dreams

Two o'clock at night. I hear the motion sensor go off outside. I curse under my breath. Isie boy, I need my sleep!

Ed isn't upstairs yet. He'll now and then work on his design project late into the night. I'm thinking the cat followed him to the sheep shed and now wants to get back to his favorite bed -- ours, in the farmhouse.

I stumble to the front door, still shaking off a dream that was interrupted by the disturbance. I open the door -- nothing. Damn! Must be night animals. But wait, what's this? I don't have my glasses on but I see the sheep shed outside sensor lights are on as well. A figure moving in... looks shady... Hey, what's going on?? Does Ed have nocturnal visitors? I look up and down the driveway. No car, nothing. I go back inside, my heart is racing. It's a drug deal! Or a dalliance! Or extortion! Or maybe all three! Oh hell, my peaceful life has suddenly become very complicated! (My mind works in weird ways after midnight.)

Ed, a criminal? Scoundrel? Spy? But I know this guy so well! Ah, that's what they all say! No, no, really, really well! Something doesn't fit! My heart races. I look at the sheep shed window, bright with lights from inside. There he is, still in his jacket, sitting at his machine, working away.

Oh. Huh. Well yes, of course.


All this has surely taken the last bit of sleep right out of me. I'm fully awake now. Back in bed, I pick up my mystery novel that fell out of my hands as I fell asleep earlier in the evening. But soon I hear a ping. An email message. I reach for my computer.

It's my sister (who is across the ocean). Want to Skype? I have a question for you.
I call her. We chat very briefly and set a time to Skype the next day.

In the morning, she and I talk about my various projects and ideas for next year. She jumps in enthusiastically and gives me some helpful tips and links. Suddenly, what was just an idle daydream seems very real. I can do this! Just be patient, be patient. Soon.


Ah, but there is before me a very real day with real minutes of cool but lovely weather. There is, too the morning breakfast.






And here's great news -- I have a very real success! The mousetrap reveals the corpulent form of a captured rodent.  I have outsmarted a mouse! Ed will be so proud of me!

The little guy hugs the corner of the plastic, see-through mouse box. Soon, little guy, soon -- I tell him. Ed and I have a shopping trip to our discount grocery store scheduled for later in the day and we take the mouse along with us for a release in the park a few miles down the road.
Don't worry, buddy -- I whisper. We'll bring you your family members tomorrow.





To the store, then back again, along the rural roads that lead toward the farmette. Scene after scene that surely is ripped right out of Rogers and Hammerstein.

There's a bright golden haze on the meadow,
There's a bright golden haze on the meadow,
The corn is as high as an elephant's eye,
An' it looks like its climbin' clear up to the sky.

Oh what a beautiful morning,
Oh what a beautiful day...






Yes (just as a commenter noted), when you move out into the country, especially here, in the Upper Midwest, what strikes you most is the grandness of the sky. The great big beautiful sky.






And the leaves continue to fall and the crab apples bring out the birds...


 



...and the yellow farmhouse looks at her best right now, in the late afternoon crown of gold sunlight and maple leaves.






Well, her autumnal best. Just wait until winter snows. And springtime daffodils. And summer daylilies.

I go inside and reheat some chili. We're heading for a cold spell tomorrow.