and the rain came

 I almost got the yard mowed today

    Before I mowed I finished digging out around the last two trees.  I discovered our magnolia tree, or bush, not sure, had some "volunteers" growing along with it.  I think they were mulberries...so I cut them out.

    Then I trimmed.  I find it easier to trim first, then mow.

    I started to mow, finished about half the yard and the lightning came.  So I quit.

    I ended up on the porch, listening to the rain.

    For some reason, it took me back to Dewey Lake and my aunt's and uncle's cottages.

    They had two on the lake.  One cottage was theirs, the second cottage was one they sometimes rented, but my family always stayed in it during the summer.

    Our cottage was about 20 foot square, with a dining area added on the back and an screened in porch wrapped around the front of the house, like an L.  The kids slept on old army cots on the porch.  The cots were steel with wire springs and 4 inch mattresses ..... the most comfortable beds I have ever been in.

    There were roll-up canvass shades on the porch  that we could put up at night to catch the breeze or pull down during the day to block the sun.  The porch was not big, just enough for the cots, a couple of chairs and a table.

    I must have been 8 or 9.  We were up there and there was a huge wasp nest hanging on Uncle Jim's cottage.  It was the size of a football and very active.

    Uncle Jim was going to knock it down and douse it with gasoline, some time.  Until then, we had to dodge the wasps every time we went out the back door or went to get oars for the rowboat.

    My brother Dennis was in charge of me while the adults went someplace.  He wanted those wasps gone because he was tired of swatting them away.

    He devised a plan.  He was going to take an oar and knock the nest down, then run like hell.  Uncle Jim would then have no excuse for  not dousing the nest with gas.

    Dennis went over the plan with me completely.  I was to stay safely in the house when he poked the nest.  My only job was to make sure all the doors and windows were locked.

    I sat and watched him pick up an oar, cautiously approach the nest, raise the oar up and then ...Whomp!   Down came the nest.  Out came the wasps. I watch Dennis as he racesdto the back door and tried to open it.

    But he couldn't.  I locked it.

He was yelling for me to unlock the door.  So I ran to the back door and unlocked it..... but no Dennis.

    Suddenly I hear yelling from the front door!  "Unlock the damn door!"

    So I raced to the front and let him in.

    He was furious.   But I rememded him he told me to lock the doors and windows.

    "How was I supposed to get in with the doors locked?" he bellowed.

    I had no answer.

    I think that was the day I started taking things the wrong way.  He really didn't want the doors locked, just shut. 

    I have had a problem with literal interpretation ever since.

Peace and Love