My Happy Place

My parents must have felt like they'd been visited by a cuckoo or cowbird when I was born.  Those infamous birds lay their eggs in the nests of other, unsuspecting birds to be raised.  As I've said, my mother was not an animal person, but she tolerated me.  She must have wondered about her child who could spend hours lying in the grass watching a snail crawl on her arm.  I was trying to figure out how those creatures motate without feet.  I watched anthills until Mother bought me an ant farm, probably thinking it would keep me from bringing any in the house.  She was horrified by my pocketsful of pill bugs, another bug with unique movement on seven pairs of legs.  She undoubtedly hated emptying my britches on laundry day.  I could keep all my horny toads as long as they stayed outside.  One got loose in the house and that was the end of that.  I was allowed one dog, Blackie, and one cat, Kris Kringle, both strays.  "Mother, may I keep him?  Please, please, please?"  (Persistence pays off.) 

Daddy tried.  "I'll take you to visit Aunt Jimmy if you'll put on a dress."  He'd settle if I just brushed my hair.  I'm not sure he wasn't disappointed that I wasn't one of those girly-girls.  I can imagine what he'd say about my bibbies.  He and I did share a love of horse and riding.  Mother threatened to leave home when he bought my first horse when I was twelve.  She came back after two weeks.

They accepted their foundling, but must have wondered when I asked for a leather "bomber" jacket for Christmas one year and a hunting knife another.  I got both and still have the knife.

I was fortunate that Steve tolerated my animal quirks.  I probably should have told him I was getting a potbelly pig before bringing Louie home.  He bought into the goats I acquired here, and the flock of fifty or so chickens.  "They're your toys.  Don't expect me to feed them."

This retrospective comes because ants are active in the drive right now, doing their best to set up housekeeping.  As I did when I was a kid, Michael and I stop to watch them every day now.  It's the fire ants that I worry about, the others are free to go about their busy lives.

The animal population here has dwindled over the years, probably a good thing.  Regardless, I'm in my happy place.

Stay safe.  Be well.