The Key to Happiness!

  With "heat warnings" being blasted over the weather reports, it seemed to be a good idea to spend most of the day indoors.  After my usual morning outdoor chores, I retreated inside to clean a small storage room that was close to exploding.  After four hours of work, I was done.  Nope.  The room is not finished as I need to freshen it with a coat of paint but at least, for the moment, it is clean!  But, as I said, I was done!  Finished!  Worn out!  Ready to escape!  So, I did.

  The old dog and I headed out the front door and to the first shady spot we found.  Before I could even plop down on the cool grass, another chore was spied.  Ok. Mr. PJ, you stay right there until I get my pail.  The figs needed picking and that was one chore that I did not mind doing!  Nigh on two gallons of ripe figs were dangling on the branches and a couple of dozen birds were hoping to make a meal of them.  Nope...not happening!  I ran to get my pail.

   Picking the figs made the brain wobble back in time to the old farm.  There, Pop had fruit trees of all sorts but his fig trees were amazing.  For years after his death, I had a recurring dream about Pop and his fig trees.  In the dream, he is telling me that the "key to my happiness is buried under the largest fig tree."  I so wanted to go dig up that tree but one thing or another got in the way and eventually, the farm was sold.  A subdivision of large homes now sits on the very site.  I often wonder if there really was something under that old fig tree or if it was merely a dream.  I guess I will never know.  Sorry, Pop.  At least, you can be proud that I learned how to grow fig trees and that makes me happy!