There are times in life that seem like there is no where left to go. These can be in the form of many things. Most often they are in the form of a relationship. It can be a relationship with a person, that no matter how hard you try, just isn't going anywhere. It can be a relationship with a job, finances, a home, neighborhood or even a car.
When you get to the bottom of the black hole of a relationship, there are two options; stay there and wallow, thinking that it will magically get better, or climb out.
If we choose the latter, we will discover something that never occurred to us before. When the decision is made that there is no way but up, we begin to climb. As we climb, we find hand holds and foot holds to help us. They have always been there, just waiting to be put to good use. Why didn't we see them before and how did they get there? We ponder only briefly on this and keep our focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.
When we finally emerge into the bright sunlight of life, there to the side of the hole is a large pile of debris. It is full of all the things we thought we could not do, dreams we let slide by, arguments that were not worth the time, guilt we carried for no reason, tears from being afraid and other people's opinions of ourselves. But, how did all that stuff get there?
That is when we take a moment and look back into the hole. The hand holds and foot holds were made by the very shovel we used to dig with. We left a way out and did not even realize it. We face the cold hard truth that we put ourselves in there by our own hand, our own thoughts, our own actions and reactions.
If you feel like you are at the bottom, start climbing. If you are at the end of your rope, let go and you may find you were just a couple of inches from the ground. Don't be afraid, don't let fear rule your life. Don't take the time to put the debris back in the hole, just walk off, let it go and keep looking forward. You have no idea what you are capable of, keep dreaming and dream big.
Monday, October 3, 2016
Monday, September 26, 2016
Led By The Nose
Recently, I accompanied my new young friend, Jazzy, to an appointment she had scheduled. It was over an hour drive, one way and we talked, laughed, zig-zagged through traffic and enjoyed the scenery. Upon arrival, I decided rather than to stay in the car, I would sit in the waiting area of the establishment to pass the time.
While watching the people come and go, I encountered four people, in the course of about 40 minutes, with nose rings. Not the kind that are a small sparkling stone on the side of the nostril, but the kind that looks like a ring, hanging out from under the nose above the upper lip. It was at this time that I had to remind myself of two things; one, I was in a large metropolis, lots more people equals lots more interesting folks and two, I was getting old. As I tried not to stare at the person with the rainbow colored hair and giant nose ring setting next to me, another person came up to said person and asked where they got that great looking nose ring. A new ice breaker for starting a conversation, at least to me.
Jazzy is a whopping 23 years old and me...well, let's just say, no longer fifty something, but we get along very well....I learn from her and she learns from me. When Jazzy was finished and we were back on the road, I disclosed my shock of the nose ring tsunami I had just encountered. She grinned and announced that she used to have one too. I told her I always thought that having a nose ring was a sign of submission or being owned and that I was certainly happy she had got past that particular part of her youth. She laughed and we enjoyed the ride back.
Later, I did some research into the ring in the nose and found out that, in different cultures, the nose ring was actually a symbol of beauty, prestige and wealth. Where I had made my mistake was thinking that it referred to being 'led by the nose', which probably got its origins from ringing a cows' nose.
The meaning of being led by the nose means 'to control someone and make them do exactly what you want them to do'.
There has been another shooting by police that turned another city into mass chaos. Riots, looting, setting fires, throwing objects off of over passes onto innocent drivers and beatings, all done because they were given false information. Who gave the info? The major news networks. Why? That is a good question.
What is going on behind the scenes of where our country gets its news source? A little research into who and what owns the major networks may be a shock to many people, but the information is out there if we care to look for it. Sadly, many will not. We are content to sit in our favorite chair and put our trust in the evening news.
It seems we are being spoon fed just exactly what the powers that be want us to know. We need to wake up. If we don't, we may find ourselves being led by the nose only to find out that where we are being led is nowhere we want to be.
