Fibermania

Perfect Day Alert

Weather reports warn us of impending storms, cold fronts and heat waves but do they ever tell us of approaching perfect weather and what to do about it? Not likely, but I managed to recognize it for myself and take appropriate measures.

The sky was clear and the sun was definitely warming up the crisp night air, but the cool steady breeze was the clincher. I had to sit by the pond and soak up the Vitamin D and pure oxygen. Thinking ahead I brought along the Sugar Smacks to feed the fish. As I unfolded my lawn chair I noted the still water, and no visible fish. One handfull of cereal tossed and vroom! a feeding frenzy. They love that cereal.

It is my job to count how many goldfish we have. This takes infinite patience and keen eyesight.

The big four are obvious, but more two-tones have been spotted. Two-tones are fry which are both black and orange. I noted two, at first. Stubby and Spreckles. Then I saw another with just an orange snout. That's how it sometimes starts, with just a hint of orange and then the body shows signs of color and pretty soon we have a bona fide goldfish. One of last week's spottings is now almost totally orange and I am starting to think in terms of the big five.

My final assessment... we have EIGHT goldfish.

This is thrilling. It means that our pond is a good home for them. And did I mention the other pond fish? No I did not. There are many of them and they are a robust breed. They will come to the very edge of the water to retrieve a Sugar Smack or Cheerio, and the goldfish are learning how to compete with them. Their colorings aren't as thrilling as the reflective orange but when they leap for a bug we do get to see yellow flashes of fish belly. Nice.

After a time I began to get a little crispy sitting in the sun, so I went in for a shower and returned with an iced tea and a good murder mystery to read in the yard. There is shade under the redbud trees, next to the lovely scent of the stargazer lilies and I managed to stay awake for almost an hour, just reading and sipping.

One cannot rush about or raise a sweat on a day like this. One must listen to the sounds and observe the sights. We have house wrens and two were very busy flying about looking like they were cleaning up the place, dry brush and twigs in their beaks. Later I discovered they were building a nest (late?) in two red ceramic flower pots on the porch railing. The pots sit behind the purple clematis, just starting to bloom, and are in semi shade. House wrens are adorable little birds with straight upwards pointing tails. Lovely songs too.

And I couldn't help watching the hummingbird at the bee balm. He visited over and over again, defending his turf and chasing away the big bees. Note to self: I must refill the feeders...

Eventually dinner must get made, and thinking ahead I had a pork tenderloin in teriyaki sauce marinating in the refrigerator. A moment of inspiration hit when I waltzed through my studio and smelled the ripe mangoes. Hmm. Mango salsa? Yes. Adding two nectarines, juice and zest from a lemon, chopped jalapeno and fresh mint leaves from the garden and we had salsa. Dave grilled the big chunks of pork and I made perfect white rice and we loved the new dish. Pictures? Too late. By the time I thought of it, we had eaten it all.

There is a real possibility that we may have a week of perfection like this. Do I continue to take advantage of it, or stay inside and paint? What would you do?