April 22, 2024
Bella And The Great Houdini
The temperature was in the low forties when I awoke. After a cup of coffee, my wife and I bundled up and headed out to the truck. In the pasture's corner, near the tree line, stood a lone doe watching us. She stared as we got into the vehicle, remaining still as we drove off. As we headed down the dirt road, a cardinal shot out in front of us. A pair of rabbits stood lost in conversation and then sprinted off toward an enormous field when we got too close.
It was twilight, and the drive to Lake Wilson was beautiful. The sky was lit in a soft orange color, with a bright yellow halo forming where the sun would soon rise. The weather reports called for a cloudy start to the day, but the skies told us it would be clear and bright. When we arrived at the lake, we jumped out of the truck, hit our stop watches and headed south around the trail on the east side of the lake.
The water looked black and ominous as it flowed over the dam into the creek. The flowers were in bloom, and the wildlife was active. Several squirrels were awake, gathering their morning meal. We saw our first blue heron within minutes, seeing four of the large birds by the time our walk ended. At the southeast tip of the trail, a large hawk landed on a fencepost, perching as we neared it. It was a large red-tailed hawk with sharp eyes and talons. Raptors had an air about them. They always looked elegant, but fierce.
In the water by the bridge, three geese honked loudly, their cacophony sounding like a large flock. They were boisterous and kept flying at each other, skimming their webbed feet across the water like tiny water skis. On the lake’s west side, near an inlet that connected to a creek, a family of mallards neared the bank. The mother and father tended to five small ducklings, as they waddled into the water single file, swimming close to their mother. They patiently stayed about three feet away in the water until we passed by. I wasn’t sure if there were any birds cuter than a tiny duckling.
Near the end of the trail, we ran into three men and two dogs that we met when taking daily walks at the lake during the holiday season. Of course, we didn’t know the people’s names, but little Bella and large Houdini were dogs we loved to see. Bella, a small white poodle, was always excited, jumping on us with her featherweight body hidden by her curly hair, leaving small, sandy paw prints on my pants. Houdini was a large bulldog and waddled like his owner. His tail beat furiously in response to my wife’s high-pitched excitement. This morning, he sported a fancy orange harness that shaved a few years off his looks. It did not shave off any pounds.
By the time we arrived at the car, we were both hungry. My wife thought we didn’t have time to eat before I started work. I looked at my watch and completed the calculations, and then we drove to Cracker Barrel, where I enjoyed a small breakfast. The food came out super fast and although we took our time; I arrived home a half hour before I needed to jump in the shower. Today’s walk reminded me that Lake Wilson was a great way to start the day.
My wife left for Lowes to look for plants and washed and vacuumed my SUV. She also purchased a new air freshener that made the vehicle smell good. She returned with an assortment of small plants and flowers, all exquisite in their own right. Later, she arranged them in an old metal bucket that had been on the property for years. The arrangement looked so fancy and well designed. My wife always told me she was not creative, but that was not true. The flower arrangement now sat on our rear deck where we could see it while spending time outdoors.
As I worked in my office, my wife lied down in a hammock she set up in the pasture near the pines. There she rested, falling asleep. I brought her a blanket, and she napped for over an hour, which was really rare for her. I was happy she found a place where she could comfortably rest. Naps made the world go around.
While walking back to the house, I looked in two holes in the ground, left by posts we removed last year. Each hole housed a black widow spider, one with a large white egg sack. The black spiders looked glossy, with their thin legs moving independently, giving the spiders a creepy appearance. My mind flashed back to my childhood, when I used to catch black widows and keep them in a jar. When my mother discovered I had kept the venomous monsters as pets, she was horrified. I told my wife about the spiders and asked her not to get rid of them until I photographed them.
During lunch break, we had a slice of chocolate chess pie and I made a cappuccino for my wife. She showed me our garden, where she planted the new plants we purchased yesterday. The garden sported a fire pit where I could attach a grill and hot plate to cook over a wood fire. I was excited we would spend time in this area. After working in the garden, my wife told me we were making burgers and having a fire tonight. Then she disappeared into her bathroom to take a shower. Suddenly, Monday felt like a weekend.
After work, I shut down my computer and headed into the kitchen where my wife was prepping dinner. I was excited because she made the best burgers, smashing small bits of garlic, spices, and cheese directly into the hamburger patties. She also prepared homemade sweet potato fries in the air fryer. I grabbed my work gloves, went outside, and started chopping wood for the fire. When I finished, I came into the house to get some water, admitting to my wife the stress relief and sheer satisfaction of cutting wood at full force. It felt spectacular.
I started a fire in the pit while my wife fired up the Traeger. We threw the patties onto the grill and sat outside, doing what we did best: relaxing and talking about our day, life, and solutions to all the world’s problems. When the burgers were done, we ate outside by the fire, staying warm as the outdoor air cooled. The burgers were mouthwatering, and we both contorted our faces, expressing our sheer delight with each delicious bite.
When dinner was over, we threw more firewood in the pit and turned off the music. Listening to nature, we tried to identify different bird songs and the location of a woodpecker tapping on a tree. After soaking in the silence for half an hour, I grabbed the fire poker and broke down the remaining coals. It was time to go back inside the house. After feeding the dogs, my wife and I sat down at the dining room table to study and write. The normalcy of having her home, of being in the routines we carefully chose, of enjoying spring both individually and as a couple, was perfect.