Nature Rules

The French invasion has been blown off-course by the forces of the natural world.

We are back at the lake, but without the dogs. There is still blue-green algae in clumps here and there, and while humans can avoid them, dogs cannot. Our lovely dogsitter is staying with them at night, and they are not alone very much, because my husband goes back to work at home in the mornings. One of the advantages of being less than half an hour away is also one of the disadvantages, if you see what I mean.

We meant to be back on Monday. And we were, for a very short time. But the weather sent us straight back home. The cottage, although nearly—if not actually—one hundred years old, is not safe in a storm. There’s a low-ceilinged cellar full of spiders, that would probably flood, and the cottage would likely collapse on top of us. But we were among the lucky ones. We had wild wind and driving rain. But people to the north of us will be trying to return to normal for years after a massive tornado destroyed vast swaths of Menasha. This is not normal weather for Wisconsin. We have had a record-setting number of tornados this year already, and the season not yet over. Between the heat, the storms, the blue-green algae, and the fires burning in Bordeaux, whence our French invaders fly in and out, it does feel like impending apocalypse.

The cottage is still quiet. My husband left at six; the teenagers are still sleeping; and my daughter is doing last night’s dishes (the bargain she made with me, if I allowed her to let them sit until morning, which I happily accepted). There are no dogs, which feels sad and strange. Life here needs the boisterous romping of dogs jumping in and out of the lake. It’s a whole lot cleaner without them, though.

We have a mouse in the kitchen. We’d been doing so well all winter, but mice will be mice, and one of them found a way. It’s tedious, because I’d allowed myself to become lax about food storage, and now have to return to glass jars for everything. I will need to catch it and escort it off the property before it brings and/or creates friends. But where is it getting in…. Mice sometimes feel like an underlying theme in the narrative of my life.

Tomorrow we are taking the boys to Chicago.

Happy Wednesday!

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”And all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”~Julian of Norwich

These posts are about finding the beauty in daily life, even amid the craziness, uncertainty, and anxiety. Reality is not going away, but these are the only days we get, so we have to relish their small beauties while we have them. If you are a paid subscriber, please know how deeply grateful I am for your support. The kindness and enthusiasm of your comments buoy me and keep me writing, but the paid subscriptions are an extra vote of confidence I truly appreciate. These posts will always be free, however, so if all you can do is share, that is helpful, too. Whatever you decide, I’m glad you’re here.

And now for your gratuitous dog photos: