We definitely got a frost overnight, but fortunately it wasn’t as bad as they were predicting, but hopefully enough to kill most of those nasty biting gnats, flies and mosquitos. The low areas definitely showed the frost, and once the sun came up and warmed North Iowa it’s rays, there were leaves falling off the trees, so from here on out, we’ll be seeing a lot more of it.
I had some additional bill paying and accounting to do, along with returning several emails which arrived in the night, and once all that was done, I picked up the phone and placed an over-due call to an acquaintance of mine, just to fill him in on some happenings that had taken place with people both he and I are familiar with, and since he doesn’t follow the local news, I figured he wasn’t aware of such. We had a shorter visit that I was expecting, and only because my cell phone wouldn’t stop ringing, so I had to bid him farewell for the time being. We’ll catch up on another day.
Once it warmed up enough, I changed into my work clothes and headed out to get some additional yard work done. Fortunately I had some heavier clothing which I was able to wear.
As much as I didn’t want to be bothered while working, just about every half hour there was someone either texting or calling me, so every time it happened, I had to stop, take my gloves off and respond. Of course I was happy when finding one of the calls was from my prospective buyer on the last Prairie Place on 1st we have available. We now have a morning appointment set for Tuesday to get an offer written on it. There’s no doubt in my mind it’ll be a good fit.
After I got as much done as I could, I headed over to my dear old client’s home to pick up a hefty number of black walnuts which had started dropping several days ago. Well, we were getting just enough wind to cause additional nuts to fall while I was there, and of course my client hollered at me about being careful, just so one wouldn’t be falling and hitting me in the head. For the strangest reason, there were a number of them dropping around me, but not one managed to hit me. Hearing how hard they were hitting the ground, you can bet I was picking them up as quickly as I could. I couldn’t remember how many buckets he gave me last year, so once I have them shelled, I’ll have a pretty good idea if I have the same amount I ended up with last Fall.
If I’m not mistaken, I believe I ended up with about eight and a half pounds of nut meats last year, and believe it or not, I used nearly all of them in the Christmas treats I’d prepared as gifts for a number of people. I still have a nice pile of “thank you” cards I received after Christmas was over. It’s always a fun thing to do for people who appreciate the extra effort one makes to offer them old fashioned goodies they’d likely not had in years. I don’t want to sound like an angel or saint because I’m not, but I’d much rather give during the Holidays than receive.
After I got the walnuts picked up, I stayed a while and visited with my old client, just to hear how he’s been these many months. Since he’s growing older, the aches and pains have become a daily struggle, but at least he remains upbeat about it all, which is a blessing in itself, because I know far too many who use their physical problems as an excuse for being overly-demanding and sometimes, downright nasty.
Since it was nearing the time for me to head out to a church Service, I bid him farewell, and headed back to office to get cleaned up and changed back into my street clothes. After getting everything put away and locked up, I headed out on my forty minute journey to a church I’d not darkened its doors in likely six months or more.
The drive was pleasant and the scenery was remarkable, but that afternoon traffic and endless stoplights had me nearly convinced I was going to be late, and that’s exactly what happened. Fortunately I was less than five tardy, so I slipped into an open pew and settled down.
The Service was very nice, and as chance would have it, there was a visiting missionary who was giving a presentation on a world relief fund he’s involved in. It would’ve been more enlightening if his accent wasn’t so thick, and there’s no question most of us sitting at the rear, likely understood perhaps a quarter of what he was saying. Thick accents in an echoing church, definitely doesn’t allow for a good talk. Fortunately he had the ushers hand out pamphlets which pretty much said it all.
Every time I’ve been at that church, the music has always been above average, but today was an exception because there was a woman attempting to play the piano who wasn’t keeping time, and as much as the song leader was trying all the harder to keep it together, it ended up being even more an audio aggravation. The thought crossed my mind to climb their gallery stairs after their Services were over, and ask if they’d like me to come and play for them on occasion, but that thought was immediately dismissed. As much as I truly enjoy going there, I couldn’t possibly make such a commitment when knowing how far I’d have to drive.
On my way back, I couldn’t help noticing an acreage I’d personally visited a number of years ago, and every time I drive past it, that ancient house and outbuildings appear all the more haggard. There’s no question in my mind that home-site has a very naughty entity attached to it. I dare not mention several things I experienced while there at the time, and yes, just writing about it, is giving me goosebumps.
Tonight’s One-liner is: Inside every cynical person, there’s a disappointed idealist.
