Cooperation

Turkey vultures are beautiful in the sky, soaring on high thermals or flying the wind currents close to the ground.  Sometimes I watch them and imagine that I’m guiding them with my radio control transmitter.  But I’ve never flown a plane as gracefully as they can fly.

On the other hand, every time I see them feeding as a group, they fight with each other over every morsel of decaying meat.  On nature shows on television, every scene of vultures shows them fighting over a carcass.  They are disgusting.

The other day, I was driving slowly on a town street and spotted a carcass of an animal in the road ahead.  It was large, maybe a dog or big raccoon.  Three vultures stepped out and I slowed waiting for them to fight over a piece of meat.  Instead, they each grabbed a piece of the carcass and together pulled it off of the road by several feet.  I couldn’t believe it.  They were working together for the greater good.

That, my friend, is an example of evolution.  They have found new ways to eat their meat safely.

Vultures have excellent eyesight.  When I see one circling in the sky above our home, I’m going to shield the keypad for our garage door opener.  I don’t want them picking up the code and surprising me in the middle of my nap.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

A Different Thanksgiving

The woman across the Thanksgiving table from me couldn’t speak a word of English.  Neither could the man two spaces to my left.  Yet, the meal was festive with everyone joking and laughing, with help by a teenager and a wife interpreting our conversation..

Peter tutors, as  a volunteer, a young boy in an inner city school and invited him and his family for Thanksgiving dinner.  After spending 19 years in a refugee camp in Rwanda, the family, including five children ranging in age from middle school to 19 years old, migrated to the United States.  All of the children spoke English and seemed quite bright.

A Chinese woman with a Ph.D. has been working in Peter’s  lab for over four years.  Her husband doesn’t speak English and stays home with an exceptionally bright, outgoing child of about six.  They return to China next year and Chen will have her own Lab at a university in China.

Before dinner, Peter taught the children how to play chess.  Then they went to the basement with Ben and Jack to play on the X-Box.  I heard lots of laughing and shouting coming from the basement.

Jennifer put on a magnificent meal, including three desserts.  She amazes me.

On Saturday after Thanksgiving, the only person showing up at my club to fly radio control airplanes was an Asian young man who I had never met before.  Shortly after, an Asian couple with two adorable daughters came to watch the man fly.  

I almost invited them for Thanksgiving dinner at Jennifer’s next near, but decided I’d better ask her first..

Seasoned Man

Stevelem117@gmail.com

39 to 3

My 2006 Toyota Corolla and I are both getting along in years.  While seven years of a human life is said to equal one year in a dog's life, my guess is eight human years is about one car year.  Since my Corolla is 10 years old, that puts me and my Corolla about the same age - 80 years old.

My Corolla and I both have annual maintenance to keep us going.  I’m fairly healthy and my car is also in good shape, so I thought I would do a comparison.  

I keep a notebook in my car to record trips to the doctor for income tax purposes.  I was shocked when I checked it last week - 39 trips.  Except for a clot in my leg, I haven’t had any serious health issues.  Records for the Corolla show three visits for maintenance:  new tires and two routine 5,000 mile oil changes.  Thirty-nine to three is not close.

So this leaves me with a question.  Did Toyota make a better product than Mom and Dad?

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

John Eastman R.I.P.

I’ve had trouble writing a blog about my friend, John.  The problem seems to be that my image of John is of a strong, active, athletic man that loved life and lived it his way.  John was an all-american soccer player, a ranger in the armed forces and an avid golfer.  He had a great sense of humor and was the life of any party.

I played golf with John twice a week for over 15 years.  He was a good golfer, and after his game deteriorated over the past few years, he  still played with zest and kept up his wise cracks.  After each round of golf, the group would gather around a table in the clubhouse to have a beer or hot dog and John would hold court.  We still laughed and had fun when he missed a day, but it wasn’t the same.

Aloma and I visited with John two days before he died and he was bedridden, but alert.  I knew his time with us was short.  But that’s not the image that I will always carry in my mind.  I will always think of John as athletic and fun-loving.  

