“Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down-and they all led me straight back home to you” …………………………………………………………Gram Parsons
“Lying with his arms legs outstretched, how cool, how lonely.”……………………………………………………………………………Chora
“Along the seashore fall the waves, fall and hiss, fall and hiss.” ……………………………………………………………………………Izen
“The River is everywhere” …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Herman Hesse
My fellow Americanos:
We have outlasted the darkness of the past winter and climbed back up to The Mount (Holly, that is!), arriving this past Monday after no shortage of trial and tribulations……just in time for celebrating our nation’s birthday, which a lot of people may be struggling with celebrating at the moment……… given the recent assaults on liberty and freedom……. but…. I digress (or do I?) ……will undoubtedly come back to this…. but for now…. Well, the Blogster is BACK…so Happy Sunday to all…………………….
As most of you know, have been skirmishing with The Hated C Word this winter, but just finished six weeks of immunotherapy in Cowtown, and have discovered the wonder of broccoli sprouts, so very optimistic that all is on wellness track…tho the journey has not been without bumps………but, C’est La Vie say the old folks, you gotta know you never can tell….
The journey here last weekend proved its usual mystifying self. Hit the road without too much stress after two hour detour to find lost oil cap down that fell into wheel well of the car, then easy drive on fine summer day to our Usual in Binghamton…where we managed to lose our 15 year old, frail cat, Gracie May at the hotel while loading the car up to leave…after two hours of searching the property, Jenn found her having somehow never left the room, and she had got behind the unmovable bed and up into the mattress through a hole in the box spring……you can’t make this shit up….thought we were likely going to be doing Groundhog day with trying to leave town…..Despite all that- arrived in time for Drew Plumber-God at noon on Monday…Drew has quit his father s business four times since we have lived here…aahhh….but the call of the pipes is just too grand….
Next traumas involved a dead fridge and leaky well…. but thanks to Papi’s remarkable talents with hammer therapy in precise places…the fridge is working good as new (for the moment) and the well is only leaking about 20 gallons an hour……and then…. UGGHHHH…. THE Pond, which looks like October rather than late spring/early summer……. where have all the waters gone…. a tale of two waters…way too much in the well, way too little in the drying Pond……
And…then…the neglected property, where thankfully- The Queen has eliminated a third of our lawn to cardboard murder and prickly plants….she has little mini- surprise plantings in rock surroundings all over the place….one of which was apparently a flock of green onions….that is no more after Papi took to the Whack Job……Tears of Rage?………..and how about the Japanese Knot Weed….this is a thing/who knew……..and our driveway is almost closed off from Its overhang…….is this some form of macabre climate change ordeal?……………..The Yard has been field mowed by Old George, which works well for a meadow, but led us immediately back to the machines…and a lot of raking……………….The Country Jew shockingly had another successful opening campaign with all power machines up and running after an hour….….and despite a zillion mouse turds everywhere……We did have Linda’s boy, Young Dustin, generously come down and push mow around The Pond, to get down the five foot weeds, before our return….and both he and the mower wound up in The Pond….a first in recorded town history…..
By Wednesday, we were overflowing with gar-baj, and recyclables so headed out to see the Dumpmaster and friends, who was very concerned with my health, and insisted for us to make a plan for him to move in with The Queen once I have moved to the next plane…..very touching…..tho not as touching as my return to Monday night music at folk club, and the resulting sustained round of applause as I walked in for the first time……humbling and bit weepy. We got to get back on the horse with our routines when not totally overloaded with getting re-settled so late in the season…….Went for massive grocery shop (how ‘bout them prices, boys and girls?)….and stopped at the beloved Ramuntos for slices…..but they were closed- apparently hung over from the day before’ s office summer party…..so had to settle for carb-friendly three foot grinder from Gill’s Deli…..
Saturday marked our first outing…after getting The Pond Irrigation Extravaganza up and running….headed out to Rutland and Brandon…..finally getting the Ramuntos Jones fulfilled, hitting a trio of used appliance stores (TQ has no faith in Papi-Repairs) -none of which had any used appliances…then on up to Brandon for their holiday reopening of the downtown area, which has been in repair disaster mode for ten years…..hit a couple of silent auctions….I bid bit on something, but cannot talk about it (Silent!), an ultimately found a really nice dirt road for spending warm/no humidity summer walk up a mount…with only the relentless black flies for company……
So, here we are…….me and you and you and me, the way they tossed the dice it had to be…. TQ is out reclaiming her throne in town and prepping the float for the six-minute parade tomorrow and later we are planning a trip down to Garden tour sign hanging and Sausage Manna in Londonderry………
It’s good to be back…..though dealing with major jonesing of missing granddaughters and time that cannot be replaced…….but still……you I have missed. Be well, stay calm an carry on.
Papi
