Dear Hearts And Gentle People

"Dear Hearts And Gentle People," 1949 song, Bing Crosby.

I am surrounded by kindness, dear hearts, and the best people walking.  Stan showed up in the misty morning about 7:30 or so.  Given the weather, I wouldn't have blamed him if he'd begged off, but no, he said he'd be here and he is a man of his word.  A quick chat and, "Let's get this done!"

I led the way to the barn to put food down for Missy and to give Stan an idea where the hidden path might be.  Keep in mind he was working with a weed-eater on three-foot high tough grasses.  This is what it looked like when he started at the top .

It misted, it rained, and misted again.  All I could do was stand and offer moral support and keep the girls out of the way.  Stan had worked his way down to the barn, and wouldn't quit.  As if the path wasn't enough, I'd asked him to detour and cut close to the pile of cut wood as we're coming into snake season and the woodpile and cavern underneath would be a perfect haven for reptiles.

Along about here, Stan needed to go back to his truck for something or other and the girls, who had been quivering in fear in the barn, came out of hiding.  Oooh, something new!  They both had to sniff and taste the weed-eater, and it was my job (at last I had something to do) to chase them away.  It was rented equipment and I didn't want it to go back looking like it had been attacked by beavers.

Not satisfied with the first pass, Stan refined and widened the path on the way back up.  I'm not sure you can see his satisfied grin at the top.  As I've said, I'd hoped for a path and ended up with a freeway.

Not sure when he'd get here, I'd thrown together an unsatisfactory lunch.  The best I can say is that it was hot and filled up an empty spot.  Stan deserved better.  We did have time to sit and talk for awhile before he needed to head back down to the valley.  He's such good company.  How do you say thank you for all he'd done?

It was an on-again, off-again wet day, so it was a great surprised when Beau came by unannounced to get a start on the mowing.  JNSD, who had just gotten a new battery, was cranky and wouldn't start.  What the heck?!  Don't laugh...Beau figured out that he had to smack the steering wheel while turning the key to get the blankety-blank machine to go.  He mowed the back yard before it started to rain in earnest.

Dear hearts and gentle people.  What else  can I say?