John, I wish we could have played golf one more time.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Sad or Joyful?

A few weeks ago, we were vacationing in Topsail Beach.  I noticed a young man cooking on an outdoor grill so I went over to ask him what he was preparing.  He explained that today he was just cooking potatoes.  He went on to describe the type of potatoes and even gave me his recipe.  He offered to bring a sample to my room so we could try them.  I readily accepted.

The young man introduced his wife and proudly told me they were just married a few days before.  I talked with her a few minutes and then went back to our condo to wait for my sample of potatoes.  The potatoes came and were delicious.  I’ve prepared a recipe card and named them Topsail Potatoes.

The young man and his new wife were about 30 years old.  She was very heavy, probably over 250 pounds.  He was outgoing and handsome, but had several teeth missing.  We saw them the next day leaving the parking lot in an old, beat-up car painted several colors.  Later, I walked by their car and saw a bouquet of plastic flowers thrown onto the cluttered backseat.

I felt sad for them.  I thought about the beautiful weddings for our four daughters.  I imagined this couple was poor, got married by a Justice of the Peace, and bought, or were given, the plastic flowers for the wedding.

I told Aloma that I was sad.  She often helps me see things through a different light.  She said, “You are imposing your values and experiences on them.  Maybe this is a wonderful time for the couple, and they are extremely happy and have a good future ahead of them.”

I thought about it.  Aloma was right.  Look at the situation  from their point-of-view, not mine.

I wish them both happiness and success in the future.  And I look forward to cooking Topsail Potatoes.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Golf Reunion

Last weekend, we stayed two nights with Bill and Pam in their son’s home in Denver, North Carolina, near Mooresville.  We had a nice visit with Pam and Bill, drove by our old home and neighborhood, and enjoyed seeing Mooresville again.  On Sunday evening, we met with friends who we go with to Corolla on the Outer Banks every Spring.  The weather was perfect as we ate outside at a familiar restaurant; the food was delicious and catching up with everyone was great.

But the best part of the weekend was a golf reunion.  Almost 20 years ago after moving to Mooresville, I started playing golf with Andy and Brian, who I met at a Newcomers party.  After a year or so, Bill joined us and we slowly added members to the group.  Brian and Andy left but a core of eight to ten players have been playing ever since.  Not only did we enjoy golf twice a week, we became good friends.

On Monday morning, Bill and I drove to Mallard Head Golf Club.  Bill is on injured reserve and planned to ride and visit while I planned to play.  When I walked into the clubhouse, every regular player was there with a big welcoming smile.  I can’t describe what a great feeling that was.

We played golf then retired to the clubhouse for their famous buffet, a hot dog and a soft drink for $2.00.  We talked and told golf stores and laughed as I remembered from three years ago.

The next day, we had lunch with the golfers and their wives.   Another fun time!

But something was missing, or rather someone was missing - John Eastman.  He was a regular member of the golf group and kept us laughing with his jokes and observations.  John was ill and in hospice care.

Aloma and I, Pam and Bill and Ed and Steve S. visited with John after golf.  John didn’t look good, but at times had the old spark.  We even got a smile out of him as we told golf stories.  As I left, I held his hand for a moment and said  goodbye.

We got a call on Wednesday that John died that afternoon.  We knew he was ready.

I loved seeing my golf friends and seeing John for the last time.  I feel blessed.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Shane

Our beautiful redbud tree in the backyard was sickly this spring and died in mid-summer.  Our estimate to have someone come in, cut it down, grind up the roots and plant another tree was $700  to $1000.  Too much.  Even though the tree was about 20 feet tall with a eight inch diameter trunk, I decided to do it myself.

I bought a bow saw for $10 and cut limbs for three weeks and hauled them to the street for pickup.  I started digging this week.  Some of the roots were as big as my forearm so I bought a long-handled, double bladed axe for $29.

For three days I dug, chopped roots and dug some more.  On TV shows of  woodsmen, they make clean cuts with axes.  I couldn’t hit the same spot twice.  I would hit a root so many times, the fibers would just give up.  

