Just My Opinion - By Mary Kilen
As Summer Winds Down
It has been a long summer at our house after Buddy broke his leg in June. After the surgery it was a long recovery process, meaning that we were not leaving him alone very much. It really isn’t his fault. The vet told us that he needed to stay calm and limit activity. Anyone that has ever owned a Mini Aussie knows that it is not in their nature. That meant keeping an eye on him to avoid him reinjuring that leg.
When he went back to the vet in August, we got the good news that things were healing well and within a few weeks he should be able to resume most if not all of his usual activities. That’s good because he already was. He didn’t get the memo to not jump up on furniture or use stairs, let alone stay calm when anyone came into the house or the office.
All of that meant that we did not get out to enjoy the summer as much as we wanted to. We did get to enjoy visits from Dale’s family and we certainly made the most of the grandkids coming to visit, but it was not the same.
Dale and I usually celebrate the start of summer by trying to take the trike out on Memorial Day. That didn’t happen this year.
We usually celebrate the end of summer by doing the same on Labor Day. It was an easier week for me at the office. I spent a few hours working on Sunday and wrapped up early on Monday.
It was glorious to have the sun on my face and the wind in my hair as we took off for Minot early in the afternoon.
The plan was a quick stop for a part for our new refrigerator. It was not a great week the week before when I came home on Friday for lunch to find Dale standing in front of the refrigerator telling me he thought it had died. Unfortunately, we have a built-in space for our refrigerator which limits our sizes to 30 to 33 inches wide. I really wanted to go closer to that 30” size because when we replaced our microwave we didn’t exactly account for door swing and the proximity to the refrigerator.
We found one we liked in stainless steel and in the size I wanted along with some of the features I really wanted it to include. Unfortunately, because we were in a tough spot, we had to go out of town to get it. That being said, we are really happy with it. Unfortunately, we were having some issues with the water dispenser, meaning that we needed either a new filter or some hosing.
The sun was shining, so off we went. We stopped and got what we thought we needed and then stopped for a nice late lunch. We got home before what looked like rain clouds started to come over town.
I’m not going to lie. Spending those couple of hours on the back of the trike are good for my soul. I spent that time looking at the fields, seeing those that had been harvested while others waited for their turn. The fresh air was wonderful. As we went by sloughs that are usually very cold for that Memorial Day ride, they were instead barely cooling as we went by.
The blue skies and bright sun on the way to Minot put a big smile on my face. Sitting back there, enjoying the warm September day, listening to music and letting go of all the things that fill my mind most times, is just what the doctor ordered. The ride home featured a few more clouds, but the experience was still much the same.
As we get to the end of summer, I’m hoping we can get at least one more great day for a ride. After missing most of those rides throughout the summer, I’d love to be able to spend more time in the sunshine with the breeze blowing through my hair.
Meanwhile, now that school has started, evenings will be filled with sporting events. The cross country and volleyball teams were home for the first time on Tuesday and football is home on Friday of this week. Unfortunately, girls’ golf won’t be at home this season as the local course’s irrigation project is still not complete. That doesn’t stop cross country from running the course. Hopefully, we, the spectators will be careful when we go to watch them. I have mental images of having a less than graceful moment while looking through the lens on my camera and tripping over one of the trenches.