April 3 (Sunday) 8:00 pm
Very busy these days. Seven weeks of school left. Yesterday I started work on the fence, which will
enclose the entire acre. A co-worker from school agreed to lend me a hand. I figure that a couple of weeks
or so will be required to finish the job -- that is because we can only work weekends, and only on certain
days at that.
In the meantime the azaleas I planted are doing well and sprouting shoots. One of the cherry trees I
planted has already bloomed. Riverbend was already a gorgeous place; now it is going to get better. I
hope to plant more azaleas and some more flowering trees.
Buddy is in need of a visit to the vet, as is Smoky and Fred and Lu Lu. Sasha may need a visit also. Most of
the needs are allergies due to fleas.
April 4 (Monday) 7:41 pm
A visit to the cardiologist today. Clean bill of health, but I managed to convince the doc to schedule a
thallium stress test for next week -- just to be sure.
Work on the fence began in earnest this weekend and a couple of helping hands were on hand today to
continue the work. I had to leave for the doctor visit, and we were rained out at midday anyway. And what a
storm it was! When I arrived home the rain had mostly subsided, but Willie was a mess. He is much like
Clyde was -- very afraid of thunder and storms in general. Willie would not leave me alone for a couple of
hours after I arrived home, but he is better now. Normally he is just a little feller, but today he was a scared
little feller.
We shall finish the fence in due time and eventually Riverbend will be covered in flowering trees and
shrubs. I shall line the fence with azaleas and forsythia, wisteria and bridal wreath. I just hope that the
fence holds the dogs.
April 11 (Monday) 5:01 am
The fence is virtually done, and yesterday I allowed the dogs to run free, two or three at a time. Finally the
dogs get to stretch their legs! Of course, the fence must be "broken" in: since the yard is not exactly flat in
all areas there are minor gaps here and there under the fence. I shall have let the dogs out by little and
little, watching and observing, patching here and patching there, ever vigilant that the dogs don't break
their outer bounds. Grace, as expected, went straight for the fence, probing for a way to get out. The
fenced in area is actually larger than that, which the dogs had at Willow Oak, so there should be plenty of
room for the dogs to roam.
Willie was a hoot. When he finished his run he was so hot that he took a swim in his water bowl upon his
return. Oscar and Scamp declined their opportunity to run, but otherwise everything went off without a
hitch.
Nancy will be here later today. She will be excited to see the fence and all the work that is going on around
here. There is brush everywhere, where I have been cutting and trimming bushes and trees.
April 14 (Thursday) 5:10 am
We have been allowing the dogs access to the yard each day now that the fence is up. So far there have
been no incidents with the fence -- Grace made a half-hearted attempt to find a way out, but to no avail.
There is now plenty of room for the dogs to spread out and run around, and Grace runs as much as anyone.
Yesterday the dogs got to do something they have not had the opportunity to do since we left Willow Oak:
chase a car. Fully three hundred feet of fence is bordered by our road, and although they cannot actually
get to the car (or the road), they can chase cars along the fence -- and they love to do that -- especially Sam,
Grace, and Taz.
I am anxious to get Lu Lu, Fred, Buddy, Sasha, and Smoky to a vet. Four of the group have flea allergies,
and Smoky has a growth on his ear. I am hoping that Smoky's growth is benign.
April 25 (Monday) 7:45 pm
Only a few weeks of school left. Right now I am having to prepare for several different classes due to
teacher absentee. Fortunately I am certified to teach in math and biology. Tomorrow I shall be teaching
advanced math, calculus, and algebra 2, I think; otherwise, I shall be teaching algebra 1 and remedial math.
Whatever I do I enjoy being in the classroom, and I enjoy preparing and teaching.
The fence is finished, and the dogs are free to run and play within the confines of 1-acre Riverbend. The
pecan trees are in full leaf, and the day lilies are beginning to bloom. I've contracted to have a few dead
pine trees cut down, and some ancient stumps ground. The azaleas I planted are doing great, as is the
forsythia I transplanted. My next task is to build a cat pen and attach it to the house where the cats will be
allowed access to one room. I still must add on to the back of the house and provide a cover for the dogs
when they are outside. The dogs are allowed on the front porch, but eventually I want to exclude them from
there. There is so much to do: fix the screen doors; install linoleum in the cat room; spray the yard for fleas
and ticks. There is so much to do in the yard yet. It appears that the yard hasn't received good attention in
20 years. But the yard is so beautiful, with the huge and ancient pecans, the crepe myrtle about to bloom;
the fig trees full of fruit; wild grapes and blackberries; blue birds and cardinals; squirrels and rabbits.
I had another nuclear stress test today and received a clean bill of health. I consumed only water until well
after 2:00 pm. For someone who consumes great quantities of Community coffee, that was excruciating.