Rain For Us

 It was a strange day in many ways. Clouds became heavier and darker and at three pm or so, a thunderstorm that dropped a lot of rain and it came with hurricane force winds that toppled a tree in the neighborhood. Fortunately it didn't do any damage when it fell, and that was lucky. It'll be a big job to remove, however. It just stayed dark after that. Warm and humid but it looked a lot like late September. This morning is cool and humid. I just had to put on my muck boots and do some work outside. There is always something to do, always some improvement I can make. In fact, I was working outside yesterday when the storm broke. I completed that job in the nick of time. But the entire day felt very much "off". I have a better feeling today. Who knows what accounts for these changes of internal climate? This morning I had one skunk and one possum outside. The critters come and the critters go. I like critters more than I like people, as a rule. Critters are never offensive, but most people ARE offensive. They have "ideas" and they have "opinions" and they have "beliefs" and rarely are such things inoffensive and rarely are such things in any way rational. Critters are not afflicted with the sorts of brains that make them even remotely as dangerous and twisted as a human being, and unless they are rabid, they are entirely benign. I'm happy to be in a position that permits me to be very selective. Of course that means a substantial degree of isolation, but the alternative is unacceptable. The greatest joy of retirement, for me, was escape from forced associations. And of course, my time became my own. What a wonderful gift that was.