The Good and The Less Than Good
Surprisingly our phone rang at 6:30 this morning. It took both of us a time to come out of deep slumber. When we reached the phone it had already gone to messaging and their wasn’t a message left. What to do but get up and stay up. It was a good thing for me. I went for the earliest walk ever. It was already at 70 degrees with humidity and dewpoint both in the 60s. I donned my straw hat and a long sleeve shirt. I don’t need anymore exposer to the sun. Other than seeing a whole new run of traffic it was a good thing to do it early.
With the higher heat, Dennis needed to put water in the Koi pond to combat the evaporation before he left for his appointment at the VA Clinic here in town. The monthly checkup is a good thing. By 9:30 we were both on the patio having coffee and checking out the traffic going past our home. There were chainsaws going off to the south and our neighbor to the south, Bob, was mowing his lawn.
Bob is a trucker and has only two to three days at home to get things tidy. In the recent past Bob has acquired a dog. Peaches was a tiny little thing, only six weeks old, labeled as a Beagle when Bob got her from someone giving puppies away at a truck stop. Fast forward . . . Peaches is huge and has the look of a pit bull mixed with mutt already 70 lbs. or more. The less than good to our day is that Bob doesn’t hesitate to beat Peaches when she does what Bob doesn’t think she should do. Peaches is still a puppy and loves to do puppy things. This morning was the second time that I have called across the alley and let Bob know how I felt about beating the dog. It hits me in a place that I really can’t explain . . . Oh yes I can . . . it’s not humane. If you don’t have the patience to train a dog, you don’t deserve to have a dog. I am sure Peaches is company in the truck with Bob. Bob commented back to me that Peaches comes right back to him after a beating. HELLO! What choice does a dog that is tethered have? Perhaps one day when Peaches is full grown she may retaliate against the beatings and the 150 lb. bully posturing as a pet owner won’t stand a chance. I have lost all respect for Bob, though we have been neighbors for over 20 years. I don’t need that in my life and I can’t change what is happening across the alley. Turning him in is an alternative, but it may also mean retaliation to our home sometime to come from him. It’s no win and I need to let it go.
Working hard to put the good back in the day, I checked out some blooms that will have their work cut out for them to remain beautiful with the hot winds. Gardening is satisfying and the short-lived blossoms are part and parcel to it. The antics of the cats under the lilacs lifted my spirits as well as how tender Dennis is to those four critters. Priceless. The afternoon has been spent in the sewing studio. Being in my element has made me feel happy and good.