While watching the people come and go, I encountered four people, in the course of about 40 minutes, with nose rings. Not the kind that are a small sparkling stone on the side of the nostril, but the kind that looks like a ring, hanging out from under the nose above the upper lip. It was at this time that I had to remind myself of two things; one, I was in a large metropolis, lots more people equals lots more interesting folks and two, I was getting old. As I tried not to stare at the person with the rainbow colored hair and giant nose ring setting next to me, another person came up to said person and asked where they got that great looking nose ring. A new ice breaker for starting a conversation, at least to me.
Jazzy is a whopping 23 years old and me...well, let's just say, no longer fifty something, but we get along very well....I learn from her and she learns from me. When Jazzy was finished and we were back on the road, I disclosed my shock of the nose ring tsunami I had just encountered. She grinned and announced that she used to have one too. I told her I always thought that having a nose ring was a sign of submission or being owned and that I was certainly happy she had got past that particular part of her youth. She laughed and we enjoyed the ride back.
Later, I did some research into the ring in the nose and found out that, in different cultures, the nose ring was actually a symbol of beauty, prestige and wealth. Where I had made my mistake was thinking that it referred to being 'led by the nose', which probably got its origins from ringing a cows' nose.
The meaning of being led by the nose means 'to control someone and make them do exactly what you want them to do'.
There has been another shooting by police that turned another city into mass chaos. Riots, looting, setting fires, throwing objects off of over passes onto innocent drivers and beatings, all done because they were given false information. Who gave the info? The major news networks. Why? That is a good question.
What is going on behind the scenes of where our country gets its news source? A little research into who and what owns the major networks may be a shock to many people, but the information is out there if we care to look for it. Sadly, many will not. We are content to sit in our favorite chair and put our trust in the evening news.
It seems we are being spoon fed just exactly what the powers that be want us to know. We need to wake up. If we don't, we may find ourselves being led by the nose only to find out that where we are being led is nowhere we want to be.
Monday, September 19, 2016
Not In The Books
Many moons ago, when I sat behind a small desk in history class, I'm certain that most of my attention was day dreaming out through the window on the far side of the room. History did not interest me, nor did most of the other subjects, I was simply there because I had to be. Had I been recommended to start high school at age 30, I would have been a much better student. One thing I do know for sure, had I been told about the following subject matter, I would have paid a lot more attention.
I will tell the story in my own words and I assure you, that if you find it hard to believe, the information is out there, if only we look for it.
At the end of World War 2, when the alliance had defeated the Germans, it was rumored that many of the Nazi's and their followers had escaped to Antarctica. This exodus had apparently been going on for some time and I have read that it is estimated that more than 200,000 German people could not be accounted for, after the war, along with large portions of their military equipment and U-boats.
Although the war was over, the United States sent a large armed military group which consisted of ships, submarines and aircraft to Antarctica under the guise of exploration. One of the officers on this trip was Admiral Richard E. Byrd. The deployment was to last for nine months. Within three to four months, this group headed back after suffering damage and losses.
They stopped in South America and it was there that Admiral Byrd told the news agencies what he, and many others, had seen. He said the Germans were indeed there, with a large underground base and they were equipped with flying saucers that could navigate between the North and South Poles in a matter of minutes. He also said the Germans were in the company of extraterrestrial beings. This was just a few months before the Roswell, New Mexico incident.
Folks, this isn't fantasy, this is truth. It's been 70 years since this took place. Why aren't we told about this?
Think about this information for awhile. You can roll your eyes and decide that perhaps I've soaked up too much of the Carolina rays, but I urge you to do your own research and keep an open mind.
Stay tuned for more, as this is just the beginning of my find.
I will tell the story in my own words and I assure you, that if you find it hard to believe, the information is out there, if only we look for it.
At the end of World War 2, when the alliance had defeated the Germans, it was rumored that many of the Nazi's and their followers had escaped to Antarctica. This exodus had apparently been going on for some time and I have read that it is estimated that more than 200,000 German people could not be accounted for, after the war, along with large portions of their military equipment and U-boats.
