Saturday, September 6, 2008

This Story Is Full Of Holes

Large, medium, small or tiny, holes are all over the place. Everywhere you look, you'll find some kind of hole. My neighbors strawberry pot.

It's full of holes. Big holes. Mostly empty holes except for the hen & chicks that are stuck in a few. (Not bragging at all but I think I might have done a little better job if it was my pot of holes)

Then there's this medium sized hole.

I was very careful when I drilled this hole into the side of this fragile gourd. I sure could have used a hole the size of the strawberry pot when trying to remove the insides without cracking the walls, but I finally got them all out and then I carefully sanded the edges smooth so the birds wouldn't scratch themselves as they went in and out. Three years now and no birds have ever scratched themselves on this hole. Because three years now and no birds have ever gone in or out. Maybe it's the wrong sized hole.

Some holes are small.

I have no idea why this hole is in the side of my house where holes should never be, so I immediately stuffed a wooden dowel in it right after I took this picture. Keep the little critters out until I can fill it with something a little more permanent, maybe a larger wooden dowel. I'm glad it's just a small hole.

Some holes are used for very important things like food storage.

The red headed woodpecker uses this telephone pole as his food pantry. He especially likes to store peanuts and bagels in these tiny holes. (Yes, bagels, but that's a different post for a later time.)

Some holes are used for buried treasure such as acorns, only to be dug up and then re-buried somewhere else, dug up, re-buried, dug up, re-buried.....so many times that your nice little patch of green that you tend to so faithfully begins to resemble a field of miniature craters

Pesky squirrels. They fill in the holes when they bury their stash, the least they could do is fill it back in when they dig it up.

Then there are the little holes that gradually grow into big holes. I hate when little gnats or whatever they are, bite my ankles, so I always wear socks when I go outside. Trouble is, I don't always wear shoes. So eventually most of my socks look like this.

But I still wear them. Hey the rest of the sock is fine so why throw the whole sock away when it's just a small part that's bad. Besides I have to save my un-holey socks for when company comes. ("Hey, Hi, How are you, Come on in, Hold on just a sec.", dash upstairs and change my socks. Never mind the opened mail strewn across the table, the few dirty cups in the sink, a bit of dust on the furniture. Priorities, you know) Anyhow, I'm just going to wear them in my own yard. The little problem occurs when I'm outside and my neighbors call me over.

Walking up to them is not the problem. The toes of my socks look perfectly fine. The problem is when it's time to leave. You don't want them to see your heels so you have to back away. I find that if you slowly walk backwards, talking all the while so they think you are just continuing the conversation, and then when you get close to your own door, just kinda slide sideways until you get inside, they'll never know. They might think you're a little weird, but they'll never accuse you of wearing holey socks.

And lastly, my favorite holes. The only reason they're my favorite holes is because they happen to be in my favorite shirt.

My big, soft, cozy, comfortable shirt. The shirt I wear around the house when it starts to get a little cool, the long sleeves warm and fuzzy against my arms, except for the left elbow where there is another large hole. The shirt I wear when I curl up in my favorite chair to read a good book. The shirt that took me years to get to the perfect feel. No way I'm getting rid of these holes.

Wow, this post is longer than I thought it was going to be. Hope nobody got so bored that they fell asleep halfway through. Unless they're reading it at night of course. Then I'll just say "you're welcome"

14 comments:

Dog_geek said...

I love the big cozy shirt - I have several similar flannel shirts with fraying edges and some threadbare spots. There's nothing better than a well-broken in flannel!

flydragon said...

D_G,
Got that right!! I wish I had a few more just like this one. Well, maybe without all the holes.

Susie said...

Flydragon-Girl, those socks are way to clean to belong to a gardener. Where's the dirt stains?

Loved this post!! So funny!!!

flydragon said...

Susie,
I thought I'd clean them up before I took their picture. After thinking about it, I should have taken the shot while it was still on my foot. Then everyone could have seen my dirty heel poking through my dirty sock. Now that would have been a pretty picture.

Anonymous said...

All that talk about holes and you never swore once! I can't believe it!

Hehhhehehehehe

Fl brat

flydragon said...

Fla. brat,
I may have a few times while I was writing the draft, but I held myself back when writing the post.

RURAL said...

Great post! My husband always seems to be wearing his hole-i-est socks when company drops over. I have learned to just look the other way.....
Jen

flydragon said...

Jen,
I of course, think you handle that in exactly the right way. That is the way I wish everyone over here would handle it, too.

Nunya said...

i love this post, it was a great read!

i've never noticed your holey socks, but i sure have quite a few of my own.

flydragon said...

C,
You liked it because we have the same weird sense of humor, and evidently the same bad habits when it comes to socks. I saw you walk outside yesterday in your socks. You never noticed my holey socks because I know ahead of time when you're coming over.

Anonymous said...

I can tell we're all part of the same family--I loved this post, too:-)

SisterNan
By the way, my Knock Out Rose is blooming, but wish it were a double. Love the smell, though. Some of the leaves are yellowing and have little white holes. Any ideas?

flydragon said...

Hi Nan,
My rose isn't blooming at all and no buds, but there are some yellow leaves. I can't see any white holes though. I have no idea what it could be, since this is the first year for me also. Connies is blooming now too, so I don't know what's wrong with mine.

Anonymous said...

Next time I go to the thrift store I'm looking for a soft flannel shirt then it will be all soft and cuddley. How about the holes the cat next door makes but trys to cover up but never gets it right. Pew. Middle sis

flydragon said...

B,
Of all the holes around my house, I'm sure glad I haven't come across that one.