Dark O' the Moon

It was one of those days when so many things go wrong you just have to laugh.  It started when I mistakenly deleted a fairly lengthy entry I'd written and had no time to try to recreate it.  Not the end of the world, a minor irritation.  After mowing the other day I'd washed down the little tractor.  It wouldn't start when I later wanted to put it in the shed, but I thought perhaps I'd gotten something wet and so let it sit out overnight.  On my way out to do chores yesterday, it wouldn't start again.  Not even a click.  Dead battery.  A few days ago the battery in one of the smoke alarms died, but not before screaming in agony and scaring me silly.  I fear these are the beginnings of another cycle of battery failures.  Anticipating the heat in the barn, I tied a wet cloth around my neck, later around my head, but nothing stopped sweat pouring even from places I didn't know could sweat.  It's no easier on the goats to stand and be milked than on me, the milker.  Inga has a tendency to lean against my shoulder.  Goats are warm beasts at best and it sure didn't help the situation any to have her pressed next to my side.

After refilling the feeders for the hummers, who must suffer during a heat wave, and straining the milk, I tried to take a nap to get past the worst of the day.  That was interrupted by what would otherwise have been a welcome phone call.  Oh well, I needed to go to town to get a new battery anyhow.  At least the truck was air-conditioned.  At the store, there was a choice of two, and of course I bought the wrong one.  (I hadn't known there were additional critical numbers I should have written down.)  I did buy a movie, "Quartet," that I had been waiting months to come out on DVD, and was so anxious to see.

It was 108 degrees in town, and not much cooler here.  I had to run cold water into Bessie's pool before she could get in or I would have had a boiled hot dog.  After realizing my FUBAR with the battery, the thing to do was sit quietly and watch "Quartet."  Shortly after the beginning, the phone rang again.  This caller took about an hour.  That was okay, I wasn't doing anything anyhow, but the phone made my ear sweat.  Released at last, I started the movie again and was really enjoying some of my favorite actors.  And the power went out.  Are you kidding me?  Am I not supposed to see "Quartet"?  Not only the electricity, but the land line phone was dead.  The ceiling fans to circulate air are the only things that make the house bearable and the house quickly became intolerable.  Bess and I went out and splashed in her pool (she's good about sharing), then sat on the deck and listened to the sound of generators kicking on across the hills.

The power and the phone came back on about the time I had to put the kids to bed.  With water restored, I took a quick shower and called it quits for the day.  Maybe I'll watch "Quartet" today.  Or not.