Holtz Realty

Several people had mentioned today how it was just a bit on the chilly side for them, but after those many days of being beaten by high heat and humidity, I personally considered it a welcome reprieve.  Thank goodness the fly population is going down.  For a few weeks there, I thought we were being invaded from all directions.  The biting ones are the most annoying. Whenever I’m out near the edge of the City, I start getting pestered by horseflies.  Enough years couldn’t go by for me to forget what those biting devils were like when growing up on the farm.

Most don’t realize how dangerous biting flies can make it for people outside while working around animals.  They pester cows and horses to the point where they’re always edgy and irritable.  There were times when I thought a cow was going to charge at me, and moments later discovering it was simply trying to get away from the flies.

Back when I rode horses, the most difficult times for me to handle them was when they were under attack by flies. Horseflies seemed to always get them the most fidgety. Those small black ear flies were almost as bad, so if you had all three types descending on them, you might as well forget about riding that day.

Shortly after my grandfather was married, he almost lost his life due to his team of horses getting spooked by a swarm of biting flies while driving a load of loose hay out of the field to their barn for storage.  He said that cloud of flies came out of nowhere which made his horses go crazy.  They started running at full speed towards the barn to get away from them while he was doing all he could to control them, but when they arrived in the dooryard, they did a sharp turn which caused the hayrack to tip half over and get hung up with another wagon.  Unfortunately, he was forcefully throw between the two wagons where he was pinned.  The doctor gave my grandmother the bad news of him likely not making it thru the night due his severe internal injuries and bone breaks.  Believe it or not, he survived and lived well into his 80’s.  The only permanent visible change in him, was his chest and collar bone protruding out farther than what you’d normally see.   I don’t even want to think about the excruciating pain he must’ve had to endure for weeks and likely months before his injuries were healed. We must remember, back in those times, they didn’t have opioids.  So you see, biting flies can make an animal,s disposition change in an instant.

I had a late afternoon showing at my in-town acreage at 801 W. Main in Fertile.  The viewing went very well to where it won’t surprise me if they call for another look.  They asked all the right questions and were happy with my answers.  Today was a perfect day to show it because the views of the countryside were all the more fabulous.  Because they were very much into views, I said, “I’d trim those two maple trees up higher so to provide a more panoramic view.”  Most people don’t realize how important views are when living in a home–especially if they’re nature lovers.

I took my time driving that short stretch back to Clear Lake so to absorb all the more the near portrait-perfect bucolic settings.  I do wish I had my camera with me because there was a herd of brown beef cattle that would’ve been worthy of a page on a calendar.  I’ve got to start remembering to take my camera with me more often when driving out of town.

Tonight’s one-liner is:  Simplicity is Nature’s first step and the last of art.