The Kind Of Day I Needed

I went for a walk today and got some decent milage in although I did some stopping for sure. For example- I had to stop to take that picture of the fally-down house which, as you can see, is quite near to being completely collapsed. 

I have such a tender fondness for that old house. The fact that it's standing at all is a testament to whoever built it and whatever kind of wood it's built of. I can't even imagine the number of hurricanes and other storms it has survived. 
Here's what the house looked like sixteen years ago.

Honestly I had forgotten how straight and true it stood at the time. And peeling tatters of wallpaper still graced the walls then. I have written about it many times but I think the first post I ever did about the house is HERE. 

The longest stop I made today was just a few yards down the road from the old shack where Mr. Abraham, as I call him, although I think most people call him Abe, was crossing the road with a wheelbarrow and a rake to work on the lot he owns there. Mr. Abraham and I had never really had a conversation of any length until a few years ago when they were building the Dollar General which is on property adjoining the lot he was about to go tend to when I saw him today. And on that day when we first talked, I asked him so many questions about what living in Lloyd was like when he was a boy. He was born and raised here and he's about to turn 91 next month so he's seen some changes. He hasn't spent his whole life here. He moved away after he got married and had children and he had jobs in some sort of construction planning I think, in other parts of Florida and maybe Georgia. I can't remember. 
But I really enjoyed that conversation and I think he is very shy. I learned that day that he and his wife (now deceased) had actually lived in the now falling down house when they were first married. 

But it's been a while since we really talked and so today when my path intersected with his and he stopped and said "hello" to me I was a little surprised and very happy. 
We discussed how both of us have the same hobby which is taking care of our yards. The lot that his house is actually on, across the street from the property he was about to rake, is so very tidy and he pointed out a magnolia tree that he'd planted. He told me that when he and his wife first moved into that house, he'd bought a new plant just about every time he went to town. So we definitely have that in common. He is very proud of the fact that at almost 91, he can still get out there and make his property pretty. Hell, I'm proud of myself for doing the little bit I do in my yard and I'm only seventy. I told him that if he runs out of things to take care of in his yard, he is welcome to come down to my place and pull a few weeds.
"I had a feeling that's what you were going to say," he said. 

I enjoyed that chat and when we finally really meant it when we said, "Well, it's been nice to see you!" and both of us shut up, I continued my walk down the road and just a little distance from his house I saw this.

It was in front of the house that was deserted for so long until recently when crews came in and restored it and cleaned up the yard and so forth. 

I had posted a picture of it a few weeks ago. Or was it months? Whatever. 
The "For Sale" sign gave me the courage to go up the steps to the porch and peek in the windows. I was surprised at how nice it looks. 

Although...beige. 
No thank you. 
Of course as soon as I got home, I searched for it online and the link is HERE if you're curious. 

And so it goes. A day in Lloyd where I did Lloyd stuff. I worked in the garden a little, I watered my porch plants with the new hose Mr. Moon got me which you know darn well was pretty exciting. 

For me. 
Laundry, laundry, laundry. 
No naps. 
Tomorrow I will get my CT scan, finally, for the kidney stone. It's at the hospital radiology department which involves PARKING at the hospital and being IN the hospital and I'd rather mow a golf course with a paring knife but it'll finally be done. I am absolutely certain the scan won't show anything that we didn't already know so I'm back to the place where I'm asking myself why in the world I'm even doing this. 

Definitely time for me to make supper. Tonight we are having the always-delicious and also exotic recipe from my childhood which is pineapple chicken. It was about the best thing my mother ever made and it never disappoints. 

One last thing. How in the hell did it happen that one of the very last things Pope Francis did before he died was to speak with JD Vance? 

All I can think is that if there IS a god, they sure do have a viciously cruel sense of humor. 

Love...Ms. Moon