Where Do You Live?

Today's post is in response to Chuck's offering of the same title a few days ago. The above map, thanks to Mapquest, shows our location. The red arrow points to the foot of our drive. See the RV parked there between the street and the house? The tree line at the rear is our property boundary, and coincidentally it is the city limit line. Note that both neighbors to the south have pools. We don't. Cal to the north has a barn on the property line. Ours is identical to his, but is in the middle of the back yard, tree between it and the house. I didn't want to walk clear to the back of the place to get a pair of pliers.

To the east is "downtown". It is 0.7 mi. to the courthouse and the post office. Many businesses operate in this downtown area. There is a commercial area half-mile farther to the east and on the edge of town. So, did you follow this? Our place: west edge of town. Barely over a mile away: east edge of town. Just about right for doing errands on the old bicycle. Given: Dry, warm weather.

I have lived in large cities (Seattle; Portland, Oregon). I have lived in mid-size and small cities (Colorado Springs; Lebanon, Indiana). If you have been following the "Loonville Vignette" series, you know that I have spent time in a really small town, and I once lived in a town even smaller than Loonville (Wilkinson, Indiana). I guess this place qualifies as a small city, or maybe town. But it is the county seat!

I think this is just about the perfect place in which to reside.

Silent Saturday

Hydrangeas for Lin

Lin at Duck and Wheel professes a love of hydrangeas. She shared some of hers with us a few days ago, and I indicated that I might reciprocate. She seemed to like the idea.

These show the "atomic pink" quite well developed, though there are still some white spots in the centers, which will soon disappear.










This photo is entitled "Hydrangea with Hosta."

This blue one is not as vivid as some I've seen in the area, but it is the bluest of the ones I can walk around the yard and enjoy. (It is my next-door neighbor's.)










I particularly like the white ones just before they are white. The subtle pastel green just appeals to me. The larger one is a bit past the true green stage, but not yet white.

Hydrangea with Echinacea. These are in Dick's garden.

What We Did on the Fourth

Our little community answered the call. We had fireworks!

A good time was had by all!

Loonville Vingette 5 = Doctor is Out

I mentioned in an earlier chapter that our local doctor seemed always to be away when we most needed him. Two other cases in point were these.

Delbert had received a new bicycle for his sixth birthday. He was well past the training wheel stage, and in fact though his birthday was in June, the new school year was well underway. Saturday morning he rode down the alley and into the street, clearly without watching what he was doing, and was hit by the oncoming car. This might help draw the picture. The Heton's house was the last house in town, and the street, so far as traffic was concerned, more nearly resembled a country road than a city street. The young lady driving the car may not have been speeding, but she was moving. Witnesses stated that the boy "flew 15 feet in the air." I didn't see it, but it was obvious that he suffered a broken leg, and we could but rejoice that he was alive and conscious.

But the doctor was out of town.

Fortunately, there was a pretty decent hospital a dozen miles to the east, and the very competent ER team treated the boy, called an orthopedic surgeon, and I'm happy to report that forty-two years later, Delbert is just fine.

Our local GP had seen the wife through her pregnancy with our fourth child, but, you guessed it. When she went into labor, he was out of town. So she was delivered of child by a doctor whom she had never seen before.

I did get in to see Dr. Malton when my ribs were broken. "What's your problem?" "I think my ribs are broken." "Look, I'm the doctor; I'll do the diagnosing."

Yes, after a brief examination, you have two broken ribs. Keep an aspirin bottle handy and take a couple when the pain gets too severe. Pay the girl on your way out.

© 2010 David W. Lacy

Another Birthday

Birthplace in the heart of the Dust Bowl.







Seventy-six trombones caught the morning sun...

Stroll Through the Garden

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Luke 12:27

Celebrate!