Stuff 8/14/21

We have spent the past week dealing with stuff. Lots and lots and lots of stuff. Which is ironic since we don’t really have much stuff left.

Last Saturday we finally got our Pod unloaded into the storage units here in Texas. Then we spent at least part of every day organizing and sorting out the stuff. Some of it is staying in storage indefinitely - that was the easy part. The other half needs to come with us for the new trailer, and that needed to be sorted into two piles - what comes with us now, and what will be picked up later after we get up the new Airstream.

Now I like organizing but this has been an all in kind of activity. We arrive home around dinner time exhausted and covered in sweat and grim from sorting through the boxes. Yesterday we did the final step of putting each stack of boxes on a dolly so that we can roll them around much easier. Our backs are thanking us for this future ease but right now they are sore and tired. Lifting boxes over and over again feels somewhat akin to the story of Sisyphus who was cursed to roll his rock up a hill each day only to see it roll back down again for all eternity.

But I don’t really want to talk about stuff this time around. Instead I want to talk about other stuff - the things that have been keeping us going this week and giving us joy.

The evenings here have not exactly been cool but a breeze seems to pick up about 6:30pm making the outside tolerable and the bugs at bay. At the back of our campsite a small piece of shade develops and we put our champ chairs out, bring the dogs outside to watch the evening settle.

Next to us is a large RV that is here full time. They have a little outdoor gray tabby cat that is super playful. Each evening they sit outside about the same time we do and the cat comes along to play. A few days ago a Mockingbird decided to join in the fun and started showing up as well. At first we thought it was taunting the cat but as we watched, we soon figured out that they were playing together. The Mockingbird comes and gets the cats attention. The cat goes into hunting mode, and they chase each other around the space between our campsites.

The first night we saw it we were amazed. Then the next night, out came the cat - and the Mockingbird returned again. And they played. And the next night after that it happened again. And so on - all week long. Last evening our neighbors were not out and so the cat was not around either. But the Mockingbird came anyway and waited until finally the cat showed up to play. And then the games began.

Now these unlikely playmates have been a joy to watch. Even the dogs have been watching (much to Mechtild’s dismay as she would very much like to go play with the cat but she is not allowed).

It has been a bright spot in the midst of much sorting and organizing. And felt like much more important stuff to share than the many boxes we have sorted through over the past week.

Imagine - a bird and a cat becoming friends and playmates.

What’s next - the lion and the lamb?

It makes me giddy - and maybe even just a wee bit hopeful - thinking of all the possibilities?