Dear Summer.....

Dear Summer.....

Uh, could you slow down just a bit. You see, you are exhausting me! I thought once you came I would be able to sit and visit with you a bit. I thought we could just relax and hang out by the pond and perhaps read a book.

All of the parties/BBQs/visits/picnics are so much fun--but every weekend?! I don't have time for things like laundry and breathing because of this. While it is a blast, I really would enjoy some time, just you and me, to chill in the hammock in the back yard.

Do you think we could work on this? Can you slow the pace just a tad and see to it that I actually open the two books on my nightstand? I would really appreciate it. I don't think this is too much to ask, really.

Thanks,

Me

P.S. Hobbes loves you!

Things I'm wondering about......

- Why, when we have such a lovely yard, does the cat feel the need to bypass the garbage cans to go sit in our neighbor's weed-infested yard?

- Why does the old lady across the street need to hand-wash her car at 6:25 in the morning?? I would give my left eye to still be in bed and she is willingly doing chores at that hour?! Note to self: don't get old.

- Did anyone else hear the giant sucking sound yesterday? It was my son registering for classes at the university. Arrrrgghh. Goodbye, money. I hardly knew ya.

- Do you remember carefree summers when you were a kid? Do you remember sitting on the curb with your friends trying to figure out what to do because you were bored? Yeah, me too. I long for those days. I wonder what the neighbors would think if I just went and hung out on the curb now?

- What the hell happened to the little fish I spent $5.99 on at Petsmart and put in the pond on Saturday??? Homeboy went in the pond and I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since that moment. Is he dead? Did somebody eat him? Why do I think if I get another one he's gonna re-appear?

- I think I murdered a zabillion baby minnows when I put in algae-fix in the pond on a hot day. Uh oh. I've got guilt a zabillion times over.

- I think I saw an honest-to-goodness hobo the other day. Not kidding. It was a bum with a knapsack and a broom. At least it is a clean hobo.

- I spent 4 minutes of my life last night listening to someone just go on and on about how rotten her life is. At what point do you realize that maybe you are creating that life? I want to reclaim those 4 minutes on my deathbed.

- How wonderful cool night air is. I love when you can turn the air off and just enjoy "real" air. Ahhhhh.

- Hey! I forgot to tell you that we have a new froglet! Yep. My tadpole has officially sprouted arms and is lookin' all frog-like. Sigh. Life is good when you got arms and you can breathe air.

Do bugs have bouncers?

There's one in every crowd--you know, the one who has a little too much to drink, is a little too loud, or is having just a little too much fun.

I spotted a bug party on the cone flowers the other day, and sure enough, I spied the wild one.

Check out the earwig with his face in the drinks and his hiney in the air while the ants are all just politely hanging out.

Sheesh. Like I said......there is one in every crowd. Even bug crowds.

It's Hydrangea Season!

I just love hydrangeas--from their pale beginnings to their crunchy endings. I could photograph hydrangeas all summer, and I sort of do.

More Fun With Irene

You know, life is short. And it's definitely too short not to have some fun while you are on this good green earth.

I have learned, over time, to laugh and enjoy the silly things of this life. And I prefer to surround myself with people who make me laugh and to be silly with me. Irene is one of those people.


Sure, we just happen to work in connecting cubes at work, but I find it hilarious that she requested mouse ears from my recent trip to Disney. I also find it even more hilarious that she proceeded to wear them around the office the entire day upon my return.

Oh, sure, there were polite chuckles and lots of eye-rolling, but we laughed and laughed hard. She makes work fun and that is what it is all about, Charlie Brown--making the most of this life. Finding joy in the mundane.

Happy weekend, pallies. Go out there and make some fun. Go look for the madness in your day--the maraca solos and mouse ears of your life. Hang out with the people who make you laugh and feel those stomach muscles that ache from laughing too hard--if there is such a thing.

Go enjoy your life. That's what I'm gonna do.

I Love Hobbes Thursday

All animals except man know that the ultimate of life is to enjoy it.

--Samuel Butler

Yeah. No kidding.

Sometimes, things just stike you as funny.....

Sunday marked the last CYSO concert for our adopted son, Ted. We all headed down to Millennium Park to watch his final concert with the orchestra along with his birth parents and grandparents. Sheesh--they gotta ride in on everything. Criminy, I hate that.

