Summertime and the livin' is HOT!

Almost August's curtain call and it is 100+ degrees daily.  My prompt in Underground Railroad (Jill Badonsky) for this week was to write as if summer were a person. Here is my "off the cuff" quickie:

If summer were a person, she would expose herself, wearing shorts even to the post office, Walmart, with an attitude of letting go.

Summer would take her bra off as soon as she comes into her home and keep it off, even when delicately watering the plants and the neighbor dude comes over to chat.

Summer would heed the water and electricity conservation warnings because she wants the air conditioning to keep operating for all.

Summer would mourn the plants that dried up.

Summer would take a sabbatical from the kitchen.

If summer were a person, she would spend more hours reading and less time fretting about the house, the unsold rv and climate change. 

If summer were a person, she would make sure her fans were turning counter clockwise.

If summer were a person, daily siestas would be her mandatory mantra.

If summer were a person she would acknowledge her own individual voice of creativity just like fall, winter and spring so dauntlessly did before her.

Creating a Wildlife Habitat

How to Make Your Yard a Certified Wildlife Habitat - Native Backyards

I am onto this project! My backyard cottage garden is destined to become a natural wildlife habitat requiring the following:

• Water – provide at least once source of water
• Food – provide at least two food sources
• Shelter – provide at least two sources of cover
• Places to Raise Young – provide at least two places to mate and raise young
• Sustainable Practices – engage in at least two categories of sustainable practices

I will be planting Texas native plants and taking small steps to creating my backyard paradise for birds, butterflies, hummingbirds and all God's critters. I thought of persuing this project years ago but alas, probably got sidetracked with living experiences and work.

Now I am ready to do it "right." In this 100+ degree Texas heat, my hours outside are limited, but the delight in planning it and pursuing the project online is happening right now. This is undoubtedly an ongoing forever undertaking!!

Interestingly, the certification process is completed on the honor system with the certificate available for $20. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Why I Write

I am in the throes of taking another online class. This short four week course with Therapy Writing Institute is "The Slant Truth" with Nancy Scherlong as facilitator. Therapeutic Writing Institute – The professional training division of the Center for Journal Therapy (twinstitute.net)

Seeking to become a CJF, Certified Journal Facilitator, I usually sign up for one class per session.

Below is my reflection to Nancy's prompts and poems she included in her first week's readings. 

                                 Why I Write

Joan Didion  writes to “ find out what I’m thinking” and there I be! I write to seek guidance as the pen is more powerful than my intuition. Perhaps the pen is my intuition. No conscious reasoning is needed to make the pen move, to allow the pen its freedom. My pen, my secret weapon? I write to figure out what to do next. I write to figure out what not to do next which just might be more powerful than doing. I share my passions with the pen and as the ink dries the passions drift into nebulous (sometimes) anxieties. Then I know to eliminate the exposed passion. I write to whittle down possibilities. I write to eliminate anxieties, the wrongs, the rights and to face the actualities. I write to have something to cross out. I clarify as the pen displays brilliancy among thistles growing in my garden. Aaahh yes, my garden of words struggling to survive in this prickly word world. Everyone says it better than I. Sometimes I write to keep up with them. Most of the time I am not in the lead. However the option to be persistent outlives my pessimism that this world needs not my words, but my compassion.  And so I write more, to uncover the compassion that hopefully will press me into action. 

I keep writing and suddenly, I am overcome by the sheer indulgence, (the madness,) the meaninglessness, the ridiculousness of this list. (Terry Tempest Williams)

 

Axel Shopping

Today we went axel shopping. It isn't a top priority of mine, but alas, when the axel needs replacing, well, the rubber hits the road, literally and a new axel must be found.

The rv man just texted me and found one for this 30' travel trailer we have owned three years. It will cost $495 plus shipping.

And then hopefully, Eddie here in Anson, Texas will be able to put it on the trailer, add the spare tire/wheel and we're ready to go to Should Bee.

It is just another challenge when rving and stuck and relying on others to help out. And yes, we are getting help! Eddie came yesterday and removed the axel. Harley here at the rv park picked up Eddie at his house. We then went to the local trailer repair place and that gentleman sent us to Abilene, 30 miles down the road. We were discouraged with our first stop, but then Rick at Young's RV said he thought he had a source for this axel. He found one and we will be picking it up later this week, we think.

Harley owns this lovely Anson rv park and has been a source of great help. We just paid him the weekly rate of $165 to leave our trailer here until we can pick up the axel.

Now here are the facts! I have been planning on selling this trailer and surfed online thinking I could legitimately ask $26,000. Now as I look again I see that maybe I'll be fortunate to get $22 thousand.

Harley has offered me $17,000 and will take it "as is." Maybe I should really consider this offer. Maybe I will end up putting an additional $2,000 in it. What to do?