I needed motivation yesterday and I remembered the scene in the movie, “Shane” where Shane and the farmer, the little boy’s father, worked together and bonded while cutting a huge stump out of the ground.  I visualized myself as Shane while I swung the axe.  At the end of the movie as Shane rode off into the sunset, holding his side, with blood seeping through his fingers, the little boy cried out, “Shane, I love you.”  I tried to get Aloma to cry out to me, “Shane, I love you,” but that didn’t work.  So I silently said it to myself.

When the hole was about three feet deep this morning, I was able to pull on the trunk enough to expose the remaining roots.  I cut them and rolled the stump out of the ground.

While walking into the sunset with my aching body and my hand over my racing heart, I heard the little boy call, “Shane, I love you.”  It was all worth it.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Eclipse - 2017

Over a year ago I read about the total eclipse coming to the southeast and talked to Aloma about going to Charleston to see it.  We decided that it would be a two-day trip with a risk of clouds, dimming the experience.  We decided to stay home and enjoy a partial eclipse.

We’ve always been interested in the night sky.  Our children still talk about our getting them up in the middle of the night to watch a lunar eclipse or a meteor shower.

We wanted to make this rare eclipse special so we watched it at Bradford Hall,  our community clubhouse, with, it seems, the entire community.  We were given special viewing glasses and a pinhole projection card, and warned to not look directly at the sun.  Lemonade and ice tea were served while we watch the approach of the eclipse on a wide-screen television.  Everyone was in a festive mood.

We went outside every few minutes to watch the progress of the moon as it slowly covered the sun.  Finally, out peak came, about 92%.  We, and everyone else, were excited.

I explained to Aloma that it was a tradition in our family for lovers to kiss during the peak of the eclipse.

She bought it,  Wow!!

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Confusing Advice

I enjoy a glass of wine, a  cocktail or a beer on the deck with Aloma in the evening before supper.  While I’m not rigid about my diet, I do like to eat and drink things that are mostly good for me.  But I’m confused about daily alcohol consumption.

During the last few months, I’ve read:

• Men who consume two to three drinks a day tend to live longer and have few problems with dementia.
• Red wine is beneficial.  White wine and other alcoholic drinks are not helpful.
• Any type of alcohol is beneficial.
• Even small amounts of alcohol (more than one drink three times a week) shrinks the brain.
• Heavy drinkers (3 to 5 drinks a day) tend to live to 85 years old with fewer physical problems and dementia than other people.

Now I understand the conclusions are based on data mining, not double blind studies, but they sure are ambiguous.

So what is one to do?  I’m going to think about this problem this evening with a glass of white wine in my hand.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Blowing Rock - 2017

Blowing Rock, North Carolina has been special for us since we moved to North Carolina.  When we lived in Mooresville, we would leave for Blowing Rock by 8:00 a.m., hike by 10:00 and have lunch by 1:00.  Aloma would shop after lunch while I sat on a park bench drinking coffee and watching people.  We usually left for home before 3:00, leaving temperatures in the mid-seventies and returning to  Mooresville with temperatures in the nineties.  We loved those trips.

Now that we’re living in Cary, the drive to Blowing Rock is over three hours.  Six hours of driving is too much for us for a day trip.  So for the past three years, we go once but stay for a couple of days.

After an extremely hot July, we were more than ready for cool temperatures in Blowing Rock.  We stayed for three nights in the motel where I broke my hip 15 years ago.  Our balcony overlooked huge fir trees and a fast moving brook.  The temperatures were mild, a low one morning of 53 degrees and no daytime temperature higher than 76.  It was perfect.

Last year, because of the pain in her hip, Aloma could barely walk around Bass Lake, stopping every hundred yards to sit.  In spite of her broken femur during a hip replacement in December, she not only walked around the lake with ease this year but hiked up the switchback trail for over 30 minutes.  Wow!

