Summer is Ending

Dad won his golf match and his team won their tournament, the team ended 1-5, Dad called it, all's well that ends well.

Called the mover, who cannot confirm if moving day is the 17th or 18th yet, and researched where to stay on my way to Idaho. I decided to stop in Fernley, just past Reno. It will be Friday night, what do you think is going on in Fernley on a Friday night? I plan on getting there early with plenty of time to rest before I have to go out and do it again. I'm taking my car in for a check up on Monday. I am trying to get as prepared as I can, but I am getting a bit frightened of that drive by myself. It's not any different than my road trip, except for my cats, and I wasn't frightened on my road trip. Is it just being responsible for something else besides myself that is scaring me?

I stayed up late last night (late for me) writing the answers to the questions on an Idaho State job application that was due today. These take a really long time, but I can reuse my answers. I was going to complete the application last night, then decided it was too dark to walk from the studio to the house and it could wait, then twisted my ankle, then could not sleep. I should have stayed up and watched the meteor shower. Meteor showers are not unusual, but it is unusual to have them when there is very little moon to obscure the view and last night it was very, very dark here. Too spooky to sleep.

This morning I sent my application early, before I have to compete with Dad for the computer, and found out what animal is leaving footprints all over my car. A flock of birds, all over the top of my car, having a morning dew drink.

I went to my favorite store, Home Depot, to buy one more box, and took some time to walk through the garden section and admire all of the plants I love that will not grow in Idaho. Most of them will not even grow at Dad's, bougainvillea, lantana, cape plumbago, crepe myrtle, flowering pear. I can grow a maple and I'm looking forward to planting one at my new place. I used to plant a tree every year for my birthday, and sometimes one for Lauren, too. I walked out of Home Depot and noticed I'm missing a wheel cover, or do they still call them hubcaps? I wonder when that happened.

I called the IRS today, everything seems to be cleared up and I actually talked to someone who was nice and not a moron.

The next enlightenment topic is Time, with the poem "On Time" by John Milton. It's long, so I'm not going to post it, but the idea is that the one thing that can defeat the passage of time is eternity. Eternity takes over and shows us the timelessness of truth, peace, and love. Yea, but by then we are dead. This is not helping. Live your life every day without regret, without words unspoken, make your amends, then time is not your enemy.

Next is Humility, with the poem "Solitude" by Alexander Pope,

Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air
In his own ground.

Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire;
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter fire.

Blest, who can unconcern'dly find
Hours, days, and years, slide soft away
In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day.

Sound sleep by night; study and ease
Together mix'd, sweet recreation,
And innocence, which most does please
With meditation.

Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me die;
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie.

Nice poem, but the man sounds like he's got it good and just doesn't want anyone to see or know him. Is that humility? I prefer my friend's, humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. Anyway, the more I talk about humility, the less humble I sound.