New Set of Friends?

I may  have a new set of friends. 

Don't get me wrong, I love my old friends, and am not in the market for replacing them.   However, remember a few months back I started receiving calls from Lloyd, Gilly, and Randy? 

They were all attempting to confirm plans they were making with Brenda. 

Unbeknownst to Brenda--or them--they were getting my  voicemail. 

They sounded like a really fun group of friends. They liked playing board games, and card games, eatting out, and they were starting to attend a quilting class. 

I liked them. They sounded like good, salt-of-the-earth people. 

I mean, they kept including Brenda/me in all their plans, even though she/I appeared to be pretty much blowing them off. 

They never gave up. They never got bent out of shape. Although the last time Lloyd called, he did sound a wee bit frustrated. 

I felt really bad for Brenda, since she was not receiving, or returning any of their telephone calls. I hoped they weren't expressing frustration with her in person. 

So, when Lloyd sounded frustrated, I finally broke down and let him know they had been leaving messages on my phone. 

I assured him I really enjoyed their calls, and they could call anytime, but they might want to check with Brenda to get her correct telephone number. To ensure they actually reached her. I envisioned the conversation they would have, and Brenda's response. 

Sadly, that was the last I heard from them. 

However, I may have a new set of friends: Alice has started calling Shirley. Or visa-versa. I got the message mixed up. 

It seems the one will be unable to provide the other a ride someplace on Sunday because the driver is going to the Corn Hill then Seton picnics. Two picnics in one afternoon? Sounds like some mighty fine Church vittles might be had. 

I know Seton, but had never heard of Corn Hill. So I Googled it. 

Corn Hill is a small ghost town, in what is now the small town of Jerrell. 

When the train bypassed Corn Hill in 1909, some residents moved to New Corn Hill. Now, the only thing remaining is the cemetary.  The last remainder of Corn Hill (the original) was a hotel. 

But I digress, I did not want Shirley (or Alice) to be stranded come Sunday, or a falling out to occur because of the potential stranding and lack if message response, so I called and left a message. 

Actually, I left two. 

When I called a second time, my message asked if Shirley (or Alice) knew Lloyd, Gilly, Randy or Brenda.  

I'm thinking Shirley (or Alice) sounded like they might have the same background (e.g.  regional accents or speech mannerisms), so they may all be in the same small community. 

Maybe their common Church or Senior Center Directory has a typo in the phone number for Brenda and Shirley (Alice).  

Or maybe Brenda and Shirley (Alice) are related and use the same phone. 

We could all  be friends.  We've already exchanged cell phone numbers.  Sort of. We live fairly close. We speak the same good ole Country Boy/Girl language. We like games, arts and crafts, small town country life. And we like eating out.  

Lloyd, Randy, Gilly, Brenda, Alice, and Shirley could ne my new posse. 

We could have game nights, diner out,  and start our own quilting bee. 

(BTW according to Google, "the word bee was used in colonial America to refer to different types of communal work that benefited neighbors.")

Maybe I can introduce my old friends to the new friends. They are all good folk. 

My Wild Foxy Night Visitor

My after work errands ran long tonight, so I arrived home just before dusk.  This close to summer time, that translates to just after 9pm.

I pulled forward, then began to back into my drive as is my habit.  Trust me, you don't want to see me trying to hurriedly bug out at o'darkthirty in the morning. Especially not when my head is longing to return to visiting my pillow rather than clearly focusing on the rules of the  road.

Out of the corner of my eye I thought I glimpsed the uniquely slinking gait of a fox scurrying across my street. He was coming from the West, heading East. 

Of course I had to investigate.  

I pulled into the neighbors drive.  Yes, I could have walked, but I already had my 10K steps in (10,243 to be exact😏), so I decided to drive all of two houses down. When your mobility issues make you an easy target, you learn quickly to watch out for predators of all shapes and sizes.  That's my rationalization, and I'm sticking to it. 

Besides, the real reason is  my feet and back were aching. 

The fox was long gone--or at least hidden away in a great hidey-hole, so I returned home. Backing into my drive the second time, in the span of about a minute, I realized I was wrong about the fox.  

Because a second young grey fox romped across my street, West to East as well, and headed for the neighboring cemetery. 

I say it was a second fox; however,  there is always the possibility it was the same fox--who was circling around the cul de sac and cemetery fence, as if playing Follow The Leader with itself. But as quickly as it occured, that scenario is highly unlikely. Even though foxs are known to be nimble and quick. So I'm going with second fox. 

I've seen the neighborhood grey fox before. However, it was on the far side of the vacant field between my fenced backyard and a couple Main Street businesses.  I've also spied  an older fox downtown by the fire station and Nolan Creek. Both of the previous fox sightings were in the wee hours. 

I've never seen fox this close to my house--or this early in the night. 

While I feel perfectly safe from a fox family envasion I was glad Moggy met me, as I exited my SUV, without having to be called to go inside the house.

And I was especially  glad that he came to me from a Southern direction. 

Although Moggy is a senior cat (how can the time have flown by so quickly?!), and does not share my mobility issues, I didn't want to test his agility against a wild animal. 

Even a wild animal who appeared to be playfully entertaining himself. 

Wild is wild.