Pudgy Poom

I do believe Poom's getting a tummy.  I've been putting him outside when I leave in the morning and this evening discovered that he'd figured out how to work the cat door.  Clever kitty!

Sunflowers

School continues to take front row center of my life right now.  I've been at this long enough now to know that this is always the way it is at the beginning of the school year -- and yet, every year it feels more all-consuming than the year before.  Whether this is how it really is or simply my perception when I'm in the middle of the soup of the first few weeks of school is anyone's guess.  All that I do know is that I'm having to paddle mighty hard just to keep my head (barely) above water.

It doesn't help that the weather is still very warm.  It's cooled down from daytime temperatures in the low 100's, but it's still in the 90's, which means that I'm having to spend several hours watering every afternoon/evening when I get home.  I'm generally not back inside until around 8:00 every evening.  That leaves only time for making dinner (such as it is) and then getting ready for bed.  I comfort myself that soon the initial rush of school will be behind me and I can settle into a more comfortable routine.  But I'm not there yet.



As the seed  heads mature, they droop farther and farther down

The sunflowers in the pumpkin/corn patch are stunning.  Some of them are now over 12 feet tall -- they loom above me; faces hanging down over me like benign but curious aliens. 



A fat praying mantis has set up shop in this one



Sunflowers are one of my all-time favorite flowers and I can't imagine having a garden without them. 

Poor Orphan Garage Cat Colony

Suddenly it's Sunday night -- where did the weekend go?  I drove home Friday afternoon, dead tired and with my head jam-packed and whirling with school, school, school.  As I turned up our little road, there, at the head of our driveway, grazed two delinquent cows who had broken out of our neighbor's pasture.  They were safe and in no danger of going anywhere, so I said "Hi," and drove on up to the house.  Bruce was outside watering the herb garden by the house.  He got a kiss and I staggered in to change my clothes -- a minute later he yelled for me LOUD.  He and a fat little rattlesnake, looking mildly irritated at having been squirted with the hose, were having a staring contest with each other (as snakes have no eyelids, the snake was winning).  Bruce and I have the rescue rattlesnake routine down:  I get the snake tongs and a lard bucket from the barn while he and the snake eyeball each other. Then he nabs the snake with the tongs and lowers it into the bucket.  This particular snake got relocated to the far corner of our property, where we sincerely hope it remains. 

And thus began my weekend.  Although I spent a lot of it working on school stuff, all the small dramas of Frogpond diverted my attention -- in a good way. 

















Poom demanding his vittles

Poom is settling in more and more.  We've taken to calling him Poom-Bot because the name seems to fit.  As he feels stronger and healthier, he's becoming more and more spunky (read:  obnoxious).  At mealtimes he's at his most manic -- although filling out and no longer starving, he's still very much driven by a fear of not receiving his next meal.  This will, no doubt, pass; but for now the other cats give him a wide berth at feeding time. 

The four of them have taken to eating in the garage (where Max originally used to have all his meals).  They complain of being neglected orphans, but nothing's wrong with their appetites either. 

All Frogpond cats continue to do a mighty fine job of eating us out of house and home.  What troopers!

And, while some noses may still be out of joint by our newest addition, I think we're well on our way to melding everyone together again into one jolly, dysfunctional Frogpond family. 

The Upper, Right Hand Corner

Thursday's here -- and not a moment too soon.  This first week of school is always a killer.   Monday and Tuesday passed in the traditional whirl, but I was a little surprised by how easily everything was going for this first week. 

However, by yesterday afternoon I finally  began unravelling.  I knew this because I lost my patience when giving out directions to my classes and then having to repeat them.  And repeat them.  And repeat them.  The directions involved the complex task of writing their names on the upper right hand corner of their papers and placing the date underneath.  I showed them exactly where their name goes on my own sample paper under the document camera.  I explained how it was important that everyone's name be in the same place so that I didn't have to waste even a moment hunting  for it.  Then we got to work writing our names in that elusive upper, right hand corner while I patrolled the desks, checking to see that they were following directions.  I saw a name in the middle of the top of a paper, with the date beside it.  I smiled patiently and then held it up to show the class where not to put their names and dates.  I demonstrated again where they were to place their names.  The students nodded and looked intelligent.  Then they looked down at their papers...and proceeded to scrawl their names in many, many other places...

OK, so I've been doing this for 30 years now and know that we will pass this huge bump in the road that we encounter (unfailingly) every single year in the first week of school.  I know that my students are not stupid and that I'm not a horribly ineffective teacher.  It's mostly just that after a summer of running around barefoot, my class of nine-year-olds is not in a place where such mundane directions as where to place their names matters or even registers in their brains.  At least, not yet.  It will -- and very, very soon.  My mental survival depends on it.

