Buzzzz-y as a ….

I can’t tell you what a relief it will be to get on top of the pending patient-care documentation for my last home health patients I’m discharging today. The paperwork I loathe, even while I’m happy to see these fine folks and will miss our twice-a-week visits, not to mention the excuse I have had for two months now to get to Floyd on a regular basis, even if I only pass through or make a quick stop or two. The details and the form filling: good riddance. For now. Maybe longer. Who knows? Feels like “what comes next” that does not include my former paying job and profession.

Wonderful and well-attended event yesterday (the Conservation Celebration) on the sunny hill overlooking the campus of Hollins College. Thanks so much to the Western Virginia Land Trust for giving me table space under the enormous white tent, one of two local authors, the other–Bruce Ingram, who had is four river-and-conservation-related books for readers. Governor Tim Kaine was on hand to receive an award for his strong support of land conservation. I met a lot of nice kindred-spirit folks.

I said yes to the phone call late last night, and now–after I finish my last two visits and associated paperwork–I’ll have to put feet on that offer: to prepare to speak tomorrow to a group of mixed-age students about the upcoming 350 project and climate change. So: one space empties, something comes along to fill it in. Sound familiar?

I returned from Hollins last night to hear Ann’s adventure: she and the dog were heading over for a last walk about 5:00 when, across the newly-mowed pasture ambles an adult bear–not the first time–followed by a cub. And then another. And finally, a third. So yes, I’d say the bear population is growing. We’d been noticing our spicebush shrubs along the creek and the “New Road” with broken trunks–as if something had ridden them down and stripped them of their pungent red berries. (We’d also seen very large scat consisting 100% of spicebush seeds.) So a momma bear with cubs: not an encounter we hope for–for the dog especially.

The honey bees pictured in the image above live in a building on our road occupied by no one but bees. The knot hole is always congested with incoming and outgoing flights, but traffic control will get a rest soon with the coming of colder weather soon upon us.