Tags
dear diary, eclipse, family, humour, nature, nature photography, photography, sunsets
Dear Diary – It’s been a weird week. We’ve had rain, heavy winds, heavy snow, sunshine, clouds, total darkness, and thunder.
I ran away for the week to visit my folks. We had a lovely day of tea and Escape to the Country, a day to shop in town and finish with tea and chocolate, and day to clean and sort all my fabric scraps.
Hubby joined me Sunday afternoon so we could witness the “once in a lifetime” total eclipse near one the cities expected to have a total eclipse. We had even purchased fashionable glasses for the occasion. That evening, Hubby and I made a “chip run” just before the store closed. There are a few things I really miss because we live in the city and I got to savour one of them on our outing: the stars! The sky was perfectly clear and those glorious jewels of the sky were on full display.
There was definitely an air of anticipation on Monday and I found it hard to focus on anything. Aunt Mary joined us for lunch and we hovered near the t.v. watching the eclipse’s progress. Hubby made a pinhole viewing box, which we used to watch the progress in our area.
As the afternoon advanced, so did the clouds. Some of them were very unusual formations. This one reminded me of an angel’s wing.
The eclipse wasn’t a complete disappointment. As the clouds flooded in, so did the cold. It was very noticeable. I needed a sweater over my sweater. To add to the ambience, a flock of grackles perched in a nearby tree, their calls a cacophony. It was extraordinary to watch the sun become a sliver.
Sadly, by the key minutes, the clouds had thickened so much, they obliterating our view. However, the light still quickly faded as if someone was dimming the lights with a switch. We were plunged into into darkness, except for an eerie yellow glow along the horizon.
We wandered around the deck for nearly 3 minutes, a few birds still twittering, before the darkness quickly lifted. The grackles had moved on before it got dark. Hubby, concerned with getting caught in heavy traffic cleared out right away. We watched what little we could see as the moon moved away. I did see the “diamond” but on the bottom edge.
Hubby texted 30 minutes after he left. He was literally walking on highway because the highway was stopped. Nothing moved for at least 15 minutes. Eventually he found out why: a dump truck caught fire. I saw the scorched road and grass on my way home the next day.
We were treated to a dramatic sunset that evening.
I think Angus and Papa have developed a bromance, mostly because treats are involved. And by treats, I mean lots of carrot sticks! Angus has never been a big greeter in the morning. He prefers to sleep until noon, much like his brother, Youngest Son. But on the mornings Papa was up early, Angus made his presence known. I swear he can tell who is moving nearby simply by the way we breath.
One reason I know he isn’t feeling well is that he’s not moving his house around much. He amused us one evening by trying desperately to get his food dish inside his igloo. I thought I was helping! I flicked the edge of the igloo so it was inside. Later, we discovered Angus tunneled under an extra blanket. He slept on it overnight and was definitely grumpy in the morning. I guess he woke up on the wrong side.
Some studies suggest that individuals who sleep less than 6 hours or more than 9 hours on a regular basis are actually at greater risk for mental and physical decline, which can lead to early death. A 2002 study showed that you can age your brain by up to seven years! My brain doesn’t need help getting any older!
It was my time to hit the highway on Tuesday and I wasn’t excited when my eyes popped up. Much too early. I think, like with Beetlejuice, we said its name one time to many and it suddenly appeared. What exactly? A tiny bird, slightly bigger than a sparrow, with a blue jacket and a white bib, and a long, smoker’s voice screech. It shrieked “phoebe” in a tone that would rival Howard Wolowitz’s Mom and in the frequency of a overstimulated toddler. Right outside my window.
So I did what any sane person would do. I glared out the window, only to note that the sun was not even over the horizon yet and I moved to the couch. I wrapped my body in a lap blanket the thickness of rice paper and shoved my bare feet in the crack of the cushions by the arm. And tried to ignore the alarm clock screaming “phoebe” outside. I was just starting to drift off when Angus decided he was dying of thirst. He must have heard me breathing because he replaced the rattle of the water bottle with polite prompts to fill his dangerously empty stomach. I got up to satisfy that calling and it was the first time, in a very long time, that he actually came over to greet me. This time he woke up on the right side of the bed.
Angus looked very car sick by the time we got home, and later I confirmed that he isn’t well. I’ve been concerned about his front toes but I think there’s an issue with his back foot. I can’t get in to see the vet for a few days so I gave him an epsom salt bath. At first, he was kind of freaked out and tried to climb out of his tupperware tub or drink the water. The second time, he was pretty chill, but I’d also given him some pain killer. He kept looking up at me as if he didn’t understand what we were doing but he trusted me. I think it’s a precious thing to be trusted by children and small animals. I have to say, he smells pretty. I don’t know what news this appointment will bring and I’m not expecting it to be good.
Plus it means another car ride.
Dear Diary – I had a dental cleaning this week. I swear she was digging for gold. I hope she found some. I could use it to pay the bill.
Dear Diary – I should go away more often. Hubby missed me. He suggested we do something after work, even a “date” mid-week. We decided to go to the Mall for dinner and window shopping. I’ll go just about anywhere if I don’t have to cook!
I dressed up in my new top, fixed my hair and put on make-up. But by the time Hubby got home, I was feeling pretty and pretty tired. He looked tired too. I suggested we could go somewhere closer to home. We ended up picking up Wendy’s French Onion burgers and strawberry Frosties, and dressing down for dinner.
I have to say, the burger tasted better than the frozen cheeseburger pizza my Mom bought. It tasted like ketchup and pickles…probably because it had pickles on it. I’m not a fan!
There’s no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box on your lap.
Kevin James