TheBanyanTree: Fair Weather and Fire

[NancyIee at aol.com]

While the Midwest is blasted with storms and tornadoes and floods, we in the 
deep south are dry.  Hurricane season is supposed to start in May, and the 
rainy season, which should replenish the water tables, low rivers, sagging lakes. 
Yet, narry a drop had fallen.  I suppose they will reinstall the sprinkling 
ban again, soon.

There have been wild fires inland already.  They blaze through the brush and 
scrubland, and the stinky haze burns the eyes for miles around.

My yard pond level sinks. The water lilies stand tall above the surface. I am 
glad the Koi are offspring of the regular carp, and so can live in brackish, 
warm waters, and find food anywhere. They are the crows of fishdom, cleaning 
the pond of algae, weeds, and any slow fish coming by.

I feed them every morning, a regular, supplemented Koi food that comes in 
little brown pellets. I stomp on the wooden dock to call the fish to me (and they 
DO learn). I sprinkly the food onto the pond's surface, and rather than 
rushing in to gobble, the big Koi hang back as the hundreds of tiny fish gather. 
Then the Koi come, mouths open, to suck in the food and whatever unwary little 
fish is there.

Big Mac, Spotty, Mutt, and Goldy, all around 30 inches, some longer, eat 
heartily. Then, for the rest of the day, they doze, or scrounge along the bottom 
for fish or frog eggs or tadpoles, wilting waterlilies, or whatever they might 
find to eat.

Meanwhile, I, on land, rush to the bank, and to the final inspection of my 
new home. They fnished and painted the outside trim, but the garage door still 
doesn't work. Not to worry, I spot a brand new one in the corner of the garage, 
waiting for installation. The leaking dishwasher has been replaced with a new 
one, but the hanging phone jacks still need to be fixed securely to the wall. 
I don't worry. They sellers will have another house payment due any day, and 
if the work is not done, I threaten to delay closing.  I can be mean, after 
all, I guess.

The day after closing, the man I hired to fix the barns and fences will 
start. And, another project, the addition of a sunroom or family room will be hee 
to give his advice and estimates.  On another front, I clean the floors of my 
'sold' home. One of these days, I will clean them for the last time.  I love 
those floors, tiles lovingly picked out. The Mexican tile in the front porch is 
unique, in that a dog's paw print shows in three of the tiles. I love that 
small irregularity.

I hate to move, yet am looking forward to the new house, as it will be when 
the work is done. It's a bit smaller, and oddly shaped. Yet, it, too is unique. 
I am given to wondering on what weed the architecht smoked when laying out 
the plans. One of the men who was foreman on the many repairs, told me he stayed 
in the house overnight with his dog one night, and it was so peaceful he was 
tempted to buy it himself (except he admitted his wife would never live in the 
country, so that would be a problem.)

Owls and Whippoorwills sing at night, accompaniment to the frogs. 
Mockingbirds and Cardinals, and a thousand little finches flit about during the days. 
White egret follow the local cattle as they graze next door.

I will have a pond sculpted out of the sand for the Koi, and perhaps an 
orchid shed or gazebo, if the money holds out.

I might have the pines nearest the house cut away. The fire danger grows as 
the dry season continues. Better safe than sorry.

Life stays the same, and life changes.



NancyLee