June
I found myself this morning sitting by my river with the intent of posting what is revealed below. After gleaning through some of the posts to my news feed, I started writing away on my iPhone one letter at a time... I checked it a couple of times for grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc, and then posted it. And never found it! It was gone. Had I deleted it?? Did Facebook eat it?? Could not figure it out but I knew I had scant minutes to drive to the VA Hospital for a blood test at 7am, so I just let it go. Somehow I had deleted my first blog entry for June and just did not have the time to redo it. Then I get a message from my friend, Carolyn Gresham, around 2 pm this afternoon! Seems my Facebook surfing ended with the last post on my news feed by Carolyn. It appears that instead of clicking on "Status," I must have clicked on "comment" for she found my morning river post, attached as a comment to her post that I had last read. Later in the day, she posted this to my wall:
Hey Rod, here is your lost morning river post: "What tumultuous dreams rolled through my resting mind this dark, predawn morning!! A disturbance not encountered in weeks gone by, yet repetitive in its annoying persistence! I actually have concerns of these types of dreams but fall short of dwelling there, so I dressed and hastened to my river! There she raged in the early morning light as I pulled up beside her! Last night, while I was resting, she was wide awake and angry in her real time world. A full moon encouraged her angry run to her destination as her flood stage waters threatens the entire Red River basin with economic ruin. I guess her drumming in my dream tossed sleep was evident as I sat here beside her this morning. She told me clearly, 'I have 6, maybe 7 more feet to rise before I am through.' And maybe the message I wrestled with last night in my dreams was anticipated. She continued, 'I will return to normal, but when I do, the results of my anger will be obvious to those that matter. Yet understand, despite the hurt of corrections I will for myself along my path, you will be made stronger from my temperamental rage, as time will heal the wounds inflicted for the better.' "
Nice post by the way, Ferguson. Strange how the mind goes in your sleep to what is truly of concern to you. There is beauty in the angry rushing water of your river. You are not the only one preoccupied with her state of being these days. Lots of on-lookers at her downtown edges.
Posted June 3 from my morning river
1st dive in the new lined pool by my KBear* and two things happened: 1. Overcome with excitement she hits the very cold swimming pool water with her glasses still on! They go to the bottom of course, 2. The entire neighborhood within a half mile radius immediately knew the water was not "just right" and the Ferguson Pool was now open! She and Junior* were so proud they were the first ones in my repaired and functioning swimming pool for the 2015 season. You know, bragging rights with the other grand kids? I just didn't have the heart to tell them, Meggie opened the pool yesterday after a gentle nudge from her loving Master! Yes, you must remember that this sweet feline's sole existence upon this earth is for my pleasure! I was so proud of her for this being the first time she ever went swimming or had ever been wet! Even though I was calling her back, she strongly swam to the gentle bend of the oval shaped pool and "cat paddled" very aptly for a first time swimmer the entire circumference of the pool. A totally complete lap while mewing her discontent or surprise without the first mew of profanity! When she passed by me on her frantic swim to where ever she thought she was going, I grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and pulled her out of the cold water! The look I got from her was, "OMG! What just happened?" I've seen that look before when younger, brain damaged grand kids would "fall" into that pool from that same "gentle nudge." It was funny. She rapidly departed the swimming pool's ledge I placed her on to roll on the warm patio concrete as to displace this "wet stuff" she was experiencing. Yes, it took a while for the attitude to pass. I did notice, but come bedtime, the Temptation Treats I give her before bed, allowed her forgiveness mode to become more tolerant of me. Besides, she knows there is no better place in the world than being curled up in the small of my back under the covers! Sweet cat!
* Oldest Grand Daughter, Mckinzi and Grandson, Kennard, Jr., I often refer to as KBear and Jay Bird.
