Utterly Exhausted

Trying to put the yard to bed for the winter.  It is a lot more work than it looks like, and when it is done it will be hard to see the effort expended.  I had drained, rolled, and stored meters and hoses, chopped all the hostas, pulled vines.  At least as much effort went into walking back and forth garage to barn, barn to shed, shed to garage collecting the various tools.

I was tired.

I washed my hands and plopped down in my recliner.  I picked up the Margaret Coel Wind River mystery and opened it to chapter six where the two-dollar bill marked my place.  The priest had just learned that the lady lawyer had been dragged into the case when

Apparently the book slipped from my hands as my head fell back against the headrest.

"Hey!  Hey, Old Geezer!"  I shook my head and opened my right eye just a slit.  I saw Annaliese on the balcony waving her right arm and fairly dancing up and down in place as she hollered again.  "David!  Yeah, I am talking to you."

This bodes ill.

"Lady," I said as calmly as my racing pulse would allow, "I would thank you kindly to be quiet, patrol your space and leave me alone."

Gales of laughter as Elizabeth joined her in her hilarity.  "Zero chance, Old Man.  We just overheard talk that suggests your Missus is planning to be away for a while.  Is she going off and leaving you here with us in charge?"  More raucous laughter.

"It is none of your beeswax.  What my Beloved and I do is none of your concern."

"All I have to say is you had best be afraid, be very afra. . ."

I heard the screen door slam.  My head jerked up and I saw that the two porcelain women were standing immobile in their accustomed spots.  BBBH skipped into the room.  "Hi, Hon!  I'm home.  Would you bring the packages in from the car?  Oh, and bring in my two red suitcases, too."