“Summer?”
“Australians, Bear. People in Patagonia where we were going if Trump had been re-elected.”
“PataWHAT?”
“Patagonia. Down there. There IS a Southern Hemisphere.”
“A WHAT?”
Women who talk to their dogs end up with conversations like that. Yep, up here in the Back of Beyond Colorado summer is far from our minds. And whether summer is fun or not? It’s not our favorite. You can ask the skiers. Ski areas are beginning to open, cautiously, and with many rules. The one with the most snow so far is the one just an hour away from me. So, while the Australians and others are having fun in the sun, Coloradans will be trying to find open areas to ski.
These geographical niceties are beyond Bear’s comprehension so I never burden her with them. I’ve thought of taking them up with Teddy — who is more imaginative — but considering that in 10 minutes with me in the front yard yesterday, Teddy found the one small and nearly invisible hole in the fence, through which my neighbor’s little kitty comes to visit, I think he should maybe be tutoring me on geography…
I wonder what will remain of my brain at the point in which we are all vaccinated and wandering around out there doing all the stuff we did before. I wonder how that will be. I wonder if we’ll think, “Wow. I missed this?” I wonder if we’ll even dare bitch about being stuck in traffic as we drive a long distance to see our families. I wonder who we will be. I’m afraid I’m permanently altered. I’ve always been more interested in dogs than in people but I think I may have crossed a line… “Teddy, what do you think?”
“Just give me that coffee cup, Martha.”
“But I’m not finished.”
“Oh, OK. I’ll wait, patiently staring at you from down here on the cold floor.”
Women's Wilderness Legend “Summer is the season of inferior sledding” - Inuit proverb 
Let me bring along my cats so we can have a group discussion. Our brains are fried, Martha.
Mine is. I rolled into my garage door the other day at about 1 mph. I damaged the door, not bad, but I can’t open it all the way. The car’s fine, I’m fine, but it was pure brain tiredness that led me to put my automatic transmission into what my hard-wired, standard transmission brain recognized as first and to step on the brake (clutch) and the gas (brake). I hope this doesn’t mean I have to go to the Home, but I think it’s just the world we’re in right now. Doing any normal thing (like a painting show) on top of all this seems to have been too much for my tired mind.
Oh gosh, Martha….
Yep. 😦
I think many of us will be permanently changed; I suppose that depends on our personalities, ages, etc.?
I think so, too. I guess we’ll find out. I’m just tired of the intensity.
I think we are all permanently changed. I try to see the positive in that …
Me too. Godnose there has been some incredible beauty in all this on a personal level, anyway. ❤
Can you meditate or do mindfulness Martha? It slightly helps me to relax. I’m still quite wound up though. I went for a drive last week and found it stressful. I’ve only filled my tank up six times since March and I’m sure I’m loosing skills….
Sending virtual hugs…
❤
Thank you, Chris. Walking the dogs and riding the bike to nowhere are my meditation. Just every once in a while when the scary absurdity of politics in America gets to me I feel it. I’ve accepted that sometimes I’m going to feel anxious. Then I usually take a walk, if I can. ❤
Sounds like a wonderful escape. Being in a city is hard but I was walking a bit. Recent freezing shoulder issues (not frozen yet) were scaring me but I got to see a physio! Got exercises to do. Fingers crossed they will help with the pain…. X
I hope that works — I think it will. I’ve been amazed the times I’ve had physio how incredible it is! 🙂
yes, the exercises hurt but I think they are helping
Nothing wrong with conversations with your sweet dogs. They understand you! ❤️
I think we will all be changed after this is over. Different perspectives as you say, but I wonder how long that will last. Brain fog/mush/clouds/exhaustion reign here too. Blasting favorite music sometimes clears it for a short while. One strange, but kind of hilarious, change happened in my fitbit app during the latest update. It now includes a new “track your mindfulness” option. HA. I have no idea how that happens. 🙂 Interesting timing on the app though.
I think my phone was offering me that a while back. I was almost paralyzed trying to figure that out. Not how to do it in a mechanical sense but in a metaphysical sense. 😀
https://intercom.help/flipdapp/en/articles/1970812-measure-your-mindful-minutes-on-your-iphone-or-apple-watch
Yes the metaphysical sense…and NOW during these days? Really? That’s a challenge. I checked out the link – but my mind was too tired to be mindful enough to understand it. Thanks tho! 😁
It’s just way too paradoxical for me. Here’s my phone keeping track, in minutes, of my spiritual practice to tell me whether I was spiritual long enough or not. 😀
Bizarre. I don’t understand how the phone could figure that out in the first place. How? I guess I ask too many questions…as usual 😁
😀
Ophelia said “It would be weird, and rude, if Martha didn’t talk to Bear and Teddy”
You’re right, Ophelia. She always talks to us, though, so I guess all is well. Yr Pal, Bear
❤️🐾
I’ve always been an introvert, and am happy “alone” with my dogs most of the time, but lately, seeing the true colors of so many of my fellow citizens during this pandemic and election cycle, I’m afraid “misanthrope” is now another word I use to describe myself. I’m not sure people are worth the trouble. I’ll just hang with my dogs!
I’m also an introvert, and like hanging out with my dogs. I can easily become kind of “drunk” or unbalanced if I have too much contact with people. Still, as Bear would like to point out that some people are pretty cool… 😉
I think the last time I had summer fun, I was in my early 20s. I ended up with heatstroke as a result. I have the covid brain fog without the covid. Thankfully the dogs let me know when I need to feed them. They think Teddy must be so alert because of the coffee. 🙂
Having only dogs to talk with is sort of like having babies to talk with, except that dogs are better listeners.
A lot less demanding and scary than babies, too. 🙂
No mental collapse indicated by having conversations with the dogs. As a Vet Tech I’ve spent most of my life talking to animals. I’m not crazy, the mice insist. I’m just a little weird…
Bear’s been sitting here staring at me. She wants something and I’m sick of being stared at. I think if she’s going to go on like that, she should learn some words. (Who’s not crazy…)