The picture of the
Frog that I used on my last blog made me start thinking about last summer,
frogs, ponds and heat. When we were on
the farm yesterday, Randy starting making a verbal list of all the things he
needed to do once the temperature returns to 50 degrees. With the weather being so frigid the thoughts
of summer and 50 degrees are comforting. Knowing that there will be no need to
chop ice, feed hay, rescue new calves from snow filled gullies or repair ice coated objects makes me feel like a child anticipating summer vacation. These thoughts of summer reminded me of one very hot day last
summer. With the weather being bitterly cold I thought this would be a marvelous time to share a summer story. Hopefully you will be able to get a short reprieve from this frosty weather as I attempt to transport you to that summer day.
During the time when we spent five days in St. Louis and traveled five hours to the farm for a day and a half. We did this every week for nearly nine months. We had to pack a lot into our day while at the farm trying to catch up on chores. There was really never enough
time so we always worked as long and hard as we could before returning to the
city. This particular day was one of the
hottest days of the summer. Randy had
decided that the weeds had taken over his electric fences and the thistles were out of control and something had to be done before we returned to the
city. We usually stuck together but this
day we decided to accomplish our list Randy would cut weeds along the fence
rows and I would get on the 4-wheeler and spray the ominous thistle and
miscellaneous menacing weeds. My mantra
was “Clover is Good – Thistles are Bad.” After a well prepared briefing on the operation
of the 4-wheeler, with the sprayer tank on the vehicle and the wand in my hand I
was off to war with the displaced plants that unwisely rooted themselves in the
wrong “dog gone” pasture.
It was an excessively hot day. I wore
just enough clothes to not embarrass myself , the cows or horses and relished
in every little breeze that crossed my back or face. The fun part of the job was over in a couple
of hours. Randy’s face was bright red
and the fence rows were less than half done.
We took a break and enjoyed a picnic lunch under the trees hoping to
cool off a bit. Since there was no breeze
there was nothing cool about the picnic except it was under trees that shaded it from the sun beating directly on our heads. It
was good to re-hydrate and refuel so we could complete our appointed jobs. I had to remind myself what I was spraying wasn't just water and to avoid physical contact but the mist that occasionally
drifted my way, in an odd way, brought relief.
As an aside, to date, I have no thistles growing on my body so it must
work.
The heat never
gave up and neither did we. As the
afternoon was creeping by Randy and I found ourselves on a log, sipping water
when he announced. “WE NEED A SWIM.” I
am looking around and see no pool but a nice refreshing pond. I have taken many a dip in ponds and lakes,
that wasn’t a big deal. It had been several years ago, but I was game. After overcoming the lack of a swim suit
matter, Randy assured me that the cows wouldn’t tell and nothing but a crow was
in eye shot of the pond. We were both
hot, at this point, who cared. He had
his clothes off and headed to the pond while I was still wrapping my head
around what I was about to do. I was a
bit more methodical about the process than Randy. I laid my clothes a safe distance from the
water so they could dry out from the
perspiration and yet not fall into the pond.
I put my sandals a bit closer so I would have shoes to walk to my
clothes. I took a deep breath and off I
went. Randy continued to stand in the water with an inviting hand extended to
assist entry into the refreshing pool of water. I
know you must have visions of me, adoringly, with an ear to ear smile on my
face, running toward Randy’s extended hand and into the
water looking like Bo Derek, only without the corn rows of course. Well,
the picture was more like an Abbott and Costello routine, “Slowly I turned, step
by step, inch by inch.” With another
deep breath and a lot of positive self talk, I entered the pond. As I began the entrance I remember saying, “Ahhh,
this isn’t too bad, except, I am sinking.”
The bottom of the pond is not sand and there is no sandy beach; it is mud,
deep mud, and slimy…very, very slimy mud. Walking was not easy because the mud was oozing up between my toes and I was
sinking faster than I could walk. During this process Randy and I were having a
long overdue and mistimed conversation about who lives in this particular pond.
He mentioned turtles... snapping
turtles, frogs and perhaps a snake or two…Randy assured me that the creatures
were more afraid of us than we were of them.
My eyes were busy trying to assess our surroundings and be on the lookout
for anything that remotely resembled a snake or a turtle. Frogs didn’t bother me but I didn’t want to
be surprised by a snake nor did I want my toes nibbled on by a turtle. Seeing where as we were skinny dipping, I
wanted to be informed about anything that was swimming about my body. What
Randy didn’t realize is I am the girl who, when she was young, sat hours in an “out
house” because there was a spider above the door. I was sure that it was watching me, just
waiting for the moment that I walked under him so he could jump down and attack
me. Granted, I am no longer paranoid
about spiders but what an unfortunate time to discover that I haven’t worked
through my mistrust of reptiles. As I
was taking another deep breath to go deeper into the water and closer to Randy,
while continuing to sink into the silt and mud, suddenly there was a squiggly,
swirling object rushing under my foot. I
believe Randy would testify that Superman has NOTHING on me! In a single bound I turned and leaped out of
the pond making a sound that has never come from my body and impossible to
replicate. Once on dry land I looked back and there was Randy calmly standing in
the pond laughing hysterically saying something like “if only I had a video of
that.”
Once my heart rate
stabilized and my brain was once again oxygenated, I came to my senses and realized
that it was most likely a tadpole that had darted beneath my feet. I am fairly certain that Randy thought the
swim was over. There was no way that I was going to let a little tadpole
get the best of me or stop me from
enjoying this adventure with Randy. I
took a very deep breath, reminded myself that on a couple of occasions I
actually paid for mud baths in Ojo Caliente, New Mexico and loved it. Much to Randy’s astonishment, I gathered my courage and my oxygen supply and successfully headed
back to the pond, repeating to myself “I
have paid for mud baths and I loved them” over and over until I once
again reached Randy.
I will be honest
and say that I didn’t do any actual swimming and Randy does remember me being slightly
clingy; but I did return and we did stay
in the water long enough to cool off and Randy was able to take a few strokes
before we strolled back, hand in hand, to
the log where our clothes were secured, laughing endlessly about our relaxing dip
in the frog pond.
This chapter of
our lives has given us endless joy as we have shared and relived the moment that
I went flying from the pool of water. As
I write this on a cold January night it makes me eager to feel the heat of the
summer, working together, side by side, sharing picnics and going skinny
dipping. Am I afraid? No not at all, I have a plan! The next time I become frightened I will not
leap out of the pond, I will leap into Randy’s arms, or on his back or perhaps
sit on his head, as we sink quietly into the mud, together.
Now you know more
of why
I LOVE THE FARM
&
I LOVE YOU RANDY
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