This is a telling of how storms can create, not only havoc, but strange happenings. If you recall, a dear friend brought a very unique garden sign to the Bayou. I have known this lady since I was a mere tyke so the sign was much appreciated and much loved. It was immediately hung at the entrance of the gardens where it could be fully enjoyed. Since the sign was created from a huge piece of driftwood, it only seemed fitting to use oarlocks as the hanging brackets. Two oarlocks were inserted into pipes and used as handy sign posts. It worked like a charm and made for an easy removal of the sign for the storm event we just endured.
This morning, after a very rough night of wind and torrential rains, Son and I went to observe and take inventory of what needed repairing. One of the first things he noted was that a huge oak limb had fallen and hit the roof of the house. Then, he spied that one of my oarlocks had been yanked from the metal pipe. The oarlock was nowhere to be seen. Son decided that the tree limb must have bounced off the house and hit the pipe sending the oarlock into flight. We searched and searched but to no avail. Of course, debris was everywhere and could have been covering the 9 inch oarlock.
Finally, a triumphant "Aha!" sounded and Son held up the wayward oarlock. It had been flung over 25 feet from its station in the pipe! Imagine the force taken to sling a heavy, iron oarlock some twenty feet....INTO a 50 mph wind! It sure made me glad that I was inside when this strange event happened! First, the falling limb, itself, presented danger but, if I had been hit by the 1 lb iron oarlock being flung with that much force, my head may have been knocked asunder!
After storms of this sort, one finds all sorts of odd things. Some are trash. Some are treasures. Some simply are purely strange. Tomorrow begins cleanup and pier rebuilding. We will have a busy two weeks of hard work.
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.