So, it was a lovely breezy evening and it ended up being a hoot of an event. Add this:


Plus this: (Me and Betty, Ted's birth mother)



Plus this: ( a lovely venue for the CYSO)

Equals this: (a very embarrassed kid and surrounding patrons as we laughed ourselves silly)


Apparently there was a guest soloist--a maraca soloist. Never in my life have I lost my composure as I did with this man who was supposedly a "world renowned" maraca soloist. Yeah. It was comparable to a triangle soloist--as my mom so aptly put it.

I kept my cool until Betty's parents :


acted like these two. I couldn't stand it and cracked up until I laughed out loud.......for a very long time.

Yes, I had tears rolling down my cheeks until other folks were giving me "the glare".

I don't know, I just found a maraca solo hilarious. Apparently, other people don't find that as hilarious as I do. Whatever.

Thanks, Ted, for a fabulously fun season with the CYSO. And thanks, maraca soloist, for the laugh. My stomach literally hurts from laughing at/with your solo.

Yard Art/Crap

One of the subjects we talked about at our mini-BlogFest last week was our favorite blogs and bloggers. Of course, all of your names came up--heck, we did have a few hours to visit. And while Lola, CardioGirl, and I share a lot of the same pallies, I had to share with them my latest crack up: Along Life's Highway The Yard Art Game.

If you know the story of Duck and Wheel With String, you know that my blog got its name from a wacky yard at the end of my street which features a metal wagon wheel, a large white duck, some weeds, and a wayward piece of string. Okay, so while that is strange, I want you to know that there is a whole blog based on the concept of scoring points for the crap that is proudly displayed in yards across America.

Highway, as I lovingly refer to her, is a new pally who cracks me up daily. Her readers are brave, brave folks. Folks who not only unabashedly take photos of stranger's yards, but they also make up lies when confronted with what they are doing. They then send their "entries" to Highway, and she scores them points for the various elements of "art". I'm not cheating or anything, but if you score one of those seahorse birdbaths, girlfriend sorta goes nuts with the points on your behalf.

And while I can spot yard crap a mile away, I have yet to conjure up the guts to snap a photo of it and send it in, although I keep threatening to do so. Heck, it took me over a year to sneak a photo of Duck and Wheel With String.

Meet The Pallies

Get your jealous on, pallies, Lola got to experience Stripey Goodness in person! And after she held him for like 30 seconds on her lap, homeboy decided he'd had enough love and set off to chill in the grass. He's such a diva. Lola's reaction to Hobbes? "Criminy! What does that cat weigh?!"

See? I told you he was heavy.

Lola popped in so that we could head off to the city to meet up with CardioGirl on Thursday.

"What?!" you say. "Weren't you scared she was gonna murder you and stuff you in the trunk of her car?!". Nope. Lola and I have met at Starbucks a few times over the past year or so and she has never murdered me, so I came to the conclusion it was safe for her to see where I live and to finally meet Hobbes and Grace. Let it be known that I practice extreme internet safety here at the Duck and Wheel.

We met up with CardioGirl at a hotel in the city about an hour later and what a hoot that was!

First, I had to absolutely mortify my pally by giving her a hug--which I didn't learn until later that I creeped her out. But it turns out I creeped Lola out by doing that to her the first time I met her too, so it's all good. Sheesh--what is with these non-huggers??? Let it be known that I am a hugger.

She's just darn lucky I forgot my threat of a few months ago to plant a big giant smoochie on her CardioGirl lips--just to freak her out. I don't typically do that sort of thing, but it was part of a post about personal space and.........well.......whatever. It's hard to explain. I was being silly. CG mentioned that she freaks with having to hug or kiss when couples get together--you know how friends do that? Well, long story short--I just threatened to smoochie her and that freaked her out. I found it hilarious.......she did not. I think that poor girl was panicking knowing that she was going to meet me and I might remember saying I would do that.

Moving on.....

Anyway, we sat by a vomity pool and chatted for a couple of hours. It was hilarious to compare notes and just chat the time away. I love meeting up with fellow bloggers--they just sort of "get" you and what you do for fun. There is no explaining posts or comments, following or haters. We commiserated on lost readers and the lack of activity this summer. We laughed about our favorite blogs and talked of why we don't all change the look of our blogs. It was just fun.

Soon, the time drifted away and we had to head home, but not before we asked the lifeguard to stop cleaning the barfy pool and take our photo. She obliged willingly, but look at the choices here. I'm sure she thought us odd.