Although the war was over, the United States sent a large armed military group which consisted of ships, submarines and aircraft to Antarctica under the guise of exploration. One of the officers on this trip was Admiral Richard E. Byrd. The deployment was to last for nine months. Within three to four months, this group headed back after suffering damage and losses.
They stopped in South America and it was there that Admiral Byrd told the news agencies what he, and many others, had seen. He said the Germans were indeed there, with a large underground base and they were equipped with flying saucers that could navigate between the North and South Poles in a matter of minutes. He also said the Germans were in the company of extraterrestrial beings. This was just a few months before the Roswell, New Mexico incident.
Folks, this isn't fantasy, this is truth. It's been 70 years since this took place. Why aren't we told about this?
Think about this information for awhile. You can roll your eyes and decide that perhaps I've soaked up too much of the Carolina rays, but I urge you to do your own research and keep an open mind.
Stay tuned for more, as this is just the beginning of my find.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Brother Bob
Having jumped into the rabbit hole, or possibly a worm hole, I have come to discover many a weird thing. Some of the things I have come across excite me and others leave me nearly despondent.
I feel the need to share, even though it is way out of my realm. I like to be funny or witty and the material I have come across is anything but. It is really nothing new, the information is out there if one chooses to search for it. Of course, when taking a path that is not followed by the masses, discernment is always an important factor to keep in mind, along with the knowledge that a lot of people are going to roll their eyes and shake their heads in dismay.
As I ponder how best to approach my task of revelations, I decided it was time to try to be funny, if only for awhile. Rather than wax eloquently about some recent outing where I possibly made a fool out of myself, I shall share with you, one of my favorite jokes.....
Brother Bob, as his parishioners called him, had started a new church. The number of his flock were beginning to increase and the one thing Brother Bob did, that was much different than other churches, was to personally conduct interviews with the good folks who wanted to join the church.
One bright sunny Monday morning, Brother Bob strolled to his office and found three couples in the waiting room all ready for their interviews. There sat Carl & Carole, a couple who had just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, Bernie & Betty, who had been together nearly twenty years and Johnny & Sally, newlyweds.
Brother Bob was not one to waste time or space and proceeded to usher the couples into his office in order to do the interviews all at one time. He explained the usual things that he expected like being to church on time, putting the right amount of money in the plate and trying hard not to sing out of key. All the couples seemed to take in the requirements with little fanfare until Brother Bob dropped the last one in their laps. He explained to them that in order to become a member of the church, they had to abstain from having sex for two weeks from the day of the interview.
Believe you me, the room got deathly silent. Carl & Carole's facial expression never changed, Bernie's eyebrows were more than half way up on his forehead and Johnny & Sally's chins were nearly on the floor. After a brief time, they all got control of themselves, albeit except for Carl & Carole, agreed to the terms and promised to meet back at Brother Bob's office in two weeks.
Two weeks later, Brother Bob walked to his office and found all three couples sitting in the waiting area. Even though Brother Bob was a bit odd at times, he knew when to be discreet. He took Carl & Carole into his office first. He asked them if they had been able to abstain for the allotted time and after a small fit of laughter and a couple of snorts, they assured him they had been able to hold out for the two weeks. Brother Bob welcomed them to the church.
Next was Bernie & Betty. They sat down across from Brother Bobs' desk and told him that even though there had been a couple of close moments, they too had been able to abstain. Brother Bob welcomed them to the church.
Lastly, Johnny & Sally came into the office. Brother Bob asked, "Were you able to abstain for the two weeks?" Johnny hung his head low and said, "No, Brother Bob, we did not. We tried really hard but one day Sally bent over to pick up a loaf of bread and well, I just couldn't help myself."
Brother Bob said, "I'm sorry to hear that son, you cannot become a member of the church."
Johnny replied, "That's OK Brother Bob, I can't go into Kroger anymore either."
