I do not believe in astrology. I think it is fun to read at times but that is as far as my belief goes. According to the stars, I am an Aries, belonging to the fire signs. Fire does speak to me. I get lost in the beauty of our fire pit and all the stories that leap from the flames. I don't think I ever miss fire. Maybe that is because we use our fire pit so much. I do know that I need to be near a large body of water more often than not. Today was one of those days. With that thought in mind, Tommy and I decided to go to Portland and watch the river and walk the trails. We knew the river should be thawing some by now. The temperatures were in the mid-sixties. Huge chunks of frozen white, blue and brown ice rushed by us as we stood on the banks of the Missouri River. The roar of the rushing water was loud and unrelenting as it rushed past us. It seemed to be in a hurry to reach the Mississippi River. I know the feeling. As much as I love the Missouri River it will never take the place of the Mississippi River and my love for Columbus, Kentucky.
Today, as we stood on the banks of the Missouri River we heard hundreds of geese and ducks across the river. We could barely see them but their voices were loud and proud. They seemed to be enjoying their side of the river as much as we were enjoying our side. Perhaps the birds felt like we were intruding on their Sunday afternoon.
It was a long shot to take of the birds. I know they are there but I doubt if anyone else can see them. Looking at this photo is a good memory for us. Tommy and I walked down the Katie Trail, looking for the hidden caves, crevasses and barren cottonwood trees. Without a doubt cottonwood, Aspen, and birch trees with their whitebark contrast among the rest of the dark wooded trees are some of my favorite trees to photograph and paint. When I look at the woods in winter I see life. Several places had green weeds trying to grow. It is too early for them but I give them A for effort. These plants are hardy and have been here a long time. As it is stated in "Jurassic Park", nature will find a way. I believe it does.
As we walked along I photographed every tree, rock and river shot that caught my attention. I enjoy the ledges and rocks that were carved in the midst of the woods along the river banks to make a road called the Katie Trail. Vehicles are not allowed on it. Bikes, pedestrians, and the remanents of Mother Nature are the only ones allowed to walk the trail. We saw a lot of deer trails leading down to the river. We also saw several caves that looked interesting. I asked Tommy if he thought any Osage Indians ever lived and loved in these bluff
caves. You would have thought I had asked if the antichrist was purple!! He said, "For heaven's sake!!! Where do you get these ideas???" He walked on down the trail laughing. Hmmm, 'they
ran through my mind as I was walking along and I said the words
out loud,' I thought. After a lifetime together, you would think he would be used to these random thoughts. Evidently not! I see a story or a painting everywhere I go. I enjoy photographing this knothead I married. At times, he is as big a mystery as the caves I see on the road to Jefferson City. At other times he is as comfortable and familiar as my first taste of coffee in the morning. It was a good day in our corner of the world. I hope it was for everyone.
Tommy and I have had a rough ten days. We have a case of the flu from Hell, that literally knocked us on our wazoo.
I missed two of his doctor appointments because I was too sick to go to the VA hospital with him. I have no sense of smell or taste. When coffee tastes off-kilter, I am either sick or pregnant. I pick 'sick' and stayed home again. I had things I needed to do. So with all the strength I had, I drug my sick wazoo off the futon, brought in wood, filled up the stove, washed the dishes and fell out in my recliner, completely exhausted. I picked up James Lee Burke's new novel, "Robicheaux" and began to get lost in one of my favorite characters life. The bucket of wood I had tried to put in the stove about ten minutes earlier, burst into flames. In fact, I didn't know we had a fire until I glanced up and the living room was filled with smoke, ditto for the kitchen and the den. By this time my eyes were burning. I moved faster in the next ten minutes than I had all week. I ran to the kitchen to get a big glass of water, dumping it on the blaze. It took 4 or 5 huge glasses of water to douse the flames. Did I mention the flames, were at first, jumping about 18 inches in the air out of the bucket? The flames were facing a wall and between the television and the wood stove. I don't remember how I got the bucket, smoldering wood, and rug out the back door...but I did. I know Miz Vicky was moving on!!
I was tired, exasperated and filled with 'what ifs.' It seems the what-ifs start as soon as sanity returned. I remember thinking,"what if I had gone back to our bedroom and gone to sleep?" It was a sobering thought. I doubt if I would be writing this blog tonight.
I miss my friend Carol Shea more than I can express in words. Carol died on Dec.9 2013. The only disagreement we ever had in our twenty-year friendship, was over her obsession with taking in wild cats. Carol had seven house cats that were mean to strangers. She also had about twenty outside cats that she fed better than I did my children. We both worked nights at Fulton State Hospital. After she retired she kept her same schedule. Tommy and I returned to sleeping nights like normal people. I spent the night with Carol and Punky, her sister once or twice a month. I would drive them to Jefferson City to doctor appointments, Walmart for grocery shopping. We would eat out and go to different hobby shops. It was a fun time for all of us.
Carol would get up at midnight and start boiling chicken for the cats. Around 2 a.m. she would be outside, no matter what the weather was like, to feed those cats. I fussed at her all the time about this situation. It fell on deaf ears. It really wasn't any of my business, however, I knew her financial status and I knew that she was sick. I took her to the doctor each month. She wouldn't let me go in. She would say she had a 'back problem'. I believed this until almost the end of her life. She always told me she would get me back for not liking her cats. I am pretty sure she has. Last year a black and orange calico cat came to our house in the winter and had 4 kittens. One disappeared and when the babies were old enough to stay on their on the Mama cat took off. The kittens grew up and made a home in the garage. A few weeks ago their Mama came back. I know she had kittens in the garage. I just haven't found them yet. Low and behold a black male came around, he stayed for a couple of months. I think it was just enough time to get the other cats pregnant. So by the time winter is over we will be knee deep in unwanted cats. I can hear Carol laughing now. She is the one behind these wild cats showing up. I know she is. We have never had a problem with wild cats. I can't touch the cats. They know our voices and when we feed our dog. I have to feed double now because they eat all of Sabella's food. I really don't know what we are going to do with the cats. Yesterday they ate one of my birds, a nuthatch. There were feathers everywhere in the garage. Carol thinks this is funny. It is also karma she sent my way for fussing at her about her cats. I will be so glad when I learn to keep my mouth shut!! Carol and I both know this isn't gonna happen. . . and still she laughs.
Mama cat...