It's funny when you meet blog pallies in person. There is this sense of "I know you. You are my friend. But I don't know you and I have never seen you before in my life." It's all very odd, but nice too. It's good to know that a person really exists behind that header and all those posts. There is depth and reason for what we do and we have this strange connection in the world of electronic communication. And while we don't really know each other, we do. It's a friendship of the strangest kind, but in the end, it is a friendship. And one I truly enjoy.

Thanks, Lola and CardioGirl. Thanks for the chuckles and the nice evening. And thanks for saving me from the spider, Lola.

Commence breathing

This morning marks the beginning of the rest of my summer.

I have one graduation party left to attend and we are through. Whew! Since the end of finals and graduation, life has been a whirlwind with the Disney trip, summer school starting, Driver's Ed four nights a week, catching up at work, and our own graduation party to plan. It's been madness.

We had a lovely bash yesterday with a small crowd cramming into the back 40. Col was pleased as punch to have a ton of family and lots of friends over to help him celebrate his accomplishments. Thank goodness the weather was lovely--I was freaking earlier in the week trying to figure out how we were gonna cram 50 plus people into a house that would hold 25, all the while keeping a hopeful eye on the Weather Channel. Okay, so neighborhood trees were downed the night before--we had nothing but sunshine and puffy white clouds for our day, thank goodness.

There are no photos of the day, instead we opted to just visit and hang out with those we love. We also opted to down 4 batches of Sangria, so you know it was a good time. It was great to just hang out and laugh with everyone after the past few weeks of madness.

So, while my body aches from moving tables, tents, chairs, and coolers, my heart is full from being with those we love. It was nice to have the best of the best in my life here for my son--to share in his day and to make him feel special. I count myself blessed.

On another note--who wants a left-over fajita?

I'll take "Squished" as an option

The soundtrack of my life this week has been provided by some wacky robin that insists we are all gonna eat her baby. Girlfriend peeps at the top of her lungs from dawn until dusk, and escalates if Hobbes dares to step one stripey leg out that cat door.

Do you know the back-up sound trucks make? Well, that's what it sounds like all day, every day. It is so annoying that at one point I yelled up to the bird that I was gonna eat her baby just to shut her up. I'm sure the neighbors confirmed my wackiness at that point.

I finally saw the little guy, and yes, he is still pretty little. Two days ago he still couldn't fly all that great, so I get why she's a little nervous, but all that peeping is driving me batty. Even Hobbes came in to the air conditioning to escape her birdie rant yesterday. Ears folded back, he laid down on the rug and sighed, relieved to be rid of her annoying voice.

I spotted the baby about 2 feet from the street the other day, so I hollered for Colin to come help me corral it back closer to the house. I've seen too many squished baby birds and I didn't want this one to become a statistic--god knows how long his mother would cry about that.

So, like a good kid, he came out, arms held wide as he tried to scoot Baby Bird a little closer to the house. Oh, criminy--Mom and Dad came at my kid full force swooping and dodging, threatening to eat Colin's eyeballs like grapes. It was like a scene from "The Birds" and poor Colin was just trying to save their beastly kid! All the while, I sat in my car (I was going to get Em) giggling to myself, but trying not to laugh and make Colin mad.

Baby Bird hopped a few feet in the right direction and Col bailed for the safety of the house. Whew. Of course, the P's (parents) were more upset than before and proceeded to peep louder, if that was possible. I shook my head and drove away--with the sound of angry birds still ringing in my head.

I'm not sure how long it's gonna take for Baby Bird to be on his own, but if it takes any longer than a week, I'm gonna lose it. On some level, it's good to know that it is still alive and making it--her constant peeping tells me Baby is still hopping around on the lawn. She is also a birdie GPS for Hobbes because she lets everyone know where his stripey self is at all times. If I'm looking for him, I just have to go in the direction of The Peep--sure enough, there he is--ears folded back in annoyance. But, there is that other level that wishes he would just fly or die already so that Mom could can the noise.

I hate baby bird season. And I think Hobbes agrees with me on this one.

I Love Hobbes Thursday

The bad part of vacation is leaving Hobbes and Grace at home,
I spend half my vacation missing them. And this vacation
was no different.
I missed this:

And then I saw Tigger and it made me miss Hobbes even more.
Apparently orange stripeys are a favorite of yours too
because more than one of you mentioned Tigger this week.

