Memorial Day ruminations, kinda sorta involving a pond

Somewhat foolishly, I invited the in and out laws to my place following the
traditional cemetery tour; my two daughters, a couple of grandkids, and
people whose connections are too complicated for a brief post. But, a good
group, and they know Martha Stewart has disavowed all knowledge.
Senior daughter with Megan, 3, and Ian, 2 weeks, arrived Saturday
evening.... Megan "helped" me launch the paddleboat for the first time this
season, and helped me navigate around the pond by steering- her feet don't
reach the pedals yet. Lots of stuff growing, talkative frogs, and a couple
of red-winged blackbirds who let us know where we shouldn't go amongst the
cattails.
Sunday morning, joined the rest of the mob at my wife's family's plot-
didn't expect she's be joining them so soon, but that's the way of it.
After 3 years I've come to realize she isn't really there anyway...
We made sure everybody knows the story of Uncle Jim, whose teeth went to
war though he didn't, and Uncle Roy "Fast cars, fast women."
Several other stops, and back here to incinerate meat and drink beer and
hand out at the pond. True to form, Walter the Koi stayed out of sight;
one sister-in-law swears I'm making him up, though other told her that they
had been blessed with apparitions in the past.
Lest I ramble on even more, just let me say that the peace of nature and
water has kept me focused on life and the living. And that's the way it
should be.

Peace,


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G