PAYBACK FOR HUMOR AT SOMEONE ELSE’S EXPENSE

Posted on June 24, 2011 by BigFootClub

In all honesty, I do think it’s funny that Name Withheld is afraid of snakes.  Shame on me, but it’s true.  Payback:  I was working in the garden box, getting it ready for planting last month, when a large garter snake slid out quickly and unexpectedly.  Garter snakes are usually small, adorable and easy to get along with.  Nothing to fear, except when they “suddenly appear”, then the that high-pitched squeal emerges like no sound you could make if you were actually trying.  What thought comes to mind:  It will be embarrassing to admit this to Name Withheld, as much fun as I have enjoyed at her expense.  <g>

Now, the naturalist in me comes naturally, and is long-entrenched in the roots of my upbringing, if not my genetics.  I even have an ancient relative who was a member of the Dinosaur Wars.  I love spending time outside, and I love the diversity in nature, the plant kingdom as well as the animal kingdom.  There are a few creature varieties that give me pause, at least until I get a closer look.  Not a fan of scorpions, love lizards, glad that most are not poisonous; enjoy non-poisonous snakes, frogs, toads, anything that lives in water, on land or in air, but don’t like most wasps and really don’t like hornets.  Then there are the eight-legged creatures.  I hate ticks!  That I can state firmly and with confidence using a four-letter word.  And, there are spiders.  I’m not a fan of spiders in general, but there are a few that I like.  I enjoy the jumping spiders, and particularly enjoyed the one who stayed in my office last summer.  Now there is a new inhabitant.  And this one has either been replaced or has grown already, and I think it’s the latter.  He’s (or she’s) been hanging out for several weeks now.  It is larger and fuzzier than the one last year.  The front legs that look like iridescent eyes on this one are more green than blue, and are very intriguing.  In the afternoons, he gets busy, and this one either has a remarkable sense of humor, poor judgment or is so hungry that he is exceptionally ambitious.  I was sitting at my desk, watching him from his perch 2-3 feet away, and I could almost read his thoughts.  Surely enough, he jumped directly at me and there was that unrecognizable sound as my blood pressure  dropped so fast that my skin tingled.  And I even saw it coming!

I don’t watch scary movies or read scary books, don’t get a thrill from that kind of rush at all.  Lost my popcorn at one moment in the new Pirates movie.  (It rained on everyone around me.)  So, even if I would go, I’m not good company anyway, unless you’re one of “those” who would have humor at someone else’s expense.

I would like to think that he was simply having humor at my expense, and we all know about payback.  He didn’t lose his place in the desk area, but he did retreat and seems to be a little more cautious about emerging since.  Can’t imagine being a little spider when some gargantuan creature makes a noise like that.  Must be terrifying.  <g>

The one last year seemed somewhat Newfy-like in personality.  Maybe this one is like Jade, and wants to be a “lap-spider”.

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2011
Posted in A Little Humor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

ARAYO’S RIDE: MAY 2011

Posted on June 2, 2011 by BigFootClub

Last week, Parker and I went to Joplin in the good company of a fellow Newfoundland friend and her road-trip buddy.  Karyn has written some nice pieces on her experiences with the storm and its recovery process on her blog:

The Lure and Tragedy of Tornadoes

Out of the Ruins

A Great Spirit is at Work in Joplin

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2019
Posted in Joplin Tornado 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

IT TAKES FAITH TO MOVE MOUNTAINS [3]

Posted on June 1, 2011 by BigFootClub

Today, 6/1/11

In the past week, we have tried to spend as much time in Joplin as we can.  The house is now a mess, in need of attention.  Yesterday Greg did some outside work, weedeating and removing the volunteer tree sprouts, and he ran a load of dishes in the dishwasher.  I arrived just as he was cooking dinner.  (What a good sense of timing, hmmm?)  Today he left me a note describing his plans for the evening which included mowing the lawn.  As I walked outside and saw that yes, the lawn did need to be mowed, only then did I realize that it was Wednesday already.

Thursday mornings are when our trash service is scheduled.  So, our weekly schedule for Wednesdays includes any activities that generate waste, such as vacuuming, yard pickup, frig cleanout, etc.  Mowing is on the schedule for Wednesdays so that it is done after yard pickup.  In a pinch, yard pickup can usually be done on Thursday mornings early, but customers have been put on notice that pickups will be done earlier than usual to accomodate the extra work in the Joplin area.  This evening we will be busy.

On Monday Greg and I worked on a clean-up crew in Joplin clearing debris between two housing areas along a ravine.  There were several people cutting broken limbs and fallen trees while many others moved the vegetation and other materials into segregated piles for removal.  In this type of situation, it is a mass labor effort and tools are limited.  So, a lot of the work is hand-carrying of materials, one trip at a time, anywhere from 20 feet to up to 300 feet.  By Monday, some wheelbarrows had been delivered, but there were many more workers than there were wheelbarrows.

