Sometimes it’s small things
By mid-afternoon today, I was pleasantly pooped out. Already been a full day. Took a break, went out on the deck and, under the scant shade reaching the deck from a stand of 60 foot sycamores, did something I’d not done in 17 years.
You see, 17 years (maybe a tad longer) ago, I laid down (actually gave away) my pipes and favorite macanudos and simply stopped using tobacco. At all. But… a while ago I found a pipe that had missed the housecleaning. Not one of the pricey ones; just a lil bulldog. Nice feel in the hand, though. Then, while cleaning out a stash of stuff not gone through since, well, several moves, I found about two pipesful of 17-year-old blend. A nice aroma still, but dry.
Today, I rehydrated the old tobacco, poured a cuppa joe and took a break on the deck having my first pipeful in 17 years. One of my son’s dogs came and laid down at my feet. Watched the raccoon the dogs have treed about 25 feet up one of the sycamores, smoked and drank some joe. Enjoyable. Even blew a few rings. But when the cuppa coffee was gone, I knocked out the half a pipeful that was left and that’s it. No desire for more, just a pleasant “remembrances†time.
Next pleasant memory: cue up.
Sidebar: after my break, Some activity broke out in the northeast corner of the yard. Lotsa squalling. It was time to investigate the racoon thing more thoroughly. Yep. As usual. Marauders invade the Big Dog Domain and come up short. A good reason to keep The Boys’ rabies shots current. Besides the very large racoon treed up the sycamore, two dead ones and a badly injured racoon (the source of the ruckus—apparently tried to make a break for it). Disposed of the dead ones. Observed the injured one. Nope. Not gonna make it. Broken back, other severe injuries. Sent him to be with his siblings. *sigh* It’s the way of nature. Don’t mess with the big dogs if you don’t have the muscle to pull it off.
One thing for sure: we’ve not had the problem our neighbor had with snakes (he frequently found cottonmouths in his yeard) and squirrels do NOT mess with the birdfeed I put out. Territorial dogs? Very. Nice boys, though.