We’re thankful we can drive to such a wonderful place in only three hours.  Next, we’re planning a trip to the seashore next month - again, only a three hour drive.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.coms

R

Role Models

I’m growing increasingly aware of age as I approach 80 years old.  After all, I read that the 70s represent “old” but the 80s represent “old-old.”  That to me means sitting around waiting.

But thanks to my neighbors, I’m rethinking what “old-old” means.

When I met Fred, next door neighbor, he was in the garage cutting wood with a band saw.  He was 90 at the time.  Almost every day, he was in the garage working on one project or another.  He said, “I can’t sit.”  Fred died at 92 with dignity after a short illness.

The neighbor on the other side is now 84 years old.  We’ve been playing golf on and off for almost three years.  He told me yesterday that he just bought a new set of golf clubs.  I love that spirit.  Ray is one of my closest friends in Carolina Preserve..

Roy, who lives next to Ray is 86 years old.  He also is often in the garage working on projects.  He lectures at the Cary Senior Citizen Center on how to repair lamps and small appliances.  When I go to the clubhouse to workout, Roy is usually there.

My new neighbor, Mickey, is also 86 years old.  He and his wife have only been living here for a few months, but he is already playing golf with Ray and me.  And he bought a new set of golf clubs a  week or so before Ray.  I just admire their attitudes so much.

So my neighbors are helping me rethink what it means to be old.

Maybe I should get a new set of golf clubs?

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Bird Personalities

Every evening during spring, summer and fall, we sit on the deck to watch our plants grow and to talk.  But this time of the year, most of our chuckles come from the birds.  We have a suet feeder that the birds love and a birdbath that Aloma changes the water at least twice a day.  She says it gets dirty when the birds bathe.

The main birds that come to the suet feeder are: mockingbirds, bluebirds, brown thrushes, robins and black birds that we think are starlings.  The starlings come in flocks, noisy and unruly, and eat more than their share.  To keep the starlings from eating everything, we take the suet down when we go inside for the night and return it about 5:00 the next evening.

At about 5:00 p.m., the mockingbird swoops in and lands on our swing about 6 feet away and looks at us.  We know he’s saying, “Where’s my food.”  We get the suet out and he enjoys it first.  Then a brown thrush comes and has supper.  Meanwhile Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird are sitting in the tree waiting their turn.  A robin is usually around and picks up crumbs that fall from the feeder.

The mockingbirds are the aristocrats.  The have beautiful bodies and seem really smart and are certainly aggressive.  The robin has become territorial and chases the bluebirds away - but they are so patient and come right back.  Aloma is angry and yells at the robin, but I don’t think he understands.

We enjoy seeing the robin and brown thrush race across the mulch on the bank, suddenly stop and start digging.  Half the time they pull up a worm or a grub.  They locate bugs by sound and sight, so I learned from “OK Google.”

Other birds that don’t eat suet but either bathe or enjoy our plants are:  hummingbirds, goldfinches, purple finches, cardinals and doves. We enjoy them all.

Aloma said last night, “I’m so happy we can enjoy our plants and  laugh at our birds - together.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

BirdBird

Dancing With The Stars

We’ve watched the  TV show, “Dancing With The Stars,” since its first showing.  We enjoy the magnificent dancing by the pros, and it's fun to see the stars get a little bit better each week.  While now we record the shows, watch the dances, maybe listen to one judge’s comments and check the scores and fast-forward through everything else, we still have a smile when we watch.

Jennifer knew how much we enjoyed watching the dancing so she gave us tickets to their live, summer show in Durham.  We had a late lunch at a favorite restaurant and then went to the theater for a 5:00 p.m. performance.

The show more than met our expectations.  Most of the pros were there, to our delight, and Rashad Jennings, the winner of the last  competition,  played a major role in the performance.  A variety of different dances and different formats kept us spellbound for almost two hours.

I was so impressed with the athleticism  and the endurance of the dancers.  And what bodies they have!  And to think they will repeat the performance with an 8:00 show.

During intermission I struggled up about 15 steps to the mezzanine and realized that my day to try out for Dancing With The Stars is long gone.

