9/7/2014 I spent a couple of days in Ohio with Jen and had the opportunity to enrich my life and others’ lives just by slowing down, taking the time to show interest, get involved. I call these sorts of days Red Letter Days. In recounting them here, I also get a chance to suggest some places you might want to explore if you find yourself ’round these parts.
We took a trip up to Yellow Springs- a really cute college town, home of Antioch University. We hiked at John Bryan State Park and in the Clifton Gorge area for 4 leisurely hours. Cliffs and huge boulders, caves, cool and shady and uncrowded. We saw a red bellied woodpecker trying multiple times to stash a large acorn in several different holes in a large tree branch.
We also stopped off at a little nature center on site and we absolutely made the day of the 80 year old naturalist who was there. I recognized a microscopic animal called a copepod from the old board game I used to play (it’s called Dirty Water, and, unfortunately, it’s not available…) and he ’bout fell off his chair. He showed us his beautiful micro photos of algae and critters.
He also judges Quarter Horses so we had that to chat on too. Gave him like 15 minutes and brightened his life and our own. Later down in the quirky college town of Yellow Springs we got homemade vegan Indian food off a truck, ice cream, and I got a shirt for Kip and ordered one for Laura from an older hippie grad of Antioch who writes very clever puns like “Philosoraptor” and “Tea Shirt” and illustrates his sayings. He gave us 4 pages of poem titles, all of which he wrote, let us choose – and recited us 3 or 4 flawlessly, from memory. I tried to recite my Goldfinch poem but I couldn’t. No matter. I asked who has favorite poets were and he said Coleridge and I wasn’t at all surprised. I love the Romantic poets and could have happily spent a day talking of Wordsworth and Coleridge and Byron. Another memorable encounter, another chance to connect, and I bet if you head for Yellow Springs you will find the poet on the corner with his tee shirts and his stories.
9/8- Two girls, a guy, and a dog
Jen’s working, I’m in charge of the dogs, who are being good, which is fortunate, because after a bad night’s sleep and a bit of sprint work today, my back is very tight. Better now, 4 pm 3 advil finally working. Don’t feel super today though and tomorrow is supposed to be a sunny day. I should leave early and go to Indiana and bag it. So I’m thinking, I know I need to move on soon. But when things get exciting in my journal, I use my signature segueway…
Ok so…
Jen came back from work and I told her I had just walked the dogs so we headed over to the Huffman Prairie, where the Wright Brothers spent 1904-5 perfecting their flying technique and running a flight school. The land is preserved and we spent an hour or so on a gorgeous night looking at the exhibits and walking through the adjacent tall grass prairie preserve, managed by the Nature Conservancy and reputed to be the largest stand of prairie in the state.
We decided to jog, since Jen has fitness testing next week. We ran the field loop and got back to the car. Lacking tech devices for running, we needed to clock the loop with the car, and while doing so we stopped to take pics of the marvelous sunset.
I glanced right and said- Oh look at that!
A dog! Lying in cool long lawn grass by a swale about 20 yards off the rd. Cute dog, but when we tried talking to it and approaching it growled and began to bark, but didn’t move away… Very puzzling behavior. We decided to finish clocking the run and to stop if the dog was still there upon our return. Meanwhile, a young man arrived with a pick up truck. We thought he might be a hunter…
On the other side of the cow pasture that witnessed history we saw and photographed the full moon rising over the grassland, then headed back toward the exit. The young guy still there- we asked him if it was his dog- he said no- he was going to ask us the same thing. He was working a dog and the stray had moved away some, but not far, when he got his dog out. We all knew that it was dangerous to leave a dog acting peculiar free and alone overnight. We thought he could be rabid or a kennel dog unaccustomed to people. Eventually she came close enough that we at least had a sex…female.
The three of us worked together for a bit with the dog, who didn’t want to be surrounded but who was interested in the car but wary. Our guy friend was smart, checked craigslist and found someone was missing a dog 2 days. He called. They wanted a photo- we wanted a name… Sadie! As soon as Jen said it she perked her ears.
It was getting very dark. A white mist lay low, 2 feet deep over the pasture- the guy went to meet the owners and Jen and I were entrusted with the dog. It was touch and go as I moved the car to provide headlights but Sadie feigned forward and slunk back. If we lost her in the fog it was going to be over for her. At one point, I moved the car, looked up, and Jen was 2 feet away from her. I held my breath and stood stock still. Understanding passed between Sadie and Jen- it was visible, and Jen knew what to do. “Do you want to give me your paw?” And miraculously, Sadie shook hands with Jen! I cannot explain how impossible that had seemed 20 minutes earlier as she snarled.
I brought the leash toward Jen and left it on the ground 10 feet back then retreated. Jen was patting the Sadie but afraid if she reached for the collar she might get bit. She waited for a tail wag then got the leash and put it on and we both got to shake hands and get full on kisses from the wiggly, handsome, ecstatic little dog. I said, “Would you like to sit in the car?” And she walked right over, though her paws were very sore on the gravel drive, and she hopped in and started looking for crumbs all over the car.
We got her water at a shed by the firing range and drove her to her people- Sadie in the front seat. Jen wrote the owners cell # on the collar- Sadie had no tags, had never been outside… The expression on Sadie’s face when she saw her mom was pure love.
Later we got this text…
“Thank you both so much! I cant tell you how worried we both was, we don’t have children so she is MY baby I was sick without her. Thank you both and god bless you for being so kind and gentle to Sadie girl. She is happy to be back home and sleeping in a comfy bed with her little brother who also missed her very much.”
Jen and I had a quiet dinner in and the next morning I did make that start to Indiana- but Ohio was so special because through just being nice and taking some extra time we were able to enrich the lives of 3 people (and a dog). There is no better use of time.