And all that orange stripeyness made me think of Hobbes
when Betty and I went for our tatoos.

I think you can figure out which leg is mine and which
one is Betty's.

Fake Sea Turtle ROCKS!

Hey, do you know what that stupid sea turtle is good for in my pond??--a hatchery. Yep, we're expecting about a cabillion baby minnows! Yeah, great, 'cuz I need like a thousand more minnows in my life.

Every so often, I find a minnow acting strangely, darting into and out of a crevice, zipping this way or that. I've watched Finding Nemo enough to spot a Daddy Fish watching out for his offspring, and that is exactly what the minnows do--they dart to scare off predators from the zillions of eggs they have hidden somewhere. Little do they know that I found their hiding spot.

We've had tons of rain this past week, and I spotted the infamous fake sea turtle flipped over, it's plasticky underside loaded with the minuscule eggs of some wacky minnows. Wow, it is amazing to see those tiny black dots of life swimming in their see-through eggs. If you look carefully, you can see those black dots move, but you have to be really still, and look really close.

Who knew Fake Sea Turtle was good for something? Sheesh, and here I was trash-talking that thing. I guess I'll let it stay after all.

And while life begins on the underside of a fake plastic sea turtle, I'm sad to say my little handicapped fish swam to the Rainbow Bridge the other day. Apparently he must have walked there because we found him dead in the yard. Poor little friend, I will miss him.

Damn circle of life.

Are we having fun yet?

My life is like a roller coaster lately--crazy, running fast, zig-zagging this way and that, and I've got no idea what is ahead (as most new coasters are in the dark these days). Yeah, the ride is fun, but sometimes, it's scary being so out of control.

We came back from our vacation only to be swamped with new have-tos--Em's taking a class this summer and starting Driver's Ed. Col is off to register for his college classes after he has oral surgery next week, and I'm trying to plan a graduation party while trying to keep up with them and go to work as well. Squeeze in some doctor and dentist appointments and tons of parties and I'm feeling kinda frazzled.

And while it seems everyone else is enjoying the ride, I'm feeling like Em in the back seat of the Rock 'N Roller Coaster--a tad freaked out.

Give me to Sunday, after our party, and perhaps I will be back to dull, boring, old me. All this excitement is just too much on some days and I just want off the ride.

Disney isn't really such a Small World.....just ask my feet

Isn't it strange how you can come back from vacation and be totally exhausted? Sheesh, Mickey Mouse kicked my butt! Every single inch of me is hurting as I think even my ear lobes are sore.

I love Disney World. There is just no place that has mastered the art of happiness and dreams and fun quite like Disney. For five days, we just walked, laughed, giggled, walked, rode some fantastic rides, walked, and enjoyed each others' company. Even though it was hot, we just smiled until our faces hurt.

It is especially amazing how you forget home and work, and completely absorb yourself into what ride you are gonna go on next. Who cares what is happening in the world when you cannot find a Mickey Mouse ice cream bar when you want one? You know life is good when your main concern is if you can get a fast pass for Rock 'N Roller Coaster or if you can down another turkey leg. Gees, that place has a way of making reality go away.

We spent the week with some great band kids and even better band parents. Joe and I spent some quality time with Scott and Laura, catching up for over an hour while we snaked our way up the horribly high staircase heading to Summit Plummet in Blizzard Beach. Somehow they convinced us that we needed to drop 120 feet on a water slide in order to prove our Band Parent Coolness. I'm not sure digging my suit out of my butt crack after going 55 mph down a water slide really proved anything, but I sure laughed doing it--and I would never have done it if it wasn't for them.


We hooked up with our pally, Betty (Ted's birth mother), for a few days and laughed our way around 3 parks together. We went from battling the Evil Zurg on the Buzz Lightyear ride to screaming like little girls on the Rock 'N Roller Coaster. We eyed the bucket 'o ice cream but settled on Mickey Mouse ice cream bars--only after making Joe walk the entire park to look for the vendor. We shopped for Disney car antenna toppers (like a billion times) and Betty bought like 20 of them to swap out for every season and/or holiday. Her car is gonna be stylin'.

We even got Disney tatoos. Yes, we were the envy of every band parent after that move.

