The Long and Short of a T-shirt

 

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On a trip to Utah years ago, I bought a rust-colored, long-sleeved T-shirt. On the front are images of rocks and the names of five of the six national parks we visited. The caption reads: Utah Rocks. (It's a play on words.) 

     I remember standing in the store and contemplating which size to buy. A small fit me better, but I settled on a medium because it would offer more comfort in wearing and ease in putting it on and pulling it off. Back at home, my new T-shirt seemed too long and sloppy. I liked the memento and especially its autumn leaves color, but after wearing it only a few times, I stored it in a drawer with other T-shirts that were long on sentimental value and short on fit.

Water and Wildlife

 

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Living by a small body of water is one of the joys of my days. Water entices an array of wildlife. Mergansers, buffleheads, wood ducks, and Canada geese are only a sampling of the species that stop by to swim and dunk their heads underwater. Some drop in for brief visits, and some stay for years. On any given morning, I can look out the window and see a flock of feathered fowl taking their morning baths.

    In all the years we've been here on this special spot of earth, baby ducks have eluded us -- until now. A wood duck and her three ducklings have been frolicking at the edge of the lake and even coming ashore. The baby ducks are almost too cute for human eyes, but a photo shoot is out of the question, as ducks are skittish.

    Last year in one of the duck boxes, Barry found a nest with several eggs that had been abandoned by the layer. Wildlife, like humans, sometimes do wretched things, but for the most part and from my observations, ducks and geese and other birds of a feather are amazing caretakers of their young. 

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Tidying a Room Requires More Than a Broom

 

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Barry and I often interject humor into our conversations by quoting favorite lines from The Andy Griffith Show. Lines like, "Don't get your clothes all dirty," which is what Andy said when Opie wallowed on the jailhouse floor in a pretend tantrum. Or "Got time to breathe? Got time for music," as said by Briscoe Darlin' when Andy asked if they had time to play one more song. My all-time favorite, and one that is particularly fun to work into a dialogue, is Ernest T.'s clever remark, "I'm a little mean, but I make up for it by bein' real healthy."

    Another quote that racks up a lot of mileage for us is from the episode where Andy comes up with a scheme to introduce Ernest T. at Mrs. Wiley's dinner party, and fool her into thinking he is a refined individual. To help Andy pull off the feat of turning a rock-throwing, illiterate misfit into a socially adept, genteel man-about-town, Barney, who sees himself as a polished gentleman, offers his expertise. He volunteers to teach Ernest T. how to behave and mind his manners in a social setting. The first lesson is "How to Walk into a Room."