The Last Pair of Hummingbirds

I'm sitting here on a picture-perfect September evening watching as the last pair of hummingbirds are doing  their acrobatics for their pleasure and certainly mine. I've watched as the numbers have dwindled down from eight at our height of the season and entertainment to this single pair. They have the same sprightliness about them, but the whole atmosphere is somewhat subdued. They're not flying nearly as much or chirping nearly as much as they do when the gang is all in attendance. I figure it's just a matter of time--probably days--until I walk out onto the deck and it will be motionless around the feeder. Ah, change...not always what we like, but inevitable.

Nevertheless, the same forces that cause the hummingbirds to fly to different locales this time of year are mighty refreshing to the human species. Sitting here writing, I could almost use a long-sleeved shirt; just about time to get out my trusty denim and then flannel shirts. Ah, change.

The days are certainly growing shorter as well. The luxury of sitting on the deck in the dusky hours between eight and nine and writing are now nearly an impossibility. When the daylight hours go away so much more quickly and show up in the mornings so much more slowly, it's difficult to get that last cup of tea scheduled in while pondering the day's events. Ah, change.

But now, as I look back into the house, I see a coziness that is missing in the heat of the summer months. The pressed coffee I just brought out to the deck for Tom and me to enjoy just tastes better on a cooler evening. Seeing the slow, transitioning sunrises always brings a smile to the heart and to the eyes.

Ah, change. 

One of THOSE Days

I didn't think today was one of THOSE days until I started reviewing in my head all the events that transpired. When I woke up, all seemed quite normal. Then, around 9:45, I lost my internet connection. No big deal unless your office and work is dependent up those internets...as I am. I busied myself doing some other projects and then called the Internet provider. They agreed that I had no signal...always good to get validation. We discussed that it was probably time for an antenna upgrade. I'm officially on the list. Fortunately, around 12:45, the signal popped back up as if nothing had happened. So, I continued on.

During lunch, I decided to pressure some beef short ribs, since they are notoriously tough. All was well until it sounded as though a shotgun went off in the kitchen. When I raced in to see what caused the noise, I noticed that the little rubber pressure knob had shot straight up into the range hood and came back down on the hot burner, leaving only a trace of a perfect circle. When I found the little culprit, it looked as pristine as ever. Fortunately, no liquid or other oddities has escaped the pan. Crisis averted.

Once I got started back to work, I received a couple of phone calls that I thought later could've been answered by the machine--kind of time wasters. About a 7.5 on the annoyance scale.

My mom called and said she was unable to watch a dvd due to her dvd player not working. I suggested I go see about it once I did the weed trimming.  When I got to her house, I tried the dvd player and the only thing I was able to get it to do was give me a mild shock. Not achieving any success on that project, back home I went. As I was pulling the car into the garage, I heard an awful noise, like a cat that had been hit. I got the car shut down, went through the house, and peeked around the wall to check the concrete and expect the worst. No cat. No blood...whew. I walked around the house and did a quick head count and that's when I saw poor little Thor...it was him that I heard. I had trouble with him earlier wanting to hang around the weed eater while I was using it. I know--unbelievable. In the words of Hank Hill, "The boy just ain't right." I patted his head and then said a little prayer over him asking God to let him die peacefully--and at the second he popped up and started walking around...pretty wobbly, but walking for a time. Last time I checked on him, he was still among the living. If he lives through the night, I guess we can add "unsteady gait" to his list of maladies.

Once Tom arrived home, it was time to share all the interesting items of the day. Once I started reliving the day, I realized just how full and somewhat crazed it was. We decided it was time for a quiet supper and a good drink...it has a way of curing even one of THOSE days.