Savoring Spring

This has been the longest spring I've experienced in a while. Spring in Ohio could mean snow or frost, and then immediately jumps to humidity. Flowers have been blooming here in South Carolina for more than a month. Dogwood trees line the streets around town. Every day I wake up and praise God for yet another beautiful day, a beautiful season. It amazes me that so much fresh growth can come from such a cold, grey, dark season. For so long we see the trees and ground the same, yet in spring, trees are growing new leaves daily. I wonder why God doesn't give us these blooms year round, but just like anything precious, we wouldn't appreciate it as much if we saw it all the time, or experienced it all the time.

I witnessed 20 minutes of heaven this evening. Inside Oconee State Park in South Carolina, where I live, there is a fox den. A mama and two pups live about 100 yards off the road. I took an evening stroll with my camera, and when I was driving out of the park, I stopped in my car to see if the foxes were out. And they were. It was beautiful. I have always thought that if I ever had the choice of being an animal, I would be a red fox. They're so exotic, mysterious, and have red hair, of course. I sat in my car and attempted to take a photo--the shot you see here. Too far away for anything good. But if i wanted to watch, I had to stay in my car. She would tell them to hide if I got out of the car. I made use of my binoculars that I carry in my camera bag and saw how a fox family lives until it was too dark to watch any more. Mama sat on a log, constantly keeping watch, and the pups jumped around from their back feet to their front feet like rabbits, playing in the leaves and chasing each other. I thank God for her and their protection. What a wonderful time of the year.

"Honey, do you have a steady?"

A recent photo shoot brought me into Dickie's House of Flowers. I live in a fairly rural area, so I take what I can get when it comes to shopping. And I was actually excited that the town I drive through had a flower shop--a town filled with stores with signs for gun and fish licenses for sale posted in many of the windows. My first step into the shop and I noticed that the majority of Dickie's House of Flowers business was for funerals. Plastic flowers on stands filled the lobby. I knew there had to be a real flower somewhere in the shop. As I turned the corner, I wouldn't say shock was what I felt, but definitely surprise. The green rag carpet and green couch with yellow flowers was straight out of the 60's. It looked like it hadn't been vacuumed since installation. Perched on the couch was an elderly lady, talking to another customer. I didn't realize that she was actually selling something to him--Southerners don't like to get right down to business. They have to ease their way into most things they do. So, I sat down next to Gladys, an interesting woman as I soon came to find out, and began asking about flowers. She drug herself off the couch, helped the young gent purchase a yellow rose with distracting red bow and then we got down to business. No less than 25 minutes later I left her shop. For some reason, if I have enough patience, I enjoy seeing just how much information I can get out of people about their lives. Gladys attends a Baptist church in Walhalla, is 72, and asked the best question I've been asked in a while: "Honey, do you have a steady?" " I sure do, Ms. Gladys," I responded. I took my four purple flowers I bought for half price and left with a smile. Gladys had made my day.

Nice Guys

On a recent day-trip to Athens, Georgia for a Wilco show, I had a couple hours to make some intersting observations about nice guys and what girls don't like about them. I recently discovered how wonderful life is with a nice guy. What took me so long? Not quite sure. I didn't even know how to date my nice guy.
Voicemail to best guy friend:
"J, help! I'm going out on a date with a nice guy and I have no idea what to do."
Be myself. Well, of course. And nice guy ended up being everything I always wanted, everything I always thought I deserved, yet so much more. More than answered prayers. God surely has blessed me with my nice guy.
My nice guy decided to show me around his college town and take me to see one of his favorite bands. As we're driving through downtown, college girl in pajama pants with her hair pulled up in a messy bun (you know her) walks across the street in front of us.
"See? I couldn't even get frumpy girls like that when I went to college here."
I couldn't stop laughing. Not at the frumpy girl; I reminded him that often that is my outfit of choice while studying. But of course he loves it on me.
So, the nice guy I was able to observe for a couple hours? I was standing behind him and blonde beauty at the Wilco show. Her: early 20's, fit, cutesy, blonde bob. Him: late 20's/early 30's, balding, a little round in the middle, and tried for hours to be her center of attention.
It wasn't working. He bought her Red Bull for their mixed-in-the-crowd Red Bull and vodkas, kept brushing her shoulder, leaning in to tell her jokes. I'll have to say, she put on quite a show herself to keep him interested. I'm assuming he bought her ticket.
But then I text eavesdropped. Actually, I've never done this before. And didn't think it was possible. But when you're crammed into a small, dark space with tons of people, it is quite possible.
Her: "Are you coming over tonight? Say yes."
Oh, yeah, this is while she's standing next to nice guy.
But this is the best part.
Nicky responds: "Sorry, babe, I'm pretty busy packing. I'll see you soon."
Ugh...it doesn't get much more desperate than this:
Her: "Booo. I might cry."
And that was all I could get. How lame am I for text eavesdropping? I know. But it did make me think about this nice guy who wasn't going to get beyond friend status probably ever with the blonde; what doesn't he have that Nicky does have? I have a lot of guy friends who purposely treat women poorly; why does this behavior work?
Sometimes you have to be in a good situation to actually see how bad it was before. Such is the case with me. But, come on, nice guys are everywhere, and they've got a lot more to offer than free Red Bull and vodka.

Educational Irony

I'm in classes online for a Master's degree.

Here is my Instructor Feedback from a self-assessment paper during my third week of classes.

" Well writing, but a bit to informal. Interesting ideas and nice support."

Hmmmmmmmmmm...I'm not so sure about that.