I Heard What I Heard
So Grammy and I were hangin’ with the kids down by the equipment at the shop. The kids were ogling some of the equipment sitting around as they’ve done many time before. Levi comes over and says “Why is the backhoe running, grandpa?”.
Perhaps a little dismissively I say , “it’s not running.” Levi repeats the question. I repeat my answer. Levi trots off in a big circle, maybe thinking, “I heard what I heard, I know what I know”.
Grandpa thinks, “engines make noise - I heard nothing, therefore the motor can’t be running”.
Levi, still in a child’s world of infinite possibility, returns and insists the backhoe is running. I insist it isn’t. My wife hears nothing. We step over closer to the object of scrutiny, a backhoe. Levi asks again and looks at me questioningly. I step over even further, close enough that my ear is about to rub off some yellow paint.
I hear a faint gurgle, just one. ‘Gulp.’ I look down at a cord on the ground and realize, in May, the backhoe has a radiator heater, as a lonely defense against winter’s frigid temperatures. It warms the engine oil. It’s now May and it’s still plugged in! And that’s what Levi heard. I unplug the heater cord and ask Levi if he still hears the engine.
Levi shakes his heads. Oops. Levi was right. Grandpa’s ears are no match for a brand new set of young ones.
(Bob - 5/20)
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So Sad
I was looking out the window and a large bird started flying right at the house, so I told the kids to turn around and we all watched as a Pileated woodpecker hit the window! It was so loud I screamed, and then it landed on the tree right outside the addition window. It’s been there for 10 min, so close we can identify it as a male. It’s beak is slightly open and it’s head is back, I think it’s totally stunned.
Madelyn said she was going to see if there were any feathers stuck to the house and instead found a large hole in the screen. Then she said, “I guess it’s a bad day for both of us!”
(Sara - 5/20)