Random Musings

Today is what I hope will be the last day to cut grass for 2016. The leaves are falling. I'm wearing 3/4 sleeves and pondering pulling on a jacket. The pecans are screaming "Fall is here! Fall is here!" (Okay, they're simply beginning to open their husks which means the pecans are almost ripe and they will start dropping in a few weeks.) There are no insects flying around and stinging me, nor mosquitoes irritating me, and I'm not sweating. It's the perfect time of year to cut grass. And since I mentioned my sister yesterday, I'll mention her again today. Cutting grass always makes me think of her. Growing up, my dad had very bad allergies. Every time he cut the grass, he would barely be able to breathe or talk for the next 24 hours. So once I learned how, I joined my older sister in cutting the grass so he wouldn't have to. On those really hot days, we'd alternate. I'd take two rows, she'd take two. And on we'd go. And after we...

I'm on limited time so if there's a lot of typos in this post, please know there was no time to proof and I was typing quickly. In case you've not watched the news, there's a hurricane coming this weekend. And to some degree or another North Carolina will be impacted. Which means I'm beginning to field phone calls or messages from folks back home who've never lived through a hurricane but see all the dvestation they cause on television. I've only been through one small one here, so I'm certainly no expert, but here's what my family needs to know: Rain and lots of it, along with a lot of noise. That's what it will mean for me. :) The pond behind our house as both a drain and a spillway. Our house is on the highest point of our property. The hill behind us to the pond is somewhat steep. We're in no danger of flooding. We're more likely to face flooding three roads away at a nearby bridge which is very old, forcing us to drive a diff...