Bumps and Bats

We seem to have hit one of those rough patches in the road.  Yesterday was spent at the vet's while Pearl had emergency surgery.  She had a gash on her neck from something that had happened the night before...fence? coyote? no idea.  It's too far to town to drop her off and come back, so I waited for hours.  There's always a book in the truck for just such occasions.  Poor Pitiful Pearl is now wearing a conehead, and it's Frank's turn to hiss at her.  It's been almost a year to the day that Frank injured his leg and also had surgery.  Pearl thought he was the Killer Clown from Outer Space then and shunned him like something evil.  Until the drain comes out, Pearl is confined in isolation in the big bathroom.  Bessie Anne whines and cries at the door, worried about her missing companion, hopefully making up for Frank's bad attitude.  I can't take Pearl in on Tuesday to have the drain removed, because Dave is having repair surgery on his shoulder, injured last October.  I should just set up an infirmary...I'm sure Stumpy would enjoy company in the laundry room.  Everyone hits these bumps in life...experience tells me they won't last, and I learned a long time ago to never ask, "What else can go wrong?"

The bats are finally here.  Their arrival was evidently delayed because of the long wet season.  I so look forward to watching them flit and dive in the early morning and twilight hours, silhouetted against the rising or setting sun.  I've been in love with bats ever since I can remember.  I was thrilled to meet Burma, a huge bat living at what was then called Africa USA in Vallejo, and she was my main attraction whenever we went.  She was over a foot tall, with cinnamon-colored plush velvet fur, golden eyes, and smooth black leather wings that spread nearly three feet.  I coveted her, but I'm happy with the tiny, three-inch bats who come back like swallows every year.

It's the Fourth of July, Independence Day, and I'm going to celebrate at Joel and Judy's annual barbecue bash this afternoon.  A rerun of the miniseries, "John Adams," will be showing soon and I highly recommend it.  It never hurts to be reminded how and why we got to be Americans.