This afternoon we have our first school lockdown drill.  I'll be sure to let you know how that goes...

Plum becomes Poom

Plum's come a long way in 16 days. 

Day 1

Day 16 (Look at that little belly!)

As Plum's gotten fatter, sleeker, cleaner and happier, he's also gotten spunkier --  Arby would say more obnoxious.  Much.  Arby's right, of course

Now that's what I'm talking about!

To learn why Plum is now known as Poom, please watch the following video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIePsbJSS04&feature=youtube_gdata_player

First Day of School

The first day of school 2012 is now behind us -- all 50 students and their two teachers made it through with flying colors.  I can already tell that this is going to be a magnificent year. 

That said, I'm off to bed.  When I got home in the afternoon, I watered the orchard garden, the upper gardens and the shrubs on the hillside; fed and watered the ducks, ducklings, geese, chickens and horse.  Once inside, I fed the cats, and then stepped (barefoot) into a slippery mound of cat barf in the hall, hopped on one foot to the kitchen where I washed the other foot off in the sink.  When I went into the laundry room to get a rag to clean the floor with, I splashed cold water on an angry mouse who'd fallen in the laundry tub.  I caught the mouse in a paper bag and let it out on the hillside.  And then I lay down for awhile. I was exhausted; not from my first day of school, but from sorting out all the misadventures that occurred here while I was away.

Goodnight, World!

The Day Before the First Day of School

I have no time for much of anything but getting ready for the two classes of 4th graders marching in tomorrow.  No time Frogpond photos and I watered the trees on the dam tonight by the light of a fading sky.  I worked most of the day yesterday in my classroom (with help from Becky and Bruce) and spent today lesson planning and shopping for school supplies. 

I'm pretty much ready.  My toenails are painted.  The laundry is done.  I've written out my lesson plans.  I bought fish tanks for the two 4th grade classrooms.  Gradebooks put together.  Test results analyzed.  Pish -- I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Almost.

It will be a relief when the first day of school is behind me. 

However, I'm very happy and excited to be back to teaching.

Home and School

Plum's home!  He arrived in his new carrier, wearing a plastic "the cone of shame" around his neck.  We'd decided to have him recuperate in my office/guest bedroom instead of letting him back in the barn.  He was a little nervous, being inside a house (I think for the first time), but what really upset him was that thing around his neck.  We watched him unhappily bumping around the room with it for a few minutes and then took it off.  So much for following doctor's orders.  However, Plum's being good about not worrying his tiny incision (there are no stitches to pull at), so I think we made a good call on that one.

The temperature hit 101 degrees yesterday, so I'm glad that Plum is inside where it's cool.  No pictures this morning -- I'm off for my first day of district and school meetings.  My classroom is still looking very, very rough.  Actually, it's a disaster zone in there right now.  I decided to do some moving around of furniture and daughter Becky and I are also putting up new bulletin boards.  Stacks of dusty books, papers and other educational junk are heaped up all over the place.  The room is a shambles and actually looks much worse than it did last week -- but this is pretty much I do things every year.  Yesterday afternoon, our principal popped his head in to ask me a question, looked around and innocently (with an evil gleam in his eye) asked, "Wow - what happened here?"  I suppose I could have lobbed a dusty book at him, but (being of sterling character) didn't.  Both of us know that every year, when the students march in on the first day, the room is somehow, miraculously ready. 

Last night I didn't get home until 8:30.  Bruce had a glass of wine and a spaghetti dinner waiting for me.  Today other daughter, Liz, will come to help me put more order in the classroom.  Tonight is our Back to School Night, where the parents come to see the classrooms and get an intro to the coming school year.  My teaching partner, Sue, and I do our presentations together because I teach all the 4th grade language arts and she does the math.  Her room looks pretty good right now, so we'll be meeting in there.  My classroom door will be locked, the lights off, and the curtains drawn.

By Sunday night my room will be ready.  I'll post pictures to prove it!

Hot (but not Stinkingly)

Miracle of miracles!  When I got home from working in my classroom yesterday, the temperature was only 99 degrees!  Not quite grab a coat weather, but when the forecast was for 104, reason to celebrate. 

We even had a few sprinkles from the scrim of transluscent clouds that were helping to block the sun.  While I was watering, I couldn't figure out how droplets from the hose were managing to find their way to the top of my head.  It took a few minutes to realize that they were dropping down from the sky.  I'm brilliant!

