THE BEST VIEW: Snapshots

by Norma Best Boucher

After supper yesterday when my friