WordSisters

Author: cmkraack

  • Fall Morning

    Earlier this week I ate breakfast, sitting in a chair on the deck, wrapped in a fleece blanket. With a morning temp in the lower fifties, the conditions were not exactly perfect and I did not care. These beautiful days of early fall are too precious to waste. Three weeks ago, our temps still tried to top ninety and in three weeks from now the mornings may well have forties at seven. Maybe we’ll flirt with hot temps before the big dive.

    The birds are becoming scarce. The wild turkeys are an exception. They peck our windows and doors to protect themselves from themselves. Yesterday they jumped to peck at the car’s sideview mirrors. Out in the water ducks are gathering in large numbers. In Minnesota the geese migrate honking good-bye. The tourists are here for fall festivals with freedom to drink alcohol and dance in the streets. Summer residents have started their migration to permanent addresses or warmer places. 

    Peacefully alive is what I call being wrapped in that old blanket, eyes closed, listening to breezes in trees still covered by leaves. A neighbor’s dogs are making noise. A deer cautions people and dogs to back off. Her six-month-old fawns independently forage and explore but will stay near her through the winter. They have already eaten our Hosta and hydrangea and other flowering plants. Food will become more difficult to find.

    Summer’s bookmarks will not all be featured in this year’s photo calendar. Kids, grandkids, families and friends get all the smiling pictures. My husband had a one-month bout with kidney stones including two surgeries in June/July and now is in week three of a back injury.   Our dog passed in August. We had weeks of forest fire smoke topping off the hottest summer in meteorological measures. Except for bugs and heat, summer mornings eating breakfast outside were pretty fine as well.

    Enjoying a cool drink or the comforts of a cozy blanket and something to read are treasured simple activities. Don’t forget everything that can be seen was covered by 33 inches of snow just six months ago.  

    A serene forest scene with trees displaying vibrant green and yellow leaves, creating a rich autumnal atmosphere.

  • The Company of Others

    Six of us sitting around a table in a nice restaurant. Maybe as much as twenty years difference between the youngest and oldest. We don’t ask about age. Fish tacos, salads, a burger ordered. A few look tired, most are having a good day. One open chair because someone had to work.

    Serious personal challenges stir under the calm surface of at least a couple of the women, but those may remain unnamed. Before talk turns to general interests, pictures of grandchildren pass around the table spreading the happiness tiny ones generate. Dogs and landscaping photos are admired. We are inspired to share our own child-rearing and volunteer work with young kids, funny stories of pets, grumbles about critters eating hostas and geraniums and hydrangeas. We relax in the warmth of our regular monthly gathering before iced tea and sodas are delivered. Much later our discussion may move to deeper topics. Usually move to deeper topics.

    I can’t speak about how the guys gathering for breakfast on Thursday mornings settle into their friend time. I’ve watched out of the corner of my eye more than once. They’re drinking coffee, eating large amounts of food, laughing, listening quietly, voices loud then back to conversational level. Back pats as they leave. Most digging keys out of pockets as they head two by two to the exit.

    We don’t leave as best friends forever, but we carry away a small piece of caring for each other, a bit of comfort from the time passed together, reminders that we are not on the journey alone. 

    This is my first blog written without the presence of Rocky, our family companion, who passed in August. He also appreciated the company of others.

  • Dogs and Aging Families

    When do people become too old to share their homes with a new dog? How do middle-aged dogs and older people find each other?

    During his annual vet visit in February 2020, Rocky was found to have a heart murmur. Covid locked down our city before we could take him to a doggie cardiologist. That visit never happened because Rocky continued his happy, boisterous life.

    Walk ahead to 2025 when Rocky hit his senior years. Since dogs pack a lot into lives of ten to fifteen years, their aging process is more compact. More dramatic. Medication helped with high blood pressure and easing anxiety due to dementia. A chiropractor supported with home exercises and massage kept his rear legs working. Playing smaller versions of fetch accommodated diminished vision. The adaptation grows.

    Over years, not months, so will ours. For Rocky we’re able to be solid caregivers.  I am not sure that I will be physically capable of supporting another dog through their final years. But how would we walk away from a beloved future family member because we’re all aging? 

    Cats and some rodent pets are not options because of allergies. We’ve done fish and snails when kids were young. None of them check any boxes of what I value in a companion creature. Spending the rest of our lives without a furry friend is hard to accept. Foster care is kind of like babysitting a neighbor’s child now and then. Can be physically demanding.  Entertaining. Heart-warming. Then the baby or child goes home and there’s no one to talk to at midnight when sleep is elusive.

     Maybe there are dog-share programs or lease a pet centers with humane housing for dogs in transition. 

    Maybe the quiet house will grow on us after Rocky’s life is over.