Just before the sun set, there was even was the barest hint of a rainbow.  You have to squint your eyes in order to see it in the picture -- but it's there.

I didn't realize that a very small lizard was sitting inside the dry birdbath, so when I filled it he got a bath.  I think that he didn't mind too much, because is remained in the water with just his head above the surface for about 30 seconds.  It looked like a teeny-tiny alligator in there bobbing his head.  Naturally, he zipped out when he noticed I'd pointed my camera at him.  Cute little guy, though.

It was a subdued sunset, but lovely nonetheless. 

Today's supposed to reach 101 degrees, but even that's not so bad (better than 108 - it's all relative).  Fingers crossed that today is like yesterday.




Plum only arrived last week, but when I passed the tack room where he's been camping out I expected him to be there.  Yup, I've already grown attached. 

Bruce is on his way right now to pick him up from the vet's.  We never actually spoke to Dr. Mike, who performed the neutering operation, so he thought that Plum's horrible condition was due to our lack of care.  Aaack!!!  Dr. Mike is a very good vet (he's the same doctor who put Sarah down with such kindness last autumn) so he contacted us about this -- his voice mail was diplomatic, but we could tell he was determined to do right by Plum.  The office staff and other vet quickly let him know that Plum was a rescue who we'd only had a week and things were soon straightened out.  That was an immense relief -- I hated that anyone (even for a minute) would think that we would starve a creature in our care.  I also greatly respect Dr. Mike for making the tough call to follow up on what he originally thought was animal neglect. 

Bruce had a nice chat with him this morning prior to leaving to pick up Plum.  Dr. Mike ended by saying that Plum was a very lucky cat.  Bruce smiled and replied that we were also lucky to have Plum.  I agree.

It'll be good to get him back home where he belongs.




Stinking Hot

I was on a roll yesterday when listing my litany of what constitutes stinking hot weather, but stopped too soon by miles.  So I'm now adding...


Last night's sunset (Bruce's picture)

Stinking hot is so hot that, as I'm watering the first of six garden beds, the water reduces to a trickle and then I'm left standing holding a limp hose while the sun beats down on my head.

Stinking hot is so hot that the well is still recharging at 11:00 pm and the only water we have is in the small tank on the hill and two small plastic jugs in the house.

Stinking hot is filling the duck waterers from the tank on the hill.

Stinking hot is sitting in the house watching the Olympics closing ceremonies while coated with the filth and sweat of a day spent outside working in Frogpond dirt and not being able to take a shower.

Stinking hot is Bruce and I (along with three dogs, a cat and a curious horse) making the long walk down to the end of the lower pasture in the dark to check on how the tank is filling.

Stinking hot is shining a flashlight down into the top of the tank and discovering that it's only a fourth full.

Stinking hot is finally giving up on our getting water that night and bringing a pot of water into the shower and doing my best to wash off the worst of the day's grime.

Stinking hot is the water gurgling back into the taps just as I'm drying off.

Stinking hot is when you've just had five days of over 100 degree heat, and the forecast is for at least five more days of the same.

Stinking hot is a forecast for a hotter day tomorrow than today.

Most of all, stinking hot is worrying and fretting about our well situation for the remainder of the summer.  Friends who live in areas with summer rain or who have city water that's always available at the turn of a handle often don't get my obsession with water or why I bite my nails after a dry winter. It's because of what's happening right now:  the water table is unable to sustain our well, the pond shrinks down to a puddle, and the garden dries up.  In short, without water, things die.

This morning I'm carefully watering the gardens I didn't get to yesterday.  Then I'll take a short shower to wash my hair before going to work in my classroom for the rest of the day.  Bruce will be calling for a water truck to fill our tank, which we'll have them do on a regular basis.  When it's stinking hot, you do what you must do in order to keep things going.

I so wish it had rained last winter.   

There -- I got it all out.  I also must add that for us this shortage of water, while a misfortune, doesn't impact our livelihood or ability to put food on the table.  We still have our day jobs and the ability to buy enough water for our needs to tide us over until next winter.  For farmers, ranchers and others who depend upon water to earn their living (or, more fundamental than that, to simply stay alive), lack of water is a disaster on multiple levels.  My heart goes out to them.




I'll admit that I've been feeling just a bit silly lately for confessing on this blog that when it rains I go out to dance in it.  That feeling's been banished:  next time it rains, joyful middle-aged me will be out there, barefoot and twirling in the raindrops.  And that's a promise.