Surprise Adventure

Today's high temperature was: a record 86 degrees

Too dang hot for me!!

Hazy and cloudy and sunny

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This is what greeted me when I woke up this morning.  

He's just hanging out..with his little

hand holding onto the feeder post

Cute little fella.

On Easter Sunday, when I had supper with Merle, Pearl and their daughter--the daughter told me that her Mom was disappointed because I hadn't visited with her every other day like I used too.  I told her that most days, during winter, I couldn't get out of my own house and up the 50 steps to Pearl's house with all the icy ruts in the street, without taking my life in my hands.  She said she knew that, but..."Mom has been depressed lately and she told me of the "adventures" you use to take her on.

Yes--two years ago, Pearl couldn't remember the street number of a house she lived in 20 years ago.  So I put her in the car and off we went to find it.  Then, she had to drive all over the county, showing me every house she ever lived in.    Last fall, I called her one afternoon and said, "Do you want to go on an adventure?"  and I drove her out into the country north of here to take her up and down roads that had beautiful Maples in brilliant fall colors

Last night I called her and asked if she'd like to go on an adventure with me today.  I needed to go up to The Farm and thought, I'd take Pearl along and show her where I grew up and stuff like that.  She said "yes!"

I had thought of an idea last night--for a nice surprise for Pearl, but I didn't tell her in case, it would make her nervous or if the surprise fell through.

Just before I got in the shower this morning (9:00) I called to see if she still wanted to go.  "Yes, I'm all ready."

<Yikes>

"I'm just getting into the shower.  I'll be up to get you in an hour."

"Why do you get up so late?"

"Hey.  It's not like we are going to the ocean and have to get an early start.  We are only going to be gone about two hours.  Get yourself something to eat and a cold drink to take and I'll be there as quick as I can."

I pulled into her drive at 10:15.

"I hate your car.  The door is too hard to close."

"I hate this seat belt!  I never can figure out how to fasten it."

"Why are we going down this road.  I've never been on this road."

"Why are you driving so fast?"

<speed limit was 55, I was going barely 50>

"It's hot in here, don't you have air conditioning?"

"No--turn it the other way.  I don't like it blowing on my face."

By the time we got to Byron, she had settled down a bit and was regaling me with stories of where she lived and grew up and.....

I drove around town and showed her where my school was, our church, the burned out business district and all the time, she kept talking about her life.

"...and there's the golf course.  I spent most of my 30's and 40's there," I said.

"Did I ever tell you about when Vic was little?"

One of my biggest Pet Peeves are people (usually women), who don't listen to what you are saying because they are thinking of what they want to say.  They interrupt.  Even if you quit in mid-sentence, they don't even realize you've quit speaking.  My two neighbor's Dar and Tami are like this.  Pearl has become like this.  I think in her case, it's because, she gets a thought and she wants to tell me about it before she forgets.

So--when we got to Pammie's house, I pulled in the end of the driveway, stopped, and told her about the place.  Then up the road a piece, I pulled into the driveway in the woods and showed her where all the wildflowers grow and where I wanted to build a house.  We got to the corner and I stopped and pointed out the (school house) little house I wanted to rent last August and I pointed out my son's farm--where I was born and grew up.

Then I drove on down to my sister's and slowed down.

"Why are you slowing down?"

"This is where my ancestor's settled and where my sister lives."

"Why are you pulling in the drive?"

"Because I want to say Hi to my sister and get a pot from her that she borrowed last fall."

"Well--I'm not going in."

"Okay.  You don't have to."

Of course, my sister came running out and convinced Pearl she should come in...for a minute.

"Well, I do have to use the toilet."

So in we went and Pearl went potty and then Susan showed her the downstairs of the house and the new kitchen and the family room.

"Oh yes.  I know all about these houses.  My grandparents had a house like this."

Half hour later, we left.  She wasn't too impressed nor did she care one whit about why or how my ancestor's ended up here.

I started down the gravel road, to take a different route home.

"Why are you driving on gravel?"

"Because I want to take you on a different route home."

"Oh.  I hate gravel roads.  It rattles my back."

"I'm only going twenty-five miles an hour.  You should be okay."

Six years ago, when I first met Pearl, in our conversations, she told me of a family they were friends with--neighbor's of theirs.  "Janet and Jack Cyr were their names."

At that time, I said, "Oh my gosh!  I've known them since Kindergarten!"

Pearl hasn't seen them in thirty years.  So.....I thought I'd take a chance.

I drove down the road for about three miles, trying to point out wildflowers and flowering bushes along the way, and then I turned on the road where they lived for the last thirty years.

I spied a car in the drive with Florida plates and figured that was their car.  So...I pulled in the driveway and parked.

"Why are you stopping here?"

"Oh.  I'm just curious."

"Do you even know these people?"

"Well, a friend of mine used to live here and I wondered if she still did."

"You're going up to the house when you don't even know for sure who lives here?"

"Sure.  Why not?  This is Byron.  No one is going to shoot me."

and I jumped out and up to the door---knocked and Janet came to the door.

"OH MY GOD!!! Judy!  I haven't seen you in an age."

"I didn't know if you still lived here or not.  I have someone in the car that you know and I wanted to surprise her."

"Who?"

"Pearl Ott."

"Oh my gosh!!  How do you know her?"

"We're neighbors and she once told me that you guys used to be neighbors and friends."

Her husband had come to the door by then and was glad to see me and I led them out and told them, "Go over to her side of the car and see what happens."

The minute they walked in front of the car, I could hear Pearl squealing.

So we all trudged up to their porch and they each got  caught up with kids and grandkids and great grandkids--it was great.  I just let them do most of the talking.  The only time Pearl spoke to me was to ask what year her oldest child was born.  :-)

Janet did say to me, "You've got a birthday coming up."

"Yeah," I said.  "And, yours is two weeks after mine, July second."

"How in the world do you remember my birth date?"

"I have no idea." I said.  "Now, if you asked me what I ate for supper last night...I couldn't tell you."

An hour later, we started for home.  She wanted to go the "normal" way home so I took her the main way and through Howell, her home town.

When we got home at 2:40!!!  Merle came out to the car and you should have heard Pearl.  Telling him all about having seen the Cyr's and now that she knows where they live, they should go out for a visit.

So--my trip up to The Farm to get the pot, was great.  The adventure for Pearl was great.  My surprise worked and I'm glad.  I am so glad they were home!!!

To tell the truth--I am exhausted.  She does like to badger me, LOL
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I took a walk down the service drive to see if I could get a closer look at the brown plastic boy bag caught in the tree.  There he is--top center

Rock-A-Bye Boy Bag, in the tree top.....

This is on both sides of my walk--our wetlands

If we were in Florida, you'd expect to see a few

alligators.  I looked real hard--we have none!

Thank Goodness.