You Never Know, You Know?

Today’s April Fools day. The computer worm that was supposed to strike today managed not to appear at work, and all things considered it was a pretty quiet day. Which is nice for a Wednesday. I’m looking forward to some time off next week, maybe I’ll spend some of it with you Internet. If you promise to be good.

A couple Saturdays back I was throwing firewood around.

As I was throwing and stacking the firewood, I was thinking about Sunday. My BFF had invited me to go on a “wolf walk” at this place down in Gardner, Massachusetts. Picturing some sort of Disney-fied Theme Park Cuteness, I said that I would not be attending. Even though it was to be in celebration of his birthday. Even though he said he’d already paid for my ticket. That’s how big an a**hole I can be. But as I was throwing the firewood around I remembered back some years to a time when he was up visiting us and helped us move that years supply of tree chunks to their penultimate positions. It’s tedious work, but we managed to have fun with it trying to hit each others’ flying chunk of wood. Sounds dumb huh?

Stacking the tree chunks helps me think.

So Google Earth showed me how close Gardner was and what a potentially pleasant drive it would be. And I realized I could get significantly boosted mileage out of my BFF and family by showing up as a surprise. So as I stacked the wood I decided to go. That’s how big an a**hole I can be. Whatever. It was very cool.  Not Disney at all. Just a funky post-hippie dude that raises wolves in a large, double chain link fenced area. One of the wolves, a 3 year old named Denahee, came with us on the hike in the woods behind the guys humble abode. His house was heated with wood too. Chunks of super dry hardwood scraps from a furniture making company.

Looks like a big dog, but it’s not. He was very at-home in his woods.

Denahee ran around us while we hiked, and he actually “guided” my friend’s daughter with his mouth. Not quite a bite, but we all thought that she should tell all her friends that she’d been bitten by a wolf. That ought to be worth some major street cred these days, right? When we got the top on the hill, there was a clear area of spruce trees where we all sat in a circle while the guide brought Denahee around to each one of use so we could feel his fur, his bony feet, and see his teeth close up. He was a beautiful creature without a doubt.

This tree-lined driveway was right across the road from the wolf talk place.

Our canine got his spring haircut recently. Followed by a bath and the I’m-on-fire-race around the house.

He really really hates this. He tries to bite the clipper. Note the ear-downage.

So last Friday afternoon, my wife hears a BANG out on the road. Apparently some guy in a minivan crashed into our telephone pole. I say ours because it’s the one from which our power and phone lines come off. Of. Don’t want to end with a proposition. Now do I? So anyway, she calls me at work to tell me about the cops and fire engines and all the rest of uh-oh squad. I’m just about to head home, and when I do, the car carrier with the wrecked minivan is going past me. The guy was OK, his airbags went off. But the pole got pretty badly busted and needed to be “splinted”.

Here’s how the injured pole spent the weekend.

And the new pole was up by Tuesday, the 31st.

This pole is taller and better than the old one.

Unfortunately the minivan also trashed a few of the little spruce trees that sort of act as a barrier between our house and the road. We’re trying to find out whether they can be stood back up, or replaced or what. Our people have to call his people about our trees. Or something like that. Let’s go to the back yard now.

This is last week. The snow patch is gone now.

Mr. Red Squirrel comes to give Oliver the agita.

About 20 robins worked the lawn.

The back yard is very brown, but all the garden beds are exposed now and some garlic shoots are poking up through the straw mulch. I’ll get a picture of them soon.

I’m happy to report that the aloe plant at work has decided to make 4 seed pods.

Shiny objects attract my attention. This is my friend Bonnie’s lab dishwasher.

That’s all for now. Happy April Fools Day everybody. Over and out.