Friday, July 27, 2007

Walking and Dogs

I walk early in the morning around 6:30ish, while it’s still cool and the sun isn’t blinding. I start at the beach, walk for about 45 minutes then spend time sitting atop a picnic table on the beach journaling. It’s a wonderful good-to-be-alive experience.

That is until yesterday, when three dogs, a collared white with black markings, a white with brown markings and a fully black puppy came charging up the road toward me. They were barking and angry deafening the quiet peacefulness of daybreak. Only forest, no houses were nearby so they weren’t defending any personal territory. I stopped dead in my tracks breathed deeply and waited until they got about ten feet from me. They stopped but stayed in their aggressive stance. That’s when I turned, very slowly, aware of my heart pounding but still moving very slow, I started walking back in the direction I came.

Two of them followed me. They stopped barking but continued to follow me up to the entrance to the park/beach area before they retreated to look for another victim.

Whew! It takes the joy out of walking.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Picnic on Water

Picnics and I go back a long way. Joy was a company picnic my bachelor uncle took my brother and me to each summer. It was always in some farmer’s field where we had plenty of room to run, a pond to swim in and an outhouse to use as a facility. Huge pots for corn and commercial sized grills were put to good use. These were big picnics where fifty cars filled the lot.

Then there were the family/friends picnics at the lake when it would take at least five or six cars to carry us all. We were like a procession leaving early in the morning and arriving home late at night.

My stepfather, mother, brother and I carried picnic baskets to the Jersey shore where we swam in the ocean. Mom had to call me over and over again to get me out of the water. I loved the ocean in those days. It was clean and considered healing.

Two of my sons were born in the summer so I hosted picnics for birthday parties. Lots of kids descended on our backyard to swim, eat and sing Happy Birthday.

A new picnic experience was added to my list the other night. To celebrate Laura’s birthday and Pam’s surgery recovery Macon, Lynn and I carried picnic goodies out to the pontoon boat. When we all climbed aboard, Lily did a ‘Kate Winslet on the Titanic’ stance. Lily’s a poodle and the leader of the pack.

Picnicking at sunset on the water with great friends is an awesome experience. Better than therapy or maybe it is therapy.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Ridgeway Cantaloupes

I just returned from my second Cantaloupe Festival in Ridgeway North Carolina. This year I worked as volunteer for the Warren County Arts Council seeking new memberships. It’s definitely more fun for me to work at an event than just to visit. Somehow I seem to see more.

The event started off with a prayer and a gal singing the “Star-Spangled Banner.” All the chattering and giggling stopped throughout the fest grounds and a silence swelled up when she began to sing. It happened instantly. I don’t know how they knew at the far end of the field when she began, but the silence fell like a heavy curtain. Hearty applause followed and the happy chattering voices began again.

Heading for the ladies’ room I made an abrupt stop to check out the pretty pink 1950 Ferguson tractor. Life-size, working tractor. Neat. I love this combination of equality and femininity. Live music played off to the left under a grove of trees shading the many chairs and the stage. Over to the right a group was making handmade ice cream.

Huge pots of Brunswick Stew were bubbling up for lunch inside the air-conditioned building. A bowl of stew, slice of bread and sweet tea was $3.00. Delicious, as all the other foods and drinks offered. I saw a booth with peanuts every which way you can think of; boiled, fried, roasted, etc. and cantaloupe smoothies cold enough to cool you down in the hot sun.

Quality crafts, arts and antiques were offered, as were free gifts from the Farm Bureau and the Warren County Economic Development. I added sliced cantaloupe ‘stress balls’ and a pink cap to the bag of goodies I bought. It was a delightful day in a country atmosphere.