A Summer Post

This morning, after a long hiatus, Mr. Moon went to the gym and, because I felt ashamed of myself for my general slothiness, I took a walk. I can't even tell you the last time I did that. And I have to tell you that I was worried that I would not even be able to walk a mile but I walked for two and it wasn't so bad. I tried to stick to shady places which is not always possible around here but I didn't do any long stretches under the naked sun. 

I started out by walking down to Lloyd Creek where it crosses not too far behind our house. I took one picture, looking east, from the bridge. 

Then I crossed the highway and walked down the bank to the creek itself. 

There's usually a large assortment of turtles lined up on that fallen tree trunk but today there was only one. Can you see it? Perhaps he was early for the meeting. 
I will admit that when I was walking through the high grass down to the creek, I was a little concerned that I might come across an alligator but I did not and I probably should have been far more worried about ticks. And chiggers. 

And then I walked north on the sidewalk and went down Notre Dame Street. I really would like to know how in the world a very short dirt road in Lloyd came by the name Notre Dame. I cannot figure out a connection. I passed the GDDG and went around the bend to Main Street where the fally-down house is and it is still slowly, slowly making its way to the dirt. I walked to the post office and talked to the post mistress about a card that Jessie had sent me before she left NC and which has not yet gotten here. She sighed and said that they're trying a new system wherein everything has to go to Jacksonville before it leaves Florida or comes to Lloyd. She did not sound enthused about this. I know that I sent a package to the West Coast and it took about nine days to get there. By the tracking data, it only took one day to get to Jacksonville but spent three days there before it took off again for parts west. I would say that this is ridiculous but what isn't these days? 

And then I came home and I did not feel as if I was about to die but I did not walk very fast and like I said, I tried to stick to the shadier parts. 

And of course, having done that, I felt as if I had done just about everything I needed to do for the day. Suffering accomplished! 

However, two things happened within the space of less than an hour that hurt my feelers as my darling Sue used to say and I am not one to get that upset about hurt feelers but these two things (which I will not be discussing at this time or in this place) cut me, if not to the bone, then at least to the layer of fat atop the bone. So I took my precious little emotions to the ironing board and did some ironing which probably did not help but it was something to do, anyway, while I was feeling misused and under-appreciated. I'm pretty much over it by now but as with the yellow fly bites, the residual swelling and discomfort may persist for awhile. 

And then I did a little embroidery on a patch I'd made on my old, old, favorite blue linen shirt and watched part of Episode Two of "Nine Perfect Strangers". I've listened to the book twice because it's an entertaining and well-written book and now I'm enjoying the series on Hulu. Nicole Kidman is in it and I do not know how she could get any thinner. She looks practically alien. I've always had very mixed emotions about Nicole. I sort of like her but her acting doesn't knock me out. Melissa McCarthy is also in the cast and I am very much enjoying her performance which is more subdued than in many of her other roles but she has a sharp vulnerability which serves her character well. 

Here are some pictures I took when I went outside to empty the compost. 

Steve, this one is for you. That's one of the volunteer avocados growing in the compost that I mentioned in a comment to you and as I also said- we obviously need to turn our compost. There are three more in there but they are not nearly as big as that one. 

And here we have yet another gulf fritillary on a semi-matching zinnia. 

Pretty little thing. 

That top photo was taken in the small yard of the old kitchen. The phlox have just about had their day but the pinecone ginger lilies are in full glorious form. 

We are in deep summer here. You could blindfold me and just by listening to the insects and birds I could tell you that it's August. Like Ellen, I am seeing many juvenile cardinals flitting about and visiting the feeder. The crepe myrtle is blooming everywhere, and the air is still and steamy. I have just about given up on the garden. We are going to eat some of this year's field peas tonight and I doubt we'll get many more. 

Tomorrow August and Levon will be here early and I will probably make pancakes and then we shall see how the day unfolds. Lily suggested that we meet up at the Wacissa with all the kids as she has the day off and perhaps we will do that. School starts in a week and life will change again in its own predictable and sometimes unpredictable ways. 

As I get older and older, I have learned to pay more attention and give more honor to each passing season, even as I feel that I suffer through some of them. 

Ain't got that many left, even if I live far longer than I think I will. 

This is the way of it. 

Love...Ms. Moon