Seasoned Man

stevelem17@gmail.com

Terrifying Dream

Some dreams I remember.  Others are so confusing that I forget them immediately.  I’ve had the usual dream of going to a final exam and realizing that I have not opened a book all semester.  I even dreamed once that I never even went to class.  Those dreams were disturbing.  But nothing like the one last week.  

I dreamed that I had a contract to play quarterback (my old position in high school) for a professional team (don’t know which team, but the uniforms were brown and orange).  I suited up for the opening game and ran onto the field for the pregame warmup.  The stadium was filled to capacity.  And I suddenly realized that I didn’t know a single play.  Did I forget them or was I never told?  I didn’t have a clue.

Before I took the field, the  coach said, “Steve, this is what we’ve been waiting for.  You are going to take this team all of the way.”

I trotted out on the field having no idea what I was going to do.

Then I woke up in a cold sweat.  I realized it was a dream and never felt so relieved in my life.  It was 5:00 a.m. and I was afraid to go back to sleep because I might continue the dream.  I got up early and sat on the patio, still disturbed.

The next night I had a more normal dream (for me).  I killed six Russians sent by ISIS to kill the president and discovered three hidden bombs.

I don’t think I can live through another quarterback dream.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Bungled Theft

When we stayed at Corolla, North Carolina in May, we noticed a house across the street had a beautiful patch of ice plants, healthy and blooming.  We brought some ice plants with us when we moved from Lake Norman so we know about the plants.  The ones from Lake Norman were a struggle to get going, but are growing and blooming.

The Corolla ice plants were so beautiful that I decided we needed to add that variety to our garden.  The evening before we left for home, I got a plastic bag, a wet paper towel and sneaked over to the batch of plants.  I used  my pocket knife to dig up a few plants.  Before I was finished, a security patrol came around the corner with blue lights flashing on top.  The few plants I had dug couldn’t have been detected even by the owner so I probably didn’t have anything to worry about, but I panicked and hurried under the steps of the house of the yard I was digging in.  I left my plastic bag with evidence near the road, but the security guard didn’t see it and drove on by.

I crept back from under the steps, got my stolen plants and hurried back to our car where I hid my new plants.  I felt it was a close call, but the theft was successful.

Back home, Aloma picked out the spot for the new ice plants and I planted the sprigs.  The roots were almost bare so we didn’t think they had much chance to make it.

They did.  We now have a second patch of ice plants growing nicely.  They are already blooming.  But, there is a problem.  I picked one of the new blooms and compared it to the blooms from Lake Norman.  They are exactly the same.

I risked a prison term by stealing something we already had and didn’t need.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Summer

My assignment for my writing group today was to write about summer. My blog today is what I submitted to the group.

All of my life I’ve looked forward to summer.  Growing up in Florida, summer meant I could play all day without having to wear a shirt.  I looked forward to vacations at the beach or in the mountains, and best of all, as I got older, no school.

When I moved north, summer became even more important to me.  After planting my garden on Memorial Day, I enjoyed the few warm days of June, looking forward to a glorious July.  We picnicked, played with the children in the park, worked on our fast-growing garden, and enjoyed daylight until 9:00 p.m.  While we still had a few warm days in August, the days grew depressingly shorter and cool; wet days were not uncommon.  Summer was coming to an end.

When wintery blast came in November, I pretended to enjoy cross country skiing and sledding with the kids.  But what I mostly remember is shovelling snow, putting on winter gear and sliding around on the icy roads.  After my second knee replacement, I fell on ice on our driveway.  I hobbled inside and told Aoma we were driving to North Carolina to look for a house.

North Carolina is a blessing for me.  After a short winter, spring comes early and fall last until Thanksgiving.  Sure we have over 50 days with the temperature over 90 degrees.  I enjoy wearing shorts every day, taking an early walk, and working the many plants in the bank behind our home.  Aloma and I sit on our patio every night, with an overhead fan, enjoying a glass of wine before going inside for supper.  We have our best talks on the patio.  Later, I often sit on the deck until after 9:00 working on my books.  I love it.

We usually shorten winter by going to Florida for a  couple of weeks.  This year we hope to go for two months.  When we return, we can look forward to a beautiful spring knowing summer is just around the corner.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

The Good And The Ugly

The first year we lived in Carolina preserve, I played golf with the 18 hole golf group once or twice a week.  They took golf too seriously for me and I didn’t enjoy playing like I did in Mooresville before we moved.

So last year I didn’t play at all.

Two weeks ago, I played in our low key and fun golf tournament in Corolla.  Most golfers play once a year and just play in Corolla for fun.  I hit a few good shots and some bad shots and had a wonderful time.  So back home, I decided to play with a new neighbor, again hitting some good shots and some bad shots, and again had a great time.  I can truly say that I enjoyed the round and am looking forward to playing next week.

Now for the ugly part of the day.

I was in the middle of cooking burgers and decided to make some Spring Valley ranch dressing while the burgers were cooking.  No problem making the ranch dressing.  Then I read it’s best to put it in the fridge for a hour to settle before serving.  Didn’t have an hour - only a few minutes.  So I put it in the freezer on the top shelf, but not securely.  The bowl tipped over dripping ranch dressing over all of our frozen stuff down to the bottom of the freezer.  What a mess!!!

I took everything out of the freezer, washed it and then cleaned the racks and the bottom.  I had to hurry before the ranch dressing froze.  When I finished, the burgers were over done and the little ranch dressing that didn’t spill tasted awful.

Better to have days that are good and bad rather than all bad.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Corolla - The 24th year

Twenty-four year ago, Pam and Bill organized a group vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina for their friends in St Therese Catholic Church.  The group changed slightly in the first few years, but it has been stable for over 15 years.  While many of the group travel the world, this is the vacation that none will miss.  

Twelve couples and Sharon rented  two large houses in Corolla, each with multiple bedrooms, an elevator and a large kitchen.  Each house prepared a couple of meals to share.

The group played tennis non-stop 24 years ago, but we’re 24 years older, so this year tennis was limited to only a couple of matches plus some pickleball.  Couples still enjoyed bike rides and long walks on the beach.  Mostly we talk, play cards and enjoy each other’s company.

I’ve written about Corolla in past year’s blogs and wondered what more could I say.  Then I decided to let others describe the experience.  After the week, couples sent an email to the group thanking Bill and Pam for their continued leadership plus they commented on their experience.  Here are their words:

• Thanks to all of you for a fantastic love filled week! We are all so blessed!
• Great seeing everyone!
• Home also and missing you all already!  What a blessing - our shared friendship.  Thanks to all for making the week so special.
• What a great week at the beach.
• This was a wonderful week. Lots of fun relaxation and friendship.  Loved it. Thanks to all and soooo great to all be together.
• Thanks especially to Pam & Bill K. for your steadfast leadership and for our wonderful housemates @ Surf & Volley…and our wonderful family neighbors @ Family Dreams.
• What a joy to see everyone and to plan a fantastic  week on the OBX!
• What a wonderful week!!  Each year is our best ever!!  We love you all and miss you already.
• One of the best weeks - Oh, we say that every year.  Stay well, everybody.

Those comments say it better than words I could write.  Aloma and I feel blessed to have such good friends.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Old vs. Old-Old

I’ve read how the definition of old is changing.  Some years ago, one was considered old at 60 or 65.  Now the age group of 60 to 69 is referred to as young-old, while old is now 70 to 79.  A new term has appeared, “old-old,” which begins at the age age of 80.  Now that I’ve turned 79, I’m planning on enjoying my last year of just being old.  

But with old-old only a year away, I’m rethinking my bucket list.  I’m removing a horseback camping trip through the Montana mountains.  This was wishful thinking, anyway.  Aloma and I rode horses on a trail ride a couple of years ago, and it took a team of cowboys to get me on and off my horse.  I wouldn’t be a welcomed addition to a long trip in the backcountry.

