The Dance

This past week I posted my last story that I had in reserve.  I tend to get a flood of stories in my head and then nothing.  I have learned that when it flows it is better to roll with it and write all the stories I can because when it is dry it is dry.  All week I have been racking my brain to remember some kind of a story.  Tonight, as I was soaking in the bath, I started to struggling with what to write again.  I am trying to relax but the dang winds are so bad they are rattling the Hardy Board on the side of the house.  Strong winds and no rain are a mountain resident's worst enemy.   Then it hits me....

I can not tell you how long it has been since we have had rain.  Days would be an understatement more like months and months.  I remember a few years ago we had a pretty good dry spell too.  A handful of us gals 'decided' to try a rain dance.  We 'decided' on a designated time, we 'decided' to do it in our own back yards and we 'decided' to do it naked!.  WHY??? I don't know but that was the deal.  You had to follow these decisions to the T or don't do the dance at all.  We were convinced it would only work if we all did it and followed the criteria to the letter.  The dance was not choreographed nor rehearsed.  You might say we 'decided' (there is that word again) to do an interpretative dance.  I remember thinking, "What the heck am I DOING?", while I was stomping my feet, throwing my hands in the air, having normally covered places now exposed and wiggling in the wind, my arms waving  and chanting, "Come on, come on and make it rain!", over and over and over again.  I felt so foolish.  My dogs thought I had lost my mind but they liked it.  They were running in circles chasing each other in the dark of night and barking up a storm.  Thank goodness my neighbors were gone.  The whole time I was wondering if everybody else was doing it or if any moment they were going to jump out and punk me.  The one thing we did not 'decide' was how long we were to do this naked rain dance. After what felt like LONG ENOUGH, I grabbed my robe and ran inside, dogs in tow.  A few days later the rain came.  It rained and rained.  It rained so much that parts of the mountain flooded.  In fact, I had a rather large stream running through my front yard.  Parts of the highway had to be closed because of the run off.  It was strange to say the least.  That following winter was a good snowy winter as well.  I would have to say that the nude rain danced worked.

Now here we are again.  No rain in sight and nothing on the radar.  One of the original organizers called the other night and stated we need another rain dance.  Same rules as last time...and to be followed to the T or it just won't work.  Last night at 9:00 p.m. I tipped toed out the back door. My dogs were not invited this year because my neighbors were here most of the week and I was not sure if they had left yet.  I preferred no one witness this crazy woman trying to do her part for all her forest neighbors.  Nine o'clock struck and I began to dance as before.  Right as I started, I heard a noise behind me.  I could not see a thing because my eyes had not had a chance to adjust to the dark.  All I could think of was a coyote or bear or some other kind of wild animal breathing on my bare legs!  I stood there frozen, naked and night blinded.  I gave myself a minute to adjust and turned slowly.  My dogs!  My dogs had slipped out through the dog door and were waiting for their dance invitation, which I was happy to give after I made sure my neighbors were gone.  Those little happy brown eyes and wagging tails were just so cute I just could not refuse them.  We started slowly then worked our way up to a full fledged rain dance!  The dogs were in heaven running in circles and barking.  We were having a pretty good time.  It felt oddly freeing and if it paid off like last time very rewarding.  I felt no embarrassment in the cloak of darkness and no one else was around... until look up to see my husband's shadow moving toward the window.  Oh no, he is going to think I have lost my mind again.  He knew that us girls were going to do a rain dance but he had no idea that we were doing it naked.  In all our dancing fun, the dogs and I had worked our way out further in the yard than I had planned.  I had not noticed that until I had to race for my robe by the door.  I had to get to it before he turned ON the Porch Light!  I believe my dogs 'decided' this was a race to end all races. Mutt must have felt I was winning because she moved her body right in front of mine and over I went.  Ouch. I had to have bounced because I was on my feet in a split second and in full stride.  WHAT WAS I THINKING?  Finally I get to my robe, compose myself, pulled the sticks out of my hair and walked in as if nothing happened.  As I walked in, husband asked, "Did you do your dance at 9:00?"  "Yes", I said then went to wash my wounds.  While tending to my skint knees I 'decided' to pass on next years dance.  I will leave that to the younger braver ones.

Hopefully our efforts will bring the rain again this year.  If and when the rain does come, you must come in to check out our newest merchandise.  We are now carrying Galleria Umbrellas.  They are the best quality umbrellas I have used.  Galleria umbrellas have been featured in Women's Day, Redbook and Better Homes and Garden.  Please come in to check them out because, if this works like last time, your going to need one.

We have about 8 different designs.  Here are a couple of examples.  They come in sticks and fold-able styles.

 Until next time,

Ruth Lane
The Bird House
575-682-6902

A Beautiful Memory

Today I was planning to go on a bird watching hike and a Geo Caching hunt early morning before work; but this day had other plans for me.  You see, not only do I work here at The Bird House, I am also a relief driver for the USPS.  You need to be diversified to live in the most beautiful place in the world.  This morning had an unexpected event that dictated I throw the mail.  My backpack would have to wait for another day.

I love throwing the mail except in winter.  I usually sit in the truck in winter and let my partner brave the elements.  I hate the cold on my hands, the multi-boxes that refuse to close and the wind that gives me earaches.  Today was NOT such a day.  Beautiful just does not come close to describing the spring weather we are having now.