So, reality has set in as my alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. this morning--and it wasn't playing the theme from "It's a Small World" either. Sigh.

It's hard to come home, Disney has me expecting far too much from the things and people around me. Like Christmas, I wish that happy feeling would stay a whole lot longer than it does.

It's Okay, I'm With The Band

Sorry for my absence this week, I was busy with the band. You see, they had a gig in a wee parade down Main Street....

Oh, look! It's the Marching Astros! And it's not even marching season! Gasp!

There goes, Em!

And Colin--it's his very last performance with the Marching Astros. Yes, I cried.
Did you have to ask?

No, it wasn't Main Street in Weirdville--we don't have a castle like that....
but DISNEY does!!

So, yes, while the blog and comments sat idle for the week, Joe and I traveled to Disney to be with the Marching Astros. And what fun we had!

More on that later.....I'm going to soak my feet.

I Love Hobbes Thursday

Hobbes finds amusement in poking here and there in the pond, hoping to make a hidden frog plop into the cold water with a little "eep!". I don't think he sees them half the time as I found him poking a rock gingerly the other day thinking it was a frog.

The frogs have wizened up now and they just jump in when they see him coming. And instead of being disappointed, homeboy just plays it off by taking a little drink instead.

He is one cool cat.

Snaily Goodness

There is something about trapdoor snails that I love. I love how they look fuzzy in the water, algae-covered shell billowing in the current. I love how they peacefully inch along, harming nobody but the algae they come across. I love that sometimes they surprise me and live through a very cold winter--something that isn't supposed to happen.


We always have trapdoor snails in our pond. They call them that because they have a little door that pushes their squishy self into their shell should they get turned over, picked up, or otherwise frightened by a predator. And when the trapdoor falls off, you know you got yourself a dead snail.

These snails are pretty large and are about the size of a quarter to a silver dollar. Their shells grow like your fingernail--with the new part growing off the part where their little bodies stick out. You can sort of see it in the picture if you enlarge it.

Some snails have little air tubes for breathing and they need to come up to the surface every now and then, but I have never seen these guys do that. They just stay in the depths munching away on pond algae, doing their thankless job day after day. While they are munching, they can work themselves up into a plant or on a rock, and sometimes they can walk right out of the water and dry up--so, I guess they aren't too bright. We have a nice ledge on the pond though, so I haven't had that happen lately. Whew, 'cuz that would bum me out.

My favorite part of trapdoor snails is that they actually give live birth, which is sort of cool. And I find little pearls of life every so often, but they are extremely hard to notice. I found one in the skimmer the other day, which of course caused a huge fuss in our house.

What I love most is their subtle existence in the pond, there only to be helpful in keeping the water clean. And you don't see them often, but it is treat when we do. It's what I call Snaily Goodness.

I own a Swagger Wagon and I'm proud

Sorry for the two days of videos this week, but this one can't be beat.

I've been chastised for my choice of rides on more than one occasion, but this video just legitimizes the mini-van or The Big Rig, as it is called in our house. Don't be hatin' on my ride, pallies. Only Tracy and I know deep down inside you are all jealous.

This one's for you, Pandora.

Messin' Around

Every morning, while I wait for the squirrels in my computer to fire up, Jim, Irene, and I have what I call the "Morning Meeting"--we sit, drink our coffee, and catch up on the news of the day. And Jim tells stories of days of yore----a lot.

The thing that is great about the three of us is that we come from three very different places and so we all have unique perspective on things and we connect on some weird level.

Irene is in her 20's, proudly Hispanic, just bought her first house, and is hilariously hip and funny.

Jim is near retirement, an ex-trader from the Board of Trade, and has a story or an opinion for everything. Sometimes both.

Me, well....you know me. I'm in between the two of them.

I love my job, not because of what I do, but because I get to share the Cubes with Jim and Irene everyday and everyone else pretty much leaves us alone. And we get along so great--laughing and having a good time while the rest of the office does.....whatever. Jim and Irene make my day every day.

When I was feeling grumpy and low the other day, Jim and I started talking about the movie "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles". I think I was telling him that our kid car was in the shop and this is where the conversation lead:



So, while I wanted to beef and moan about what it's gonna cost me to keep the kid car going, Jim's got me cracking up about John Candy doing the "Mess Around". How we went from car repairs to that scene I'll never know. But I do know that I can't be mad or sad or frustrated with those two sitting by me.

