Strange things are happening

My grandfather was a great believer in following the signs of the earth to predict weather....for example when wild onions were blooming, rain was coming.  I don't know how valid his beliefs were, though I always thought he was infallible. I do know that lately there have been lots of things happening in my own back yard that haven't happened here before.

We live in a suburban area, but our house backs up to a river.  On the other side of the river is a golf course.  The neighborhood is quiet.  We have lots of regular visits to our yard by deer, turkeys, raccoons, cotton tail rabbits, opossums, skunks (2 different kinds...aren't we lucky) ground squirrels, brown squirrels, rock squirrels, armadillos, porcupines, javalinas, snakes (Western Diamondback Rattler, Rock Rattlesnake, Coachwhip, Texas Rat Snake, Bull Snake, Texas Long-nosed Snake) geckos, Texas Spiny Lizard, Skinks-  and, so far over 140 different species of Birds...I won't list all of those.

This year in the space of a couple of days, we have had a Gray fox family make regular visits (they seem to like the watermelon and canteloupe rinds we put out for the deer), a red fox and a bobcat.  We have seen the foxes in the area before, but the bobcat is relatively rare in the area.  They may be here in larger numbers than we suspect but they are rather secretive and mostly nocturnal.  As far as we know, the bobcat or the foxes have not been in the yard before.  So, does this mean anything?  Is a hard winter ahead of us?  A long drought...in West Texas that is almost normal...although we had one of the wettest July's ever!  The last two days have set new records for heat here --106 and 107...and we had the dubious honor of having the highest temperatures in the State for both days.  I guess we will find out when it is time for us to know.  One of my grandfather's standard answers to the question, "When will it rain?"  was, "When the wind stops blowing."  When will the wind stop blowing? was answered with "When it rains!"

Parenting

It is strange to me that so many of us talk about not wanting to be like our parents. And yet, how many of us recognize that tape recorder in our head playing out loud when we hear words coming out of our mouths that we had silently sworn to never say to our children.

It has taken me far too long to recognize that my Mom and Dad did the best they could with what life handed them. I have taken, during the course of my adult life, too much credit for the way I turned out and not given them nearly enough. What I thought was weakness in my Father I now recognize as great patience and tolerance. He was the first truly non-violent person I ever knew. What I thought of as impatience in my Mother was really a woman dealing with illness (she had breast cancer at the age of 32...in 1945. I was only about 2 years old.) She went through several years of pain and fear that the cancer would return. It must have been truly difficult for her to change her whole life. They had to leave the dairy farm and move several hundred miles away from her family...and start whole new lives.

My Dad has been dead for many years now. I still miss his quiet strength. Mom is now 97 and although her memory isn't very good, and she gets mixed up on her facts sometimes, she never fails to tell me to be careful when I am going somewhere and to be sure to call (collect if I am out of town...cell phones are still a mystery to her) if I need help and she will come..or find someone to help me....and that, my friend, is what motherhood is all about!

Life... isn't it great!

Yes, I know many people are out of work, are in poor health, are having a financial crisis or a personal one....and I have been in those places myself at one time or another. However, things change. If we are lucky, they change for the better..although we have to do our part to work for that change.

I have mentioned that my youngest son is getting married. My oldest son and his wife are having their first child. All good changes.

My Mom, at 97, is still living in her home, does her own housework and cooking, works in her yard and this morning went to church. She keeps a network of phone friends. Her memory isn't as good as it used to be and she doesn't understand the world as it is today. Computers are a mystery and she resents it when she hears a TV announcer say "For more information, go to our Website." I must admit that I think "if you would just leave out a commercial or two, you could give us the information now."

And this coming weekend, we are meeting some long time friends for our annual gathering in Austin. We will have good conversation, good laughs and good food. I can hardly wait!

Rain...and in West Texas!

One of the things I love about West Texas is how people react to rain. I grew up in West Texas and after I moved to East Texas I was amazed at the difference in attitude. Of course, Huntsville averages about 50 inches of rain per year. San Angelo is having a wet year if we get 20 inches. Even in Huntsville, I enjoyed the rain. The Pine trees are so pretty when water beads up on the pine needles. They are also beautiful when the ice storms come through...but it isn't nice when the limbs break with the weight of the ice and take down power lines. Most people in East Texas take rain for granted...and seem to be personally offended if they have to change their plans because of rainy weather.

Now that I have returned to West Texas, I make it a point to get out to go run errands during the rain. (if I don't, I forget how to turn on the windshield wipers) Last week, I went out on a rainy day that had followed sort of a "dreary" period of weather. As I was leaving one store, trying to hold onto my umbrella and my packages when I heard someone yell, "It's raining!" I looked around to see who it was and there was a complete stranger waving and smiling at me. I yelled back, "Isn't it great!" and we both went happily on our way.

We both will, I'm sure, remember that day when July rolls around and there isn't a cloud in the sky.

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Some of you might remember an earlier post about daughters-in-law. I am getting another one! We are thrilled to add another bright and beautiful daughter to our family. My sons all have wonderful taste, and even though I didn't find any of their wives for them, they have done great!
We learn so much from out children...they brim with ideas, hope, excitement, fun, adventure and simple joy. They are much better at accepting things as they are.
I think that this year I will work on that...acceptance.

If the house isn't clean, as long as it isn't a health hazard, it is ok. So what if the yard has weeds, the shrubs need pruning or the grass needs mowing, the world won't stop (or even slow down). The important things in life aren't things at all...the important things are friends, family, feelings, attitudes....and what I do to improve the world or at least my tiny part of it for the people and love.