Life in the Bristolwood

Yesterday morning, Mark and I went to visit the neighbors as soon as he (Mark) got up.  It was still morning, and as the time progressed, so did the temperatures! I am not, not, SO not a “summer” person. When the temperatures soar, so does my (great) discomfort. 

Within just a few short hours, I was beginning to feel as though my blood was”boiling” and I became desperate to find some sort of distraction to appease my now less-than-cheerful disposition.

So, I called on my faithful little companion. Murphy, come on out from under the couch!

I guess Murphy’s look says it all. I don’t think he was any more impressed with our summer-like weather than I! But, being such a faithful little man, he followed me downstairs and patiently waited as I leashed him.

We set off into the woods….just Murphy and me…looking to see what we might find. It seems the more we sought something interesting, the more difficult it became!

The only bright color found on our walk was moss!

There sure was a thick carpet of leaves, though, and my, oh my, how they all stuck to Murphy’s undercarriage!

I saw a few birds, but nothing out of the ordinary. There was evidence here and there of woodpecker activities!

Whatever possessed me to think we would be cooler walking about in a  woods with no foliage is beyond me. As I said, I was looking more for distraction. Little faithful Murphy looked almost as uncomfortable as I!

We found a pine tree way in the back of the woods, so we sat down and rested….we both needed to cool off before continuing our walk.

Mark and Ben worked in the woods a few years ago, clearing paths wide enough to haul the wagon filled with firewood back to the garage. These “lanes” are so beautiful, although would look better with some greenery here and there!

I really liked this primitive natural arch we passed under.

When Murphy and I returned home, I looked at the thermometer on the front porch. I heard on the radio earlier in the morning the record high was 85 degrees. As I peered out the glass, I nearly fell backwards as the hand pointed to 84 degrees!

By this time, I had become quite overheated and was more miserable than ever. I informed the family I was NOT making dinner, so Mark (being a somewhat wise man) called the pizzeria down in Naples and asked if I would like to pick up. I was thrilled. I hopped into the truck, rolled the windows down and made my way to Naples. As uncomfortable as I get in hot weather, I really dislike cold air from the air conditioner blowing on me. The wind blowing in from the windows was sufficient, and I began feeling so much better!

I took the “low road” down to the village and stopped in Woodville as there is a boat launch located there. The activity there was pretty low considering the beautiful day.

This picture is taken looking northward. I was standing almost at the southernmost point of the lake.

Across the lake are many cottages that will soon be hopping with activity as the summertime approaches.

If ever I captured a “Kodak moment”, this would be it! These little guys looked so serious in their pursuit and judging from their movement, they have done this before! I love the guy on the left with his vest and hat! And note the mud all over the backside of the fellow on the right!

I noticed a change of scenery on the hillside before me as I pulled into the village…..yes, we all wish we could preserve the pristine beauty of nature without “cluttering” it, but I suppose in a couple of years, these will be no more unsightly than cell towers on the hillside.

I stopped across the street from the high school to snap a shot of this gorgeous flowering tree!

After we ate dinner, I looked at a sore Mark had developed a couple of days before. It had gotten quite “weepy” and I was nervous about it. I called our doctor, thinking I would probably have to wait until today to speak with her. She answered on the second  ring, and when I voiced my concern, she told us to come on in to her office! Wow! An unscheduled Saturday night office visit?

We went in and she encouraged us greatly by telling us we caught it in the nick of time.  Mark received a HUGE shot of antibiotic, was given 2 prescriptions, and we were on our way again shortly after 9! Did I ever mention that we have the most phenomenal doctor on planet Earth?