Yesterday

Yesterday was a pleasant day. At daybreak I went for a bike ride, which was about 8.5 miles and took 61 minutes. This time of the year the Bartlett Pear trees in bloom is such a pleasure to the eye.

When you see the little trees in a row down a road or a driveway you might say, “Yes, there is a god!” Or you might say, “Yes, there is a landscaper!”

All those blooming trees with white or pink blooms are a pleasure to the eyes and do make life seem more pleasurable.

However!!! Those blooms and other blooms from other things in the plant world are actually making life miserable for many people at the moment. Here in Metro Atlanta the pollen count is up over 5000. A pollen count of 1000 would be considered high, but 5000. Choke!

You can tell the pollen count is way up because a yellowish greenish fuzz seems to cover everything, but more noticeable on cars. The pollen you can see is ok to your body – it cannot be inhaled… however, the pollen you can’t see is another story.

You can wear one of those masks you see doctors manicurists wear. Or, you can take a daily tablespoon of locally produced honey. The local honey will have the same pollen that causes the problems. The local honey is a type of vaccination. Or that is what I believe anyway.

While riding my bike I rode by a little road off a main thoroughfare that I have rode by many times. The little slim road is sort of a separated from a very nice subdivision and an office park. I decided to venture down the road.

When I ride my bike down a strange road I haven’t been before I proceed in a very cautionary manner. These types of lonely roads are where dogs have peed their perimeter to set up their legal property lines. I came upon an old rundown house with a several junky cars and trucks in the driveway and parked on the other side of the street. The front porch light was on; which tells me some people lived there. Curiously, one of the vehicles was yellow HERO pickup truck.

A HERO vehicle in Metro Atlanta travels the main highways, mainly the expressways looking for motorists with problems, whether with a flat tire, overheated radiator, or whatever. HERO helps them, for a price of course, you expect them to do it free? After all, it is private company.

Right past the house was a big loop that went around a few pine trees. I looped around and returned to the main road, with no dogs or HEROs chasing me.

Nearer noon I was out piddling in the yard picking up little branches and surveying what I need to do and Jim, my 85 year old neighbor materialized as he always does when I go out. He mentioned he hasn’t seen me for a couple of weeks and was I ok? I told him I was fine, I was “just being me.” Which was my way of saying I am a bit of a recluse.

Jim told me he walked across the street yesterday (now, the day before yesterday) to check on the new neighbors swimming pool they were having repaired and a dog from over at Bob and Joe’s house barked at him. He looked over, there were several boats in the back yard. At least they were not in the front yard, I complained to Bob about boats in the front yard before. Of course Bob is in the Big House now, but I suppose Joe is carrying out my wishes. Jim saw a dog with about a 15’ chain on under a boat. Jim walked over and looked closely, and the dog didn’t have water. There was a dry bowl there so he picked up the bowl and went over the water hydrant and the hydrant did not have a handle. He walked around the house to use the one in the front but it didn’t have a handle either. However, a hose was hooked up to it and it was on. The on and off was controlled by the hose faucet. So, the dog got water, which he seemed to appreciate Jim said.

Jim said he was going to give Joe a piece of his mind about leaving the dog without water when he saw him next. Jim is a good neighborhood constable.

Yesterday evening I went to the Cobb Genealogical Society meeting and all day I have been concerned with what I ate because I did not want to have gas. The last two meetings I attended I had gas and was in a state of silent (but deadly) flatulency. In fact, at the last meeting during my episode a woman seated in front of me turned around and briefly looked at me, but also looked around – was she looking for someone in the room or did she want to who was cooking the eggs. I have know the woman since she was an 8 year old brat. I ran around with her brother when we were teenagers, but apparently she has not recognized me, although we renewed our acquaintances a few years ago at a funeral… but I know I went in her mind and went right out.

Not wanting to have a reputation as “The Farter” I watched what I hate yesterday.

When you enter the room for the meeting you are to sign one of lists. One list is for members. One list is for visitors. And you are to put on a blue name tag if you are a visitor or a red name tag if you are a member. That woman was manning the table to make sure people signed the right list. When I reached for the members list to sign she said, “Sir, are you a member?” She didn’t know me from Jack.

Why am I not surprised?