More Than Ever in Everyday Ramblings

A clematis cascade. I have been learning about them. The three groups. Such a wonderful pop of color here as we move into late roses and hydrangeas on the flower clock. I continue to poach a few raspberries from the garden and yesterday morning a few early blueberries were ready. This morning we are having an unexpected summer rainfall. Good for everybody’s gardens.

The big excitement last week was cauliflower heads appearing in my plants. I have now learned to keep them from turning brown one needs to tie the leaves up around the curds so that is what I was doing yesterday. Down, practically prone, reaching around the whole giant plant to gather the leaves to tie them in. I looked up and one of my neighbors was walking by, bemused.

That is the thing about gardening. One gets into the oddest positions.

I haven’t mentioned my friend Mrs. Sherlock in some time. She pulled away from our friendship in the spring and then came back and we talked about some birding and hiking trips we wanted to do this summer. And then she got real busy, long bike rides and hikes with her groups, time in her own garden but I was still seeing her in class most days. We’ve been friends for over 20 years, and this has been quite the change.

Almost every time I saw her recently, she looked tired. She is not an easy sleeper. She has protested that she is fine, doing things she enjoys. I asked our mutual friend Dave about what he thought was going on, and he said she might be pushing it too hard because she is overwhelmed by the changes that are most likely ahead with Mr. Sherlock’s failing health. She has seemed depressed a bit.

She took Diego to the vet last month with me and all seemed well. But then she missed my birthday, my dental surgery, the whole thing. On Sunday she was riding in an area north of town that she loves, and she fell and broke her upper arm.

She was supposed to see a surgeon yesterday, but they gave her more pain pills and a later appointment… maybe. She is frustrated. This is the same medical system that did something similar with Most Honorable’s broken wrist early last month. The system is stretched, and resources are not as easily available and waiting (Most Honorable has to wait an extra week to get his cast off because of limited resources in the Ortho department).

Stupid, stupid Covid.

I went down to Salem on the train on the 4th and took the bus home in the evening. No one on the bus including the driver, or the conductor on the train, was wearing a mask. You can bet your booty I was. Even the Lyft driver home, fast and cheerful and nice was not wearing a mask. No one seemed annoyed that I was, but I did not take mine off even for a sip of water the whole time I was traveling. Sigh.

We cooked and gardened and hung out and it was a nice day away.

So much trouble in the world.

We need our close moments hanging out now more than ever.

Last updated July 07, 2022