I feel the need to share, even though it is way out of my realm. I like to be funny or witty and the material I have come across is anything but. It is really nothing new, the information is out there if one chooses to search for it. Of course, when taking a path that is not followed by the masses, discernment is always an important factor to keep in mind, along with the knowledge that a lot of people are going to roll their eyes and shake their heads in dismay.
As I ponder how best to approach my task of revelations, I decided it was time to try to be funny, if only for awhile. Rather than wax eloquently about some recent outing where I possibly made a fool out of myself, I shall share with you, one of my favorite jokes.....
Brother Bob, as his parishioners called him, had started a new church. The number of his flock were beginning to increase and the one thing Brother Bob did, that was much different than other churches, was to personally conduct interviews with the good folks who wanted to join the church.
One bright sunny Monday morning, Brother Bob strolled to his office and found three couples in the waiting room all ready for their interviews. There sat Carl & Carole, a couple who had just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, Bernie & Betty, who had been together nearly twenty years and Johnny & Sally, newlyweds.
Brother Bob was not one to waste time or space and proceeded to usher the couples into his office in order to do the interviews all at one time. He explained the usual things that he expected like being to church on time, putting the right amount of money in the plate and trying hard not to sing out of key. All the couples seemed to take in the requirements with little fanfare until Brother Bob dropped the last one in their laps. He explained to them that in order to become a member of the church, they had to abstain from having sex for two weeks from the day of the interview.
Believe you me, the room got deathly silent. Carl & Carole's facial expression never changed, Bernie's eyebrows were more than half way up on his forehead and Johnny & Sally's chins were nearly on the floor. After a brief time, they all got control of themselves, albeit except for Carl & Carole, agreed to the terms and promised to meet back at Brother Bob's office in two weeks.
Two weeks later, Brother Bob walked to his office and found all three couples sitting in the waiting area. Even though Brother Bob was a bit odd at times, he knew when to be discreet. He took Carl & Carole into his office first. He asked them if they had been able to abstain for the allotted time and after a small fit of laughter and a couple of snorts, they assured him they had been able to hold out for the two weeks. Brother Bob welcomed them to the church.
Next was Bernie & Betty. They sat down across from Brother Bobs' desk and told him that even though there had been a couple of close moments, they too had been able to abstain. Brother Bob welcomed them to the church.
Lastly, Johnny & Sally came into the office. Brother Bob asked, "Were you able to abstain for the two weeks?" Johnny hung his head low and said, "No, Brother Bob, we did not. We tried really hard but one day Sally bent over to pick up a loaf of bread and well, I just couldn't help myself."
Brother Bob said, "I'm sorry to hear that son, you cannot become a member of the church."
Johnny replied, "That's OK Brother Bob, I can't go into Kroger anymore either."
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Dear Entertainment World
Entertainment comes in many forms. There are sports, movies, endless sitcoms and television series, music and the list goes on and on. No matter what your preference may be, there is something to choose from to entertain the senses.
Those of us who enjoy being entertained, pay for it. Whether it be money spent for tickets or buying a product from a sponsor, the entertainment world get their paychecks from their fans.
The entertainment world, as a whole, makes up a very small percentage of the populace. Most of them do not live like the average citizen. Very few of them know what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck. Or, to wander the isles of a grocery store, silently adding the total in their head, to make sure they have enough money at the checkout lane. They do not live in houses that are cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Most of their children do not attend a public school. They have many luxuries the rest of the people simply dream about, as the people do their best to make ends meet.
But, they are paid for their performance and that pay affords them that lifestyle. The people continue to pay because we need the entertainment. We like it. We love it. It helps us to set aside the worries of the day and simply be entertained. It is what we want.
What we do not want is your arrogance. We do not want to see your fact-less opinions on stage, the sidelines, or in an interview. If you want to throw your hat into the political arena, by all means, do so. If you want to set your $4000 handbag down on the mud covered ground of a flooded community and sit next to someone who just lost all their possessions, by all means, do so. If you want to go into a bullet ridden neighborhood because you feel you can make a difference, then get right after it. If you feel there is so much injustice in this country, then jump in and try to fix it.
But, if you do not wish to do these things, keep still about it. Your job is to entertain, nothing more, nothing less. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Those of us who enjoy being entertained, pay for it. Whether it be money spent for tickets or buying a product from a sponsor, the entertainment world get their paychecks from their fans.
The entertainment world, as a whole, makes up a very small percentage of the populace. Most of them do not live like the average citizen. Very few of them know what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck. Or, to wander the isles of a grocery store, silently adding the total in their head, to make sure they have enough money at the checkout lane. They do not live in houses that are cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Most of their children do not attend a public school. They have many luxuries the rest of the people simply dream about, as the people do their best to make ends meet.
But, they are paid for their performance and that pay affords them that lifestyle. The people continue to pay because we need the entertainment. We like it. We love it. It helps us to set aside the worries of the day and simply be entertained. It is what we want.
What we do not want is your arrogance. We do not want to see your fact-less opinions on stage, the sidelines, or in an interview. If you want to throw your hat into the political arena, by all means, do so. If you want to set your $4000 handbag down on the mud covered ground of a flooded community and sit next to someone who just lost all their possessions, by all means, do so. If you want to go into a bullet ridden neighborhood because you feel you can make a difference, then get right after it. If you feel there is so much injustice in this country, then jump in and try to fix it.
But, if you do not wish to do these things, keep still about it. Your job is to entertain, nothing more, nothing less. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Snake Heads
We recently had the pleasure of moving........again. It was not by choice, but rather by necessity. Our new view looks out over Beaver Lake, so we really can't complain. Beaver Lake is really more like Beaver Pond and we have yet to see a beaver. There is, however, a multitude of wildlife around and in Beaver Lake.
Where there is water, there is life. I highly doubt the company that started out with this complex stocked the lake with snapping turtles, but they are here. They probably did stock it with fish and just this morning I saw a good sized one leap from the water, catching whatever unfortunate morsel lay atop the surface.
I must admit, the one thing I miss from the other apartment is the birds. I had a small bird feeder and many cardinals, nuthatches, pygmy nuthatches, finches and titmice. I have the feeder hanging out on our new view, but there are none of the birds here. I'm not sure why that is. We have a line of trees between us and the water, but they are not as thick and woodsy as our previous backyard view, so that may be the reason. On two separate occasions, I had seen a red shouldered hawk land in that small forest with a snake in its beak. It would call out several times and soon its mate would fly in, take the snake and fly off. The snakes were not huge, maybe a foot long and silver looking in color.
I walked Runtly, the ever so entertaining Jack Russell Terrier, along one bank of Beaver Lake the other day. The grass is a bit taller there than the well manicured lawns next to the buildings. Someone had left a pair of long black socks in the grass and I did a double take before springing into launch mode but Runtly did not see them......until the return trip. It is amazing how instincts kick into gear with animals. He has never seen a snake, but he sure thought that is what the socks were and he gave them a wide berth while the hair on his back stood straight up.
The other morning, as I was admiring the view, I spotted a small silvery head poking out of the water. It would go one direction, turn and then zig zag back. I watched it for several minutes until it was out of my line of vision and wondered if it had slithered up the bank. The next time I looked out, there was a whole herd of snake heads on the water! I had never seen anything like it! They seemed to be swimming in formation. My thoughts ran back to a conversation I had overheard, about one of the workers who thought they had a snake problem. I was beginning to think perhaps they did and I should take extra care the next time I walked the dog down there.
Still standing in awe of this snakeish phenomenon and getting ready to holler for my husband to come and look, I realized something. They were not snake heads. They were goose feathers. The geese are still molting and spend a lot of time in the water pruning out their small downy white feathers. Being water fowl, their feathers are oily and they float like tiny sail boats.....or snake heads......on the water's surface.
Yes, where there is water, there is life. Where there is a large metropolis, there is an eye care specialists on every corner. Perhaps I shall go visit one.
Where there is water, there is life. I highly doubt the company that started out with this complex stocked the lake with snapping turtles, but they are here. They probably did stock it with fish and just this morning I saw a good sized one leap from the water, catching whatever unfortunate morsel lay atop the surface.
I must admit, the one thing I miss from the other apartment is the birds. I had a small bird feeder and many cardinals, nuthatches, pygmy nuthatches, finches and titmice. I have the feeder hanging out on our new view, but there are none of the birds here. I'm not sure why that is. We have a line of trees between us and the water, but they are not as thick and woodsy as our previous backyard view, so that may be the reason. On two separate occasions, I had seen a red shouldered hawk land in that small forest with a snake in its beak. It would call out several times and soon its mate would fly in, take the snake and fly off. The snakes were not huge, maybe a foot long and silver looking in color.
I walked Runtly, the ever so entertaining Jack Russell Terrier, along one bank of Beaver Lake the other day. The grass is a bit taller there than the well manicured lawns next to the buildings. Someone had left a pair of long black socks in the grass and I did a double take before springing into launch mode but Runtly did not see them......until the return trip. It is amazing how instincts kick into gear with animals. He has never seen a snake, but he sure thought that is what the socks were and he gave them a wide berth while the hair on his back stood straight up.
The other morning, as I was admiring the view, I spotted a small silvery head poking out of the water. It would go one direction, turn and then zig zag back. I watched it for several minutes until it was out of my line of vision and wondered if it had slithered up the bank. The next time I looked out, there was a whole herd of snake heads on the water! I had never seen anything like it! They seemed to be swimming in formation. My thoughts ran back to a conversation I had overheard, about one of the workers who thought they had a snake problem. I was beginning to think perhaps they did and I should take extra care the next time I walked the dog down there.
Still standing in awe of this snakeish phenomenon and getting ready to holler for my husband to come and look, I realized something. They were not snake heads. They were goose feathers. The geese are still molting and spend a lot of time in the water pruning out their small downy white feathers. Being water fowl, their feathers are oily and they float like tiny sail boats.....or snake heads......on the water's surface.
Yes, where there is water, there is life. Where there is a large metropolis, there is an eye care specialists on every corner. Perhaps I shall go visit one.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Needles & Sod
The Olympics. They entertain us. They inspire us. They make us proud. They give us cause to get up off the couch and do something.
Even though the Summer Games have come to an end, there are still many conversations overheard of the gold medal winners and all those who gave their very best. No matter where we hail from, everyone who watched will never forget that smile on Bolt's face as he crossed the finish line.
Over the years, the Olympic committee decides what new sports can be added to the venue. In recent years it was rugby and golf. I have been thinking of a couple of new sports that might make the list for the games four years in the future.
The first one could be called the Down Hill Needle Run. I have mentioned before that this new place we call 'home' has many pine trees. With many pine trees, there are many pine needles that fall and blanket the ground with their self made mulch and pine needles tend to be the mulch of the South. This apartment complex has been undergoing a complete face lift. Everything from the siding to the landscape has been changed and made to look like new. I was surprised one day when I noticed the landscapers had brought in a huge pallet of pine needle bales. This seemed counter productive to me as it seemed it would be much less expensive to just go anywhere on the property and rake up as many needles as they thought they needed. Granted, they would have to sift out the pine cones, but there is still an endless supply of needles. Since they did not ask for my opinion on this matter, I watched as the workers spread the needles on a very steep embankment. I wondered to myself how in the world the needles would stay put when the next big rain came. Shortly thereafter, it did rain and the needles stayed snug on the steep bank.
As I was walking Runtly, the ever so entertaining Jack Russell Terrier, one day, he decided to descend the steep afore mentioned bank. Since he did not want to come back up, I had little choice but to go down the bank. One step, wearing flip flops with absolutely no traction, made me realize something I had never known before. Pine needles are slick....slick, like black ice. My descent became a question of whether to do down the bank on my back after my feet had flown out from under me, or run......and run I did. Somehow, I managed to stay upright and was even able to get myself stopped before I plowed into the side of the apartment building that was looming up in front of me at a rapid pace. So, with a few adjustments, rules and regulations, I think this would be a great new game.
The landscapers have laid a ton of new sod on the grounds. It is fun to watch them unroll countless rugs of grass, lay them side by side and end up with a new carpet of grass. After this sod gets established, it is beautiful. Again, while on another outing with the Runt, I was walking parallel to the parking lot on a slight incline of new sod. As I was marveling at how soft and plush it was, while wearing the same pair of non traction flip flops, I discovered that it too was slick. Without notice, my feet went out from under me to my right. With arms and legs flailing in all directions and possibly a triple turn of some kind, I managed once again to stay upright. I gave serious thought to throwing my hands up in the air since I had stuck a 6.2 landing in front of the main office building, but I quickly gathered myself and the dog and headed back to the apartment. Sod Sidewinder has a nice ring to it for 2020.
Even though the Summer Games have come to an end, there are still many conversations overheard of the gold medal winners and all those who gave their very best. No matter where we hail from, everyone who watched will never forget that smile on Bolt's face as he crossed the finish line.
Over the years, the Olympic committee decides what new sports can be added to the venue. In recent years it was rugby and golf. I have been thinking of a couple of new sports that might make the list for the games four years in the future.
The first one could be called the Down Hill Needle Run. I have mentioned before that this new place we call 'home' has many pine trees. With many pine trees, there are many pine needles that fall and blanket the ground with their self made mulch and pine needles tend to be the mulch of the South. This apartment complex has been undergoing a complete face lift. Everything from the siding to the landscape has been changed and made to look like new. I was surprised one day when I noticed the landscapers had brought in a huge pallet of pine needle bales. This seemed counter productive to me as it seemed it would be much less expensive to just go anywhere on the property and rake up as many needles as they thought they needed. Granted, they would have to sift out the pine cones, but there is still an endless supply of needles. Since they did not ask for my opinion on this matter, I watched as the workers spread the needles on a very steep embankment. I wondered to myself how in the world the needles would stay put when the next big rain came. Shortly thereafter, it did rain and the needles stayed snug on the steep bank.
As I was walking Runtly, the ever so entertaining Jack Russell Terrier, one day, he decided to descend the steep afore mentioned bank. Since he did not want to come back up, I had little choice but to go down the bank. One step, wearing flip flops with absolutely no traction, made me realize something I had never known before. Pine needles are slick....slick, like black ice. My descent became a question of whether to do down the bank on my back after my feet had flown out from under me, or run......and run I did. Somehow, I managed to stay upright and was even able to get myself stopped before I plowed into the side of the apartment building that was looming up in front of me at a rapid pace. So, with a few adjustments, rules and regulations, I think this would be a great new game.
The landscapers have laid a ton of new sod on the grounds. It is fun to watch them unroll countless rugs of grass, lay them side by side and end up with a new carpet of grass. After this sod gets established, it is beautiful. Again, while on another outing with the Runt, I was walking parallel to the parking lot on a slight incline of new sod. As I was marveling at how soft and plush it was, while wearing the same pair of non traction flip flops, I discovered that it too was slick. Without notice, my feet went out from under me to my right. With arms and legs flailing in all directions and possibly a triple turn of some kind, I managed once again to stay upright. I gave serious thought to throwing my hands up in the air since I had stuck a 6.2 landing in front of the main office building, but I quickly gathered myself and the dog and headed back to the apartment. Sod Sidewinder has a nice ring to it for 2020.
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