’Til Next Time : Driving to Mercy was a piece of pie
Posted on Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Barbara and Leldon King have taken a summer job at Princess Copper River Lodge and after they were settled in, they insisted their mother Wanda Bennet come for a two-week visit. Brenda Henderson from Hot Springs and her grandson Austin Spieks accompanied her; they flew to Anchorage and drove part of the way to Valdez. Barbara had to work so Brenda drove them to all the sight-seeing places that Barbara had lined up for them and they had a trip of a lifetime !
The hummingbirds are in their late-season feeding frenzy. Earlier in the spring I watched a mother bring two babies to the feeders. They were only about an inch long and didn't realize there was any danger, but as their mother nervously hovered behind them I could almost hear her saying," Back off Jack ! "to the older ones as they tried to crowd in. Now everybody is the same size and when the atmosphere pressure tells them to, they will disappear and only leave a straggler or two behind. We have found a couple of nests in the fall after leaves fell. They are about the size of a hulled walnut, very tightly woven and an inch deep. I need to have more feeders, but this wasn't the year to take on more projects. During this heavy feeding time there will be 20 or 30 birds at a single feeder and I only have four.
I had been to the new Mercy Hospital several times while it was being built since one of my grandson's was working there. Someone else was doing the driving and the roads weren't built yet. Now I suspect I will need to go there for some tests. I just can't ask someone to miss work to take me. I know Betty Weston would do it but she's had enough emergency rooms and doctors office visits. I've got to do this on my own. I've been down Highway 71 to New Hope lots of times when it was a quiet two lane and went out past farms. No more ! I used the phone book maps to get a route south through town. My daughter said," Oh, just go over Olive Street to 40 th Street and go south. "She sure made it sound simple. She lives out that way and I drive west on Olive Street to 30 th to go to her house. I'm a sight driver and the statement was made," if that man ever moves his camper, I won't be able to find my house. "Well, he sold it and I missed her turn off a couple of times.
My daughter had to work Sunday and the rest of the family went to Silver Dollar City. All through my lunch I talked myself out of trying this, three or four times. I grit my teeth, grabbed my keys and walked to the truck wishing I could just forget it.
I did it ! It was a easy as pie, like falling off a log ! I expected the problem, would be which parking lot I would need to use. I know the weekday traffic will be different but I can do it now ! Why did I have myself in such a tizzy ? I relaxed and enjoyed the Oakley Chapel construction site as I passed by and ate dessert when I arrived home.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online