During the Memorial on Sunday, Governor J. Nixon described the character of the people in our state.  [Gov. J. Nixon, Memorial Service]  In particular, he used the words “stubborn”, “impatient”, “self-reliant” and “practical”.  Our determination and resolve is often described as “stubborn”.  I believe this comes partly from the roots of our ancestors, and survival and growth required these assets.  These attributes shine as qualities when situations like this demand our full attention.  But there is one more attribute that I think is common to our area, not just Missouri, and that is resourcefulness.  My mom used to say, “Where there is a will, there is a way” and “The best help is at the end of your arm.”  I saw these traits and philosophies in action on Monday.

When you carry a small armful of material and walk back and forth many times, along with somewhere between 10 and 30 other people in your area, you begin to look for ways to accomplish more with your time and energy.  People began using items from the storm debris as tools.  One person found part of a ragged tarp to carry larger loads, others found pieces of plywood or siding to carry larger loads, and one family walked up the hill to a demolished car wash and found what appeared to be plastic covers to a piece of equipment about the size of a small garden cart.  They took sections of wire that were lying along the ground and made pull lines for the covers, one by simply threading a cord with a socket through a small hole.  These could be filled and drug like sleds back and forth.

Many odd items were found along the ravine, including a badly damaged door from a semi truck.  Personal items were collected by the volunteer organizers so those could be reclaimed.

The volunteers are amazing, and there are many volunteers simply taking care of other volunteers.  One man parked in a shopping center with tools for sharpening chains for chainsaws.  Others drove volunteers to and from work areas.  The Missouri Cattlemens’ Association and the Jasper County Cattlemens’ Association have parked by the Volunteer Desk entrance since early last week, grilling burgers and hot dogs and feeding people every day.  The work crews in our area were fed by the Red Cross.  They provided freshly cooked pork barbecue sandwiches from an EMT type vehicle along with many donated snack foods, protein bars and drinks.  So I decided to help those who were helping others and volunteered to help the Cattlmens’ Association yesterday.  As it turned out, they had four cooks and a number of people serving, so most of yesterday’s time was spent visiting with neighbors, getting acquainted for the first time, and hearing their stories of experiences in the tornado, like the couple in their 80s found walking down a gravel road and how children are struggling with bad dreams.

Not only is today Wednesday, but it is also June 1.  Time does march on, and the heat and humidity are beginning to increase.  A tremendous amout of work has been accomplished in the first week, but progress for remaining work may begin to taper.  There are many who were able to give up their Memorial Day weekends to help.  There are volunteers who are staying in tents in the parking lot, so the volunteer shelters may still be full.

Rangeline is beginning to flow at usual traffic speeds, and with courtesy for the damage, traffic remains relatively light.  Power lines have been cut down in the hardest hit areas, but most traffic lights are in operation again.  Many businesses have set up temporary operations along Rangeline, including insurance offices and support organizations as well as existing businesses.

On 5/22, I had gone back to the television after the storm subsided, watching local anchors Dowe Quick and Gary Bandy for information about the damage.  As I watched the KOAM anchor, the scope of the devastation began to sink in and the influence of his thoughts began to be visible on this reliably practiced professional:  How will we ever recover from this?  The people who serve at Starbucks’ drive-thru window are usually quick with wit and friendliness, but the person on Thursday was distracted and stressed, although still polite.  By Saturday, the wit and humor was back.  The degree of support from people local and far-away were giving the community a renewed spirit of optimism and courage.

Another piece of encouragement could be found in a one-year follow-up story on the Parsons tornado from April of 2000, re-aired the past weekend.  [Parsons tornado follow-up]

While the rebuilding will continue for more than a year, and the painful reminders will be part of the landscape for a long time, the sharpness of the pain will subside.  Rebuilding will allow better energy efficiency to be incorporated into homes and businesses.  Protection from storms will no doubt be a factor in planning.  More gas efficient vehicles may replace older vehicles.  In the long run, there are many opportunities for improvement, but at a cost that would have been avoided if that were in any way possible.

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2011
Posted in Joplin Tornado 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

RETURN FROM THE AFTERMATH [2]

Posted on May 31, 2011 by BigFootClub

Sunday morning, 5/29/11

The weather is lovely this morning.  The sun is shining, there is a light breeze, the grass is green and the humidity is perfect, for me.

