Thirty-one Roses

The board covers got nailed up on the barn while the sun was shining in the morning, and that is a good thing because it was raining by nightfall.  There are big clear-plastic roof panels to let in light, so it isn't like going into a mole hole even at twilight.  The girls are such scaredy cats about going into a dark stall.

I had to make another trip to town.  Sigh.  The first stop was at the lab to have blood drawn.  The oncologist had sent four pages of tests she wanted done.  Good grief!  The phlebotomist was thrilled when she saw the veins in my arms.  After all these years of milking goats, the veins stand out like ropes.  The arteries were another matter.  It took her three tries and both arms to hit paydirt, and I kept reassuring her that it was okay, not to worry.  I needed to keep her calm and focused.  Six vials of blood later, I was released.  (So was she.)

A quick stop at one store, and then off to Home Depot.  There were plenty of people behind the counters, but not many helpers in the aisles.  I was on the hunt for a particular brand of rat trap that Camille had recommended.  From the postings by locals on FB, evidently rats are rampant this year as never before.  They've started coming into Cam's house, and I've got to get a handle on the situation in the feed barn before they think the welcome mat is out up here.

Mission accomplished, I headed off to Wally World with a list of just four things.  Imagine my horror when I heard on the radio that Thanksgiving is next week!  I knew that it was coming up soon; I just didn't think it was only a week away.  Aaarrgh!  There are just so many things to be found at WW, but I filled a cart with non-perishables.  At least it was a start.  It does, however, mean another trip to Cameron Park.

On our first anniversary, Steve gave me two red roses.  Why two?  One for the year past, and one for the year ahead.  From then on, I received roses for each year we'd been married, plus one.  He died just shy of our 18th.  Today, in my mind, I see thirty-one roses.