The saying is “When it rains, it pours.” I might have to agree right now. Well, I got off my @ss and fixed the threshold on my back door. (Kudos to Dave for the assist) After finishing the job off last night and feeling proud of my accomplishment, the snafu bug kicked in. Brian came home and decided to do his laundry. Well, all was normal until I went out to the garage about an hour later to discover, water all over the floor, Brian covered in sweat with tools in hand and my washing machine completely dismantled in front of him.

He told me that when it got to the spin cycle, the engine just hummed and did nothing. Let me just say that I was pleased as punch that for the first time in his stay, when something sounded funny, he did the right thing and shut it off. The same cannot be said for two weed eaters, two vacuums, a drill and a lawnmower – all of which are destroyed through his handling and care.

I get up this morning, intent on trying to figure out the washer, nearly fully resigned to the fact that I will probably have to do my clothes at a laundromat until I can buy a new washer and the other foot drops. My pond is silent as I let the dogs out. Sounds peaceful, huh? Yes, but there should be the sound of running water. Okay so the neighbor cats destroyed the babbling brook, but the pond should still be pumping water. It is silient.

Turns out there is something wrong with the outside electrical outlet. I checked all the fuses and nothing seems to be out. The outlet just doesn’t work. As of right now, I have a cord run into the house powering the pump (and probably ruining the seal created by the new door threshold.)

And just when it seemed like it couldn’t get any worse… a strange thing happened. It seemed like something from one of those creepy art films… I looked over to the peach tree which had recently been split nearly in half from heavy wind and on the droopy branch sat a perfect white dove. While all the rest of the birds scatter when someone walks outside – this one just sat there. It cocked its head to the side and watched. I know it is stupid, but it sort of gave me a peaceful feeling. I walked up to it and it just sat there. I stuck out my hand with my finger extended under its feet and it seemed frightened at first, but then stepped onto my finger as a perch. After setting him back down on the branch, I went inside to get my camera.

When I returned, he had left my peach tree and was pruning himself in the Green’s oak tree. I got this shot off.

Maybe it means nothing, maybe it means that somebody’s tame dove got loose. As I watched the dove, I glanced at the ground in the Green’s yard and spied the fresh grave of Teddy. (see blog dated 6-9-04) I prefer to think it was Teddy who never got to say goodbye, just swinging by for a visit.