It's funny, but what keeps me working in that place isn't the job or the pay (Hah!)--it is the company I keep for the majority of the day.

I count myself lucky.

Status of the Pond

• 3 frogs - one large, two small
• 2 tadpoles - one w/legs working on arms, one with stubby legs
• 2 fish - never got around to getting a new one yet
• 3 (?) snails - Dang! I never remember how many I buy. But I did find a baby the other day, so I know there's some action going on in them there waters.
• Minnows - I think there are about 15 or so--they never sit still enough to be able to count them. Add to that, there's been action in that department too, so tiny minnow fry are everywhere.

What I love most about the pond is the constant change. Every time I go out, there is something new to notice, something to poke or look closely at. Sure, there is some maintenance anytime you have life, whether it be fighting algae, trimming back plant life, or medicating a sick fish, but it is all so rewarding.

Happy Weekend, pallies!

Commence breathing

I love holiday weeks when Friday comes and you aren't even aware it's Friday but everybody else is and you just act surprised and relieved that it is Friday even though it doesn't feel like it. Do you know what I mean? Criminy, I was handed my check stub yesterday and I was all happy that A) it is Friday and B) I'm gettin' some badly needed moolah, even if it is measly and never quite enough.

Hey, good news--Mutha Bunny came back and is raising those wee bunny babes just fine! I texted Angie from work yesterday and she texted JoAnn, who looked out her window to check and she said they were growing like weeds. (Check out Alan's latest update in the comments today) Hooray! I wish those people could just rig up a bunny-cam for us. Little did they know that half of the internet was worried sick about our Stack-O-Bunnies. Whew! We can all rest easy once again knowing they are safe.

Life is good here--and there. Lots going on and parties galore this weekend. I'm trying to keep my frazzled head focused on important things like the hummingbird returning to my feeder and the snails munching on algae in the pond. I noticed the frogs are getting fat and enjoying the warmer weather. Even dragonflies are starting to buzz the water, looking for a good place to lay their eggs.

When I focus on things like that, suddenly the redundant reports I work on and office politics just don't seem so important. Making the conscience decision to not make work my life is daily and a priority. I will never be rich, but then again, I will never be tied to the corporate slavemaster either.

So, join me in enjoying the weekend. Lay back in the grass or on your couch and forget the world. Close your eyes and imagine the softness of those bunnies' noses and don't even think about how they are gonna grow up to eat your pansies. That is for another day.

I Love Hobbes Thursday

If there is any photo that truly captures Hobbes, this is it. He's got those big honkin' paws and that smiley face that makes me wanna smooch him. This is where he sits to watch me water the garden in the hot weather--it's a brick wall on the house that sits in the shade of the Magnolia tree........ and just out of reach of me.

And while he's all big and brave chasing butterflies and ladybugs and such, Hobbes is actually a big chicken in an orange stripey disguise. We had a thunderstorm the other night and he spent a good few hours on my chest, clinging to me to save him from the lightning and thunder. I would have laughed if he wasn't so pitiful and so darn heavy.

The "Awww" Factor

More tales from the farm....

Right near where we were sitting was a small garden with lots of mulch. Nobody thought to look its way until Pat said "Hey, do you want to see some baby bunnies?" and we all crept towards the small plot. That's where we saw this:

Eight little poufs of fur and cuteness all cuddled up in a tiny nest.

Apparently Momma Bunny left the nest for the day A) to not draw attention to her babies and B) to maybe grab a bite to eat far away from the party. Needless to say, we all worried about whether or not she would return.

Crap. I'm still worrying about the Stack-O-Bunnies.

Corn Rows

I escaped suburbia on Saturday to see this:

Look, no neighbors. Sigh.

And then I saw corn.
Lots and lots of corn--and soybeans.
Row after row of green shoots erupting from the earth,
making the world seem orderly and safe. And beautiful.

But that only made me wonder about corn and soybeans,
and I started to ask questions.
Lots of questions.
Questions that poor Jerry had to answer instead of
relaxing in a comfy chair with a cool drink under the shade of a tree.

But he did, and did so patiently.
And I learned a lot about corn and soybeans, and erosion
and crop rotation.

And then I took photos of the corn.
I got down in the dirt
and aimed my camera low to capture the beauty of the earth,

while the rest of the group just watched......
and laughed
at the city girl in the field of corn.

Sigh.