The hard work is paying off. I am finally starting to see results from about a week of shoveling gravel, digging holes and running tubing. I had decided to dig out the gutter drain and turn it into a "fake" creek with a small pool at the end. Since we live on a hill, getting the water to run into the tiny pond was easy enough but digging the gravel drain to put in a liner was a ton of heavy work. Old ladies should not be doing heavy work. I found out this after just the first day! Every muscle in my body was sore! Even muscles that I did not know I had were sore!! The days after that initial go were not too bad. I guess I became used to hurting and did not feel it as bad.
All of this hard work came about because of a sweet friend. Ann came by with a gift of a garden sign dubbing the place "Ruthie's Refuge". Well, you cannot have a sign calling something a refuge without it at least being a soothing place to be. I have long wanted my little "babbling brook" back ever since it stopped flowing several years ago. The liner went bad in what I called "Puddle Pond" and I had no time nor energy to replace it. Ann's encouragement kicked me in gear and things are getting accomplished finally.
Now, all that is needed is the aesthetic touches that will bring this part of the yard to life. A bit of lighting, some flowering plants and maybe a pretty bird feeder are next on the list to find their way into the "Refuge". Then, I can pull up my comfy wicker chair and enjoy being in my own little happy spot.
It is not often that you will come across a friendship that lasts a lifetime and when you do, cherish it like no other. Today, I was reminded of just how precious a true friend is by one of my oldest and dearest. Son and I were working on a few "inside" chores as rain left us pretty much housebound. The small room where "my" tools are stored needed a good cleaning. This glorified closet space, not only contains a lot of my more rugged art supplies such as drills and saws but houses a good many of his tools that are used to create clue hunt props. There are also about a billion and one nails and screws jammed in tubs, jars and boxes. Those containers had our attention today and were scattered about the living room floor as we sorted.
Along about noontime, there was a gentle tapping at the door. A surprise visitor to the Bayou was notifying us of her arrival. As I opened the door, she and I both squealed in delight as if it had been a lifetime since we last saw each other. It matters not that it has just been a few weeks as we were equally excited. Ann was one of my very first friends outside of the family. She and I started school together and graduated together but then went our separate ways. A few years back, we reunited as if not a minute had passed between our time together despite the fact that it had been years and years. Friendships that are meant to be have no time boundaries, obviously.
Ann came bearing a gift of the sweetest sort. She had a very unique garden sign created for my funky gardens. On it, she put my childhood name "Ruthie". She is one of a mere handful of folks who even remember that was the name I used for the first six years of my life. Now, my gardens have a name "Ruthie's Refuge". How fitting is that?? I immediately acquired Son's help to hang the sign across the "creek bed" that I am creating as a drain for the roof runoff. Once the area is completely cleaned and landscaped, this will likely become one of my favorite spots in the yard and really will be my refuge! Thanks, Ann. Not only for the incredible gift but also for the lifetime of true friendship. I cherish each and every moment.