Posted June 4 from my afternoon glider on my patio
It's 0520 on Wednesday morning. On most days you would find me 20 minutes into my :45 to 1 hour, 4.5 mph fitness stroll on my favorite treadmill at Louisiana College Health Club, awkwardly channel surfing between the SEC cable station, Fox News and our Local morning news. This breaks the boredom of stationary walking. Instead of the usual morning exercise ritual, this 0430 beginning finds my head filled with thoughts of my temperamental river , almost like I am being summoned. This affair, which began years ago, once again wins over my health sustaining regime and I find myself sitting beside her fast racing flood waters as the breaking dawn slowly brings color to my surrounding landscape. My morning sounds accompany me, as usual, yet I sit here staring in a spellbound like grip of wonder at the awesome flow of my River as she races to dissipate excessive rainfall that is still collecting in her massive basin. I have described her many times as angry in past cogitated descriptions but for some reason the only word that seems to fit her on this early morning visit seems to be desperate. As the progressing daylight reveals more of her flaunting aggressive state, I try to reason why she has lost the red silty color that normally taints her personality when man made locks and dams along her path exercise her temperament? Maybe just maybe she is intent on proving an age old point that many of us stumble upon. Yes, possibly exactly that! Her life giving waters and food she generously provides because of her divine nature is just taken for granted and not appreciated! Do we ever take the time to praise her, thank her or acknowledge the unlimited bounty she provides us? Is it possible that she just wants to be recognized by so many of us that usually take advantage of her. Is this just what they are doing? Here in this present state of uncontrolled rage, it is difficult to navigate her waters as tugs and barges laden with coal struggle up river against her aggressive output while even the most seasoned Captains stress to maintain control of empty tows as the river alone paces their speed beyond what is safe for them as they move downstream. The commercial fisherman is absent from his pre-dawn angling. Imagine that. Who could control an aluminum Jon boat and run a trout line in this? Live stock is being re-positioned by concerned farmers all along her rising rage as to protect them from becoming victims of her flood stage antics. And who more than the patient planter, also dependent upon her to sustain his summer bounty, agonizes the delay in days lost as that growth period for economic returns the fall season brings is still in his barn in seed form yet planted? Yes, just possibly every brace of decades or so, she needs to flex her strength to remind those who selfishly take advantage of her, that we need to respect her life giving gifts she alone provides despite mankind's planned attempts to control her. Have we even thought about the recreational loss of those that gather on her banks every year to enjoy family, friends and fellowship? Not this season! No ski boats with skiers or those towed black inner tubes of people frantically screaming "slowdown" before being tossed into her cooling waters or the smell of barbecue wafting across her expanse. I'm sure when she allows those people to return, they too might be more appreciative of her pooled, docile existence. I must smile as I try to dwell in my river's mind, the thought that even the Louisiana National Guard has been called up to assist in whatever temper tantrums her rising waters might incite. She is obviously angry to many, scary to a growing number of people and held in a state of consternation in the conscious awareness of countless others. Am I collecting a faint repose from her that she is now somewhat desperate to finish what is happening with her uncontrolled decent to again becoming more submissive to management by man. I strongly feel she hears my thoughts as I recall my 0445 departure from home, the distant light of arching static from gathering clouds. Again rain in recognized proportions is gathering in your basin, I tell her. My message seems unimportant as if she knows something I can't possibly comprehend. Maybe this is why I sensed earlier she was desperate? Does she know what I know not, and does she hasten to correct a more serious reckoning? I love this place. And my affair with my river continues. So many times in her arrogance or distant silence, I miss her pooled waters so. Despite my love and affection for her, I would never build my home or stake my future on her side of the levy. Trust, once destroyed, is gone forever.
Posted June 9 from my early morning river
I do not sit before the drive by cable news networks or waste my time with the main stream news media. Breaking news usually reaches me through Fox News Alerts on my cell phone and from there I piece together the facts as they are revealed through everything from Facebook post to new clips posted on that social media by Fox and sometimes other news outlets I deem reliable! In doing this, I stumbled across Senator Tim Scott on a couple of different interviewed segments with Fox News Megyn Kelly. Here in my State of Louisiana, almost half a continent away from South Carolina, I found Senator Scott's demeanor, tone and deep humility deeply impacted the calloused attitude I had conditioned myself for in anticipation of the "oh boy, we have another white boy" we can smear. I did not take the time to post those interviews here. It was not necessary for me to do so... I just admire and respect this man for addressing the concerns of the people of his representative State while not pointing one finger at anything other than the need to heal as "one family" from this God forsaken act and disregard of human life. Here is my Post:
South Carolina, I applaud you for Senator Tim Scott! With this tragedy rippling across our country, his voice of calm reflection and reason resonates in the hearts of reasonable men and women across all racial and demographic borders with the wisdom of a true leader. And to compliment him are his constituents all across South Carolina, the very people that knew this job sought the man and elected him to represent them with integrity! The people of Charleston have united together as a family to mourn this act of insanity. As we speak, no outside agitators have arrived and the news medias attempts to spin the truth has fallen short of its purpose to divide. All of you in the Great State of South Carolina, especially those grieving together in Charleston, are proof the heartbeat of the America I grew up in can still be felt across this Nation!
Posted June 20
The longest day has ended here on my patio. Darkness has embraced the remaining hours of the summer solstice. Tomorrow's day length will be less that today's and the race to the Fall equinox has begun! We will soon yearn for Fall temperatures as the heat of Summer will dominate her appointed time as we exist through her extremes. In the mean time, we are programmed to continue on, oblivious to the unknown while recovering from our last setback whether it affected us directly or not! There in the distance, the hoot of an owl blending naturally with my choral ensemble of amphibians and chirping insects as they dominate the sound of darkness. It was a good day for me, I think, and not one grand child made noise in my perfectly clean and vacuumed pool!
My dearest Northern Conservative commented, "The lovely South... Well said, Rod", and before I responded, she private messaged me and said the kindest thing. Your words make pictures. Keep writing! Yes, my ego seemed to eat that up. Not many comments anymore, but I still continue to collect my thoughts and share them. I responded on my facebook to her original comment with the private message in mind. Yes, Suzanne, there is a beauty that accompanies every season, experienced in all of our senses. Sight, hearing, smell and, and whatever. Those too! I simply regress most of the time.
Posted June 21 from my late afternoon patio