The mail route is fairly simple and mundane but the last leg of the route is down 16 Springs.  The road into 16 starts out paved and then goes to gravel as it runs through the Lincoln National Forest,  then back to paved.  Up until today, I never noticed how steep the drop-offs are on that road… SPOOKY.   As I was driving along the edge, I started remembering a couple of years ago when we had such heavy snow fall that the roads looked as if they had bumper pads pushed there by the snow plows. I sure felt safer with all that snow padding the sides.  The memory of all that snow brought me back to one day in particular.

We were rounding the bend when I saw four large black blobs. The closer we got the more I realized what I was seeing.  There were four large, dark brown wild horses standing in the middle of the road.  They were pawing the snow to uncover any type of vegetation they could get their lips around.  The contrast of their dark bodies against the white snow was so striking.   We rolled slowly towards them to get a closer look and to take a picture but, as soon as we got within 200 feet of them, they took off.  There is nothing on earth like watching horses in full stride. Their nostrils flaring with winter breathe that showed in clouds of moisture.  The power their muscular bodies possessed is nothing short of remarkable.  It was a beautiful thing seeing them uninhibited, wild and unruly.  I love 16 Springs and discovering the wild horses on a snow-covered back road is one of my most treasured memories.

Today would not provide me with any close encounters of the big animal kind nor any bird activity.  I did however, see one of our rural route residence pulled over on the side of the road.  I stopped to chit chat.  She was so, so sweet and very surprised to see me delivering the mail.  I saw another one of the residence out in the field tending their cattle waving as we drove by.   I had to give thanks to be living in such an awesome community.

As I was driving out, I got to thinking, how could I write about this day?  How could I share one of the most awesome memories of my life and tie it back to The Bird House?  Then all of a sudden, something caught my eye….a little squirrel.  It made my day.  You see I just love LOVE squirrels.  My facebook profile picture has been a squirrel in different poses since I opened my wall.  One time I put my real picture on there and half of my friends ask who that was.  I guess everyone associates me with a squirrel now and that is okay by me.  It scampered down the tree then ran like hell across the road tail crocked in the air;  it reminded me of a boat's rudder as it rounded the edge of the road.  Then it disappeared.  BINGO! my story.

If you love squirrels too or want to try to keep them away from your bird seed, come on into The Bird House and check out our squirrel merchandise.  We have items to entice them in the yard and merchandise to not only deter but to WIN the war against  bird seed thievery.  We even have toy squirrels for the dog to terrorize.   I am sure we can help you with all your squirrelly needs.  :o)

Until next week,

Ruth

www.thebirdhousecloudcroft.blogspot.com

Thighs

This is a story I wrote on my personal facebook page.  What does it have to do with the store?  Well, keep reading.

Back around July 2010 I went to Memphis for a couple of months.   My mom was sick and my son had to have some medical issues addressed.  I went to help take care of them and my grandbabies.  One day while visiting mom.......

I went to the deli for my mom today. She wanted some chicken livers and potatoes. I get to the counter and a  little 20-something, beautiful blonde, big eyed, gorgeous smile, girl asked, "Can I help you?"  with that familiar southern drawl.  I asked if they had chicken livers today.   She pointed at the food in front of her and said yes. The case was full of meat from meatloaf to fried chicken to livers. She informed me that I could get chicken livers and 2 "thighs" for 3.99. I said okay. I thought about it for a second and decided that mom would only eat the livers the rest would go to waste.  I asked her to just give me the livers and skip the thighs. She looked at me with a confused faced and asked, "Where did you get thighs?" "From you," I said. Now she is extremely perplexed and at a loss for words. I repeated her words back to her verbatim. She started to laugh so hard she almost dropped the prongs. Then she says, "No s-i-d-e-s, which she spelled slowly, sides she repeated in her southern drawl. Of course, that made sense. I said, "That will be fine.", and moved to the vegetables. As I was peering in to the hot food case for the "SIDES", something caught my eye. It was strange. It was little brownish red thingies with green bean snaps and tomatoes in it. I looked up and asked her, "What is that?" She responded with, "That is what I was talking about the siddddes." I said, "No what is it?", again she says, "A SIDE"  this time with a sharper tone. At this point, I am laughing so hard I can't talk. I finally get out the words, "What kind of vegetable is it?" She says," Oh that's just beans, honey."

As I drove back to mom's, I came to the conclusion that even though I have one of the thickest southern accents in Cloudcroft, I have lost my ability to decipher the southern dialect.  O Mama.

Still what does that have to do with The Bird House?  I will tell you. Here at the Bird House we carry Poultry Scratch for CHICKENS.  The chickens just eat it right up which makes for fine plump chicken thighs.  And we have also been selling it for the Stellar Jays and ground feeders but I would not recommend eating a Jay's thigh. 

Just a little acknowledgment to a wonderful boss.  The day I was hired for the Bird House I got the call about all the sickness going on in Memphis.  I was suppose to start work within a week but instead I was right back up at the store apologizing for having to turn the job down.  My boss would  have none of that.  She told me to go and take care of my family and my job will be waiting on me.  She held my position almost 2 months, during the summer no less.  I could not believe it.  I want all to know that I love my job, my boss and the wonderful lovely people that walk through these doors.  I feel so blessed.

Update--- Unfortunately I lost my mom about two weeks after returning home. 
RIP mama. Your laughter was the greatest gift you ever gave me. 


Until next week
Ruth Lane
www.thebirdhousecloudcroft.blogspot.com
www.cloudcroftwebcam.com/beta