It has been a short and long week, and there has been a lot to take in.  On Monday following the tornado, I went to the Volunteer Center at the MSSU campus.  There were  volunteers directing traffic in a crowded, slow-moving parking lot, and the person at the intersection showed me which building was being used for volunteer coordination.  Once in the building, there was a two page form to complete and sign, to be used for coordination of volunteers’ skills to areas of needs.  Then I went back home and waited anxiously, ready to do any of a number of tasks.  While I was waiting for a call, I checked with some organizations to see if therapy dogs would be useful.  A friend from Kansas City and another nearby in Kansas were ready and willing to bring their Newfs.  Surely there would be some people who would benefit from dog-hug therapy, and there were some very willing dog recipients on our team.

The forms for organizing volunteers didn’t include a checkbox that fit the purpose of therapy dog visits, and all paths for volunteers were directed to this center.  Of the local organizations that I spoke with directly, no opportunities were uncovered, so by Thursday, two of us decided to go on site and take the dogs with us to see if we could find a place to visit with any of the displaced residents.  We were directed to the building that housed those who had lost their homes and told that others with therapy dogs had visited.

People who were displaced by this storm were being housed in a large facility, and their pets were being kept in the basement floor of that facility.  They could get their pet and take it outside for walks or visits.  In another building not far from this one, lost pets were being housed by the local humane society so that those staying in the shelter could walk through and look for their lost pet(s).  What a remarkably compassionate way to reduce the level of trauma from such a devastating event!

We found an area where we could visit with residents at the shelter.  Many people, adults and children, residents or volunteer workers, came over for a visit.  As a pleasant surprise, one of the volunteers who had come over to visit was from the other side of the state and it turned out that she was a close friend of my best friend from grade school.

After we left the residents, we decided to try the volunteer desk again to see if we could sign up for a shift in the afternoon.  At the assignments desk, we found that there were some upcoming shifts in two areas where we could work.  We were led upstairs to a call center, but found that task was on hold while a system was being updated.  Since we had a couple of hours to wait, we decided to use that time to look for an elderly friend that Karyn had been concerned about.  We were able to locate his house and found him to be doing well.  We drove on through Main St., passing nearly incomprehensible destruction, with St. John’s Hospital, not ordinarily visible for other buildings, standing several blocks away in the background.  It is amazing that the hospital’s structure withstood so much force that most of the people there were able to be evacuated.  As our two hours were expiring, we drove back across 7th St., where more of the force of this storm was grippingly evident, where many large buildings were now in the rubble and heavily damaged cars were stacked upside down on debris or on other cars.  When we returned to our work area, the new system was still being installed, so we filled openings in another area.

Learning about volunteering in this situation has been a new experience. The coordination efforts are crucial, since much can be accomplished by the volunteers when their time is used productively.  Many if not most people came to volunteer immediately, only to be told that they would need to be scheduled for when there were shifts open, or that the young people with them would need to have  authorization signatures by a parent or guardian.  It was hard to see the expressions when people, some within a half hour or an hour’s drive, some having traveled a long distance and hoping to stay at a shelter with other volunteers, were troubled about what to do next.  Most of them thought about it for a moment then took on a demeanor of resolve with a plan to stay in the waiting area until someone gave them something to do.  The volunteer coordination team began to find ways to work people into task areas.  With a little creativity, most, if not all, of the volunteers who stayed had work assignments.  Within the following few days, each time you saw those people, they were beaming with joy, happy to be giving, to be doing something useful for someone else, in a tragic situation.

People who sincerely were driven to do something to help came in large numbers.  I don’t think that the volunteer organizers were prepared for the number of volunteers or the determination of those volunteers to serve in some capacity.  People whose own homes were in ruin were determinedly working to help others, bringing in their own equipment.  They showed up at the crew area in the mornings, not willing to be scheduled with delay.  People had come from neighboring and distant states.  Some came from Tuscaloosa following their own devastation.  A German lady who was on vacation in Arkansas, came and joined a debris clean-up crew.  Some Japanese people who were on vacation in New York left and drove to Joplin to work.  People came in good faith, bringing little resources, ready to dive into whatever task they could perform.  Their progress was astonishing to the volunteer coordinators.

Shifts for today were being limited due to the memorial service.  This morning, I took some time to go outside and lie down in the swing under the large Maple tree.  It was a good time to reflect, and to think about the purpose for meditation time.  When I was young, my Dad would come in during noon and lie down on the couch to take a nap.  He continued this through the rest of his life.  Reaching 96 or 97 (birth certificate destroyed in fire), I think he may have been onto something, realizing the health benefits of a form of mid-day meditation.  I can’t close my eyes and sleep during the day, but today, I can look up through the layers of green leaves toward the blue sky, relax and be thankful.

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2011
Posted in Joplin Tornado 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment