John's Blog

Updates like you’ve never seen before!

I started typing this on noon Saturday, ended up posting it on Sunday morning.
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I’m typing this at noon on Saturday. I just got back from Vander Veer. The forecast is for increasing heat over the next week so I decided to get in a trip to Vander Veer before it starts. Yard work after that. The park was busy, plenty of opportunities to stop and chat. The grandpa dressed in his Cubs baseball cap, button-down plaid short sleeve shirt, shorts and sneakers, happily driving his grand-daughter through the park in a pram. She had discovered dandelions so had a handful of those in one hand and a half-eaten pepperoni stick in the other. Yes, the dogs were politely interested in the pepperoni.
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I was de-harnessing the dogs in the kitchen when Kim stepped in from the backyard. She and Kyle had left for the pet chiro (his three dogs) when I left for the park. I got the dogs fresh water and lunch while Kim and I talked.
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Yesterday the neighbor what lives in the garden shed next door brought over a racoon pup. A friend of his had taken down a tree that (unbeknownst to him) was home to a racoon family. Buddy’s pup is the only one that made it alive, an absolutely adorable tiny little thing, eyes still closed. To see this hulk of a man (he looks Samoan), knowing his past history, coated with tattoos, hands the size of canned hams, gently holding a racoon pup in a soft blanket, carefully holding the small formula bottle at just the right angle. Well, I never expected that.
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Buddy had brought the pup over to share with Kim. She had raccoons as pets in her youth so of course she had to hold it, talk to it, and cuddle it for a half hour or so. The pup made soft squeaking sounds between pulls on the teensy bottle with the small nipple.
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Those squeaks drove the two terriers absolutely bonkers, but they were at least almost completely quiet about the situation. I’ve never seen them act that way before, they were fit to be tied. Almost an hour’s worth of ‘I just gotta get up there and see that thing! Don’t you agree, half sister? I see that you do!’. After Bud left, the terriers slowly calmed down over the next hour or so after which they slept like logs the entire afternoon.
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*discontinuity*
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I stopped writing this post shortly after noon on Saturday. Kim convinced me to go with her and Ellen to a yard sale one block over. Ellen bought a piece of yard art, Kim bought a cute little red roll around tool box (”Think of all the beads that’ll fit in this thing!”). I bought nothing as I slowly worked my way through a handful of almonds.
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Lunch after that, followed by an hour break. Then I loaded the van with yard equipment - everything I might need to mow Kyle’s front and side yards. I pulled up to his place to discover that he’d already started and that the heat and humidity was taking its toll. We discussed particulars after which he went inside. I finished the work.
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I got home, completely emptied the van, put everything back where it belonged, then loaded the four bags of clippings into the van. I’ll get those to composting as soon as I can.
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While I was doing all that unloading, loading, and getting myself cleaned up I realized my Barrett’s was rather painful. It felt like I got punched fairly hard behind the base of the sternum - if that description makes any sense to you. I sat for awhile (no improvement), eventually had a light, mild, supper and retired early. I got to thinking that maybe the Barrett’s episode was to remind me that I’m overdue for a follow-up with my gastro. I need to schedule that.
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Sunday - I just checked the forecast. It could be an interesting day. I want to get our yard and the neighbor’s yard mowed today. NOAA predicts calm muggy air, a mid-90s misery index, and a chance of rain all day. Tomorrow will be more of the same except all the dials will be turned up a bit. I’ll do all that I can do, but that’s all that I can do. Cheers.