rushed me for possible food. I had already given them many delicious things from the refrigerator that were on the verge, to say the least, when it comes to use-by-dates. They adore old cottage cheese. And you should see them peck away at hummus.


I swear to you that when Mick comes up onto the kitchen porch and crows for me to bring them tasty treats, his crow can sound almost threatening. Not life-threatening but threatening like, "You better come feed us or else!" And this morning the ducks were talking about something in a most vocal and determined way and I went out to see if anything was wrong. There did not appear to be anything unusual going on and I said, "Y'all! Calm down!"
And one of the ducks said, and I swear this is true, "What?"
"Chill out!" I said.
And they did. 

And then this.


I had put that raggy old unraveling rug on the porch to prevent slippage underneath one of the leaky places and Maurice, being a cat and thus a supermodel who always thinks of her image and how she looks, had decided to curl up right in the middle of it to take a nap. 

The rain has passed, I have indeed found pea pods growing on their thick green vines, my back hurts like holy hell and so does my neck and so what? so what? so what? The frogs are croaking but not roaring, the hog dogs are barking and I suspect their owners are at Sunday night church but that's just a theory and I bet you anything that if I listen carefully tonight I will hear a Chuck-Widow's-Will out way behind the house. I hear the soft gray doves calling, the liquid song of the mockingbird. 

Here I am and so glad to be. 

Love...Ms. Moon

21 comments:

  1. I listened to your thunderstorm many many times then some more times. I love you. What a marvel to live in Seattle and be able to have a Florida thunderstorm in my little house.
    love
    z

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  2. Right outside of Asheville, having moved from Apalach. Holy crap! I miss those chuck-wills!

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  3. Rebecca- As I stood on the porch I thought of you and how much you would appreciate this storm. We are so very lucky.

    Anonymous- Really? That's so interesting. Why did you move?

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  4. You've found your bit of heaven...Wish I could find mine.

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  5. What do I think? In this moment in this England I wish I was you for a while Maggi x

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  6. Another beautiful post.

    And the picture of Maurice on the rug is somehow just so perfect.

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  7. That photo of Maurice warms even my cold cat-hater heart.

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  8. And oh, God, the rain and the thunder and the rushing sound of that video. They made me think of childhood in Georgia -- and how very parched we are out here.

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  9. Maurice in the middle of the rug. Swoon. I just read your e-book. I little late I know. I loved it. I want more. Loved it.

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  10. We had rain and wind and a sudden drop in temps here in Illinois yesterday. Since my garden isn't planted yet, I set all the flowers on my deck out a little farther so Mother Nature could water them. Then I did something completely opposite of you. I took a nap.

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  11. I love the way the ducks are backed up into each other.

    And Maurice on her mat!

    And the rain... love it. And Conversations with Poultry. Woman who talks with the Chickens.

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  12. oh, me too. nothing I like better than putzing around in the yard, being outside feeling the breeze, listening to the birds, getting dirty. I did that Sunday. That storm hit us on Friday. 4.9" of rain in one day. lightening and thunder, something we haven't had in about a decade.

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  13. I love that picture of Maurice! And a good, drenching rain. There's nothing better.

    It's funny how accomplished a person can feel after doing yard work -- or housework, for that matter. I think it's in our DNA to want to keep our spaces tidy!

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  14. I would be half tempted to walk outside naked in that rain.

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  15. Mary's ebook is so good. Review it if you loved it!

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  16. Your animals are beautiful and then you get that Maurice to pose on the rug just to prove it.

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  17. Well now I'm just going to have to tackle a cupboard tomorrow.

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