I had made plans with an old friend to meet for lunch at the Hotel Clarence (http://www.hotelclarence.com/) in Seneca Falls, about halfway between her home in East Bloomfield and the Skaneateles RE/MAX office. The purpose was to re-connect, but also to celebrate her birthday. Of course the snow changed everything, and we decided to postpone our lunch.
But I grew up in snow, so to me playing in it was welcome. Bob has a flu thing going for the third day, so I trudged out with Boo for the early morning...well, trudge. Not cold enough for skis, and I wasn't ready for snowshoes. This was just exploratory.
We went up to the fields behind our property and the wind almost took us both away. Boo loved it, running circles while I slid on the mud and wet leaves under the snow coming down the trail. We got to an area we call The Arboretum where we've planted a few trees over the years, a cleared out section in the middle of our acreage. Bob has planted and cleared, I should say. I am the official admirer. This is also where Boo waits to get his treat and a lead put on so he doesn't invade the neighbor's yard on the way back home.
While Boo waited, I noticed that one of the cages surrounding a sapling had fallen over. The sapling (probably less than that) was one of his prized pawpaws. (If you don't know pawpaws, you are not alone...unless you lived in southeastern Ohio or know the kids' jingle..."Picking up pawpaws, Put them in your pocket, Save them for a rainy day..." you may never have heard of pawpaws.) So I picked up the cage - very carefully - and the top two-thirds snapped. I felt so badly!
I 'fessed up when we got to the house. Bob thought and thought, told me it was okay, then dressed in his snowsuit and with Boo went out to investigate. He bound the poor little thing up with red wire, covered the cage with an old t-shirt, and came back home. To find out that I had turned the pellet stove down and it had gone out. Such an awful start to Friday the 13th!
It got better from there. Not that the three properties I am waiting to close got a scheduled closing date, or anything. But we settled in to a quiet day of "Words with Friends" (me) and updating his iPod (Bob). The next Friday the 13th I won't take as lightly! Or make plans!
Enjoy the snow! And if you want more information check out the Pawpaw Festival near one of my alma maters, Ohio University in Athens: http://www.ohiopawpawfest.com/ or www.fred.net/kathy/pawpaws.html for more general information.
