Must'nt Fool Mother Nature

When my sons were in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts we went on a number of camping jamboree trips over a few years to Camp Bert Adams east of Atlanta and Woodruff Camp north of Blairsville.

At these scouting camp outs there was a lady who declared herself “Mother Nature”. “Mother Nature” had a costume of some sort that made her look like the part she was playing. As the kids past her stationary post on a trail she would tell them she was Mother Nature and would point out natural things within their view and tell them how in nature all living things depend on other living things for survival.

Mother Nature had a booming voice and an air of authority about her. She commanded respect. Then, before she retired, she was a teacher in a Catholic school. She and her husband took an active role as leaders in the Atlanta Scouting community

From then on, we have known her as "Mother Nature" even tho we know her last name, which is rare unusual name for this area, I always address her "Mrs." and her real last name" Once I say that there is no guessing on their part if I know them or not.

In time their son grew up and went out on his own, leaving Mother Nature and Mr. Mother Nature to themselves.

They live about three blocks from us. Being the invisible person I am and also the most forgettable character she and her husband has ever met, each time we run into each other it is like they are meeting me for the first time until they realize by what I talk about I know them, then they pretend to know me. And I’m sure, once I am out of their sight I am out of their mind and the whole process is repeated the next time I run into either of them.

I usually run into Mother Nature at the Post Office. I always say something to her to let her know I know something about their life. At first she looks puzzled, then I think she fakes knowing me and tells me the latest with her. The last time she told me they are expecting Canadian house guests and they don’t even know them that well. She said they met a few years ago at a model train collector’s show. I asked did they do model trains and she told me their backyard is full of tracks, small little towns and mountains and so on. That has been there joint hobby, making a miniature train terrain with little choo choos going around the tracks. She said the Canadians invited themselves and said they will stay three days before they drive on to Florida.

The next time I see her I will come up out of the blue and ask her “how did hosting the Canadians for three days go?” I can see her expression now as she tries to place me and wonder who I am and how did I know that.