I’m also removing a photo-safari in Africa from my bucket list.  There is no way I’m flying to Africa.  

So what is still on my bucket list?  Relaxing on our deck, drinking a glass of wine and watching our plants grow.  This one is definitely doable.  In fact, I'm going to get started this afternoon.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Bird Whisperer

At our home on Lake Norman, we had a birdhouse that Bluebirds used for at least two successful hatchings per season.  Aloma put orange slices on top of the birdhouse that the Bluebirds snacked on and then Aloma really got their attention.  She put freeze-dried mealworms on top.  The Bluebirds loved them and would gather around as Aloma fed them every evening.

I surprised her a few weeks ago.  I ordered 1000 LIVE mealworms from Amazon and proudly presented them to her when they arrived.  She wasn’t too happy when I mentioned they should be kept in the refrigerator.  “Not in my refrigerator.”

Since Aloma was not enthusiastic about my mealworm purchase, I decided I would train birds to come to our feeder.  I put about 20 mealworms in an aluminum pan under our redbud tree at 5:00 p.m. everyday.  In case some birds did not wear wristwatches, my other stimulus to announce feeding time was some nuts and bolts in a plastic box, making a loud but annoying sound when shook.

Did it work?  To an extent.  A Mockingbird picked right up my signals and would swoop in and feed on mealworms.  I didn’t put out mealworms one evening and he came right at 5:00 and gave us hell.  He was mad.  We were hoping to attract Bluebirds but when they came, the Mockingbird drove them off.  He even drove off other Mockingbirds.  The Bluebirds are now too frightened to feed at our suet feeder.

I guess it’s best I didn’t quit my day job (being retired) to become a professional Bird Whisperer.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

We're Not Alone

When I wrote my blog, “Like Riding a Bicycle,” in March, about the difficulty Aloma and I had switching sides of the bed because of her surgery, I thought of this as another one of our idiosyncrasies.  After all, our children think we’re kinda weird.  Well, I just learned that we’re not alone having problems sleeping after changing sides of the bed.

In the last issue of “Bottom Line  Personal,”  the Editor’s note referenced a book summarizing research on sleep disorders.  The author (unknown because my copy of Bottom Line was thrown out) describes his research on changing sides of the bed.  It’s triggers a common sleep disorder.  Sometimes, problems can last for weeks.  Couples often switch back before becoming accustomed to the new side.

If you decide to switch sides, the author recommends considering it an experiment.  That might take the pressure off and make the switch easier.

I guess we did okay with our switch.  We’re not weird after all.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

The Window Box

Many years ago I read a story about a woman who loved gardening, tending to almost a half-acre of vegetables, flowers and shrubs.  Her husband had power equipment and was always there for her as she worked in her garden.  As she aged, the garden shrank in size and when her husband died, she only had the energy to cultivate a 10X10 foot garden.  Finally, when she was in her late eighties, her garden consisted of a window box outside her bedroom - but she loved it as much as her large garden of her younger days.  The day she died, she looked out of the window at her window box and smiled.

When Aloma and I lived in Pittsford, New York, we had a good sized yard that we planted in flowering trees, shrubs and flowers.  I had a thriving vegetable garden during the short summer and supplied vegetables  to our table plus to our neighbors.  Every evening after I got home from work, we would walk around the yard and inspect every tree, shrub and plant.  We loved it.

The backyard of our Mooresville, North Carolina home was wooded and steeply sloped to Lake Norman so our area to plant was smaller than in New York, but still large enough for wonderful trees, shrubs and plants.  My vegetable garden thrived until our neighbor’s trees produced too much shade.  We still walked the property daily to discuss what new plants we wanted and plants that needed care.

Our new home in Cary has even less space, but we have planted every inch of our mulched area and walk around every evening looking at every plant.  We love it as much was we did our New York or Mooresville yard.  When we return from a vacation, the first thing we do is inspect our plants.

Someday, I hope we will have a window box to look at as we go to sleep.

Seasoned Man

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