When a person is sick with the flu, their brain often does not work clearly. Mine surely does not! This afternoon, I peeked out the window to see the sun shining brightly and that did it! I grabbed a jacket, called to the dog and made yet another great escape. Being confined to a sick house, even when I am sick, is more than I can bear. While the menfolks were napping like good patients, I was ambling along the path soaking up that glorious sunshine!
Although I felt well enough for a stroll, the brain kept coming up with strange thoughts such as "How many baby minnows does it take to make a school?" Do you know? I do not but there were thousands of the little jokers playing in the shallows. They were enjoying the bright sun just as much as I was.
Another thought..."Why do flying squirrels prefer to gnaw hickory nuts from the pointy end while grey squirrels go to work on the side?" That is another of life's great mysteries at least to a flu-muddled brain. If you have the answer, it would be great to know.
Also, "Why do smilax vines so closely resemble a spiderweb?" Spiders and vines have nothing in common yet their intricate work can be comparable. (I should have photographed the vine before PJ rent it asunder with his plodding but I was slow on the take and about as befuddled as a cat chasing its tail.)
The good news? I felt much better after being out and about. Fresh air, sunshine, doggy friend and lots of wonders of the world can make all the difference. Back to the menfolk...they have the three "C's".... crouping, coughing and complaining. I guess it is best that I escape now and again to try and preserve what little sanity I have left! Just how many minnows does it take???
Yesterday when I made my great escape from the "sick house", I had a feeling. Something just did not feel quite right with the old body so I knew it was just a matter of time before the inevitable happened and I caught this nasty bug from Mark and Son. Mark seems to have encountered someone somewhere that was ill and he carried the stuff back to the Little Bayou House. Son caught it soon after since they were working side by side on house repairs. So, I took care of the two of them. Now, who is going to care for me? Me, I guess. I knew it was going to happen and, sure enough, I woke up this morning with the telltale signs of headache, scratchy throat, nausea, muscle aches and chills. This stuff is not happy. It racks the body until it seems that it is about to go to pieces.
But...back to that great escape and the omen that I should have heeded or, at least, paid attention and done something...anything...to ward off this illness. The omen? A trio of turkey vultures circled above our heads as we lounged on the pier. The old dog was oblivious to what was soaring high in the sky but I was pondering what had their attention. Lets hope it was not me! Go away vultures! I ain't dead yet!!
The Bayou Fire brew has been fermenting now for some two months. It has been waiting for someone to fall ill and need a "helping hand". Hopefully, that will be all it takes to nip this stuff in the bud but, if not, a visit to the doctor may be in the near future. I have made threats to people that they are not to bring illness to the Little Bayou House but, in all fairness, Mark lives here and it was unavoidable. So now...Folks, stay away from the Little Bayou House as we are sick folk here! And do go away, vultures!
The past few days have been taxing. With the menfolk in the household ill, all of the chores have fallen on my shoulders, once again. This includes caring for the two fellows and a sick cat. There is not a lot of sleep on my agenda as of late! That said, I do what I can. This morning, my day started at 3:30 am. The weather took a turn for the worse. High winds and a drizzly rain woke me from a sound sleep. Uh, oh. The evening before saw me outside gathering carpenter tools from the scaffolding, covering lumber and unplugging extension cords. The illness hit the menfolk while they were in the middle of doing repairs on the Little Bayou House. Massive headaches, body aches and fever made them abandon the task and head indoors. Once I got them settled in for the duration, I had to clean the mess. Then, fast forward to the wee hours of the morn, and it occurred to me that I had forgotten to cover one stack of lumber and close the shed door. So...there was nothing to do but get up, head outside and remedy the situation. While it only took a few moments to tend to the forgotten tasks, I could not go back to sleep. I was up for the day.
Chores done, menfolk dosed with medicines, animals tended, floors cleaned from a sick cat, bedding changed and laundered, firewood gathered and meals cooked and I was ready for a break! Just about twelve hours after I arose for the morning, I had a chance to relax for a few minutes. That relaxation took me to the pier...better known as my "happy place". I just had to escape the confines of the sick house even if it was just to sit and stare at the mudflats for a while. The old dog and I sat side by side for a good half hour. He seemed to understand that "I" needed a bit of attention. We sat together enjoying each other's company. Good old Mr. PJ!
Hopefully, the menfolk will be on the mend soon. I am exhausted. Just last month, both were hurt in minor accidents and all of the combined chores fell to be my responsibility. I need a break! I want to sit back and relax! I want to do something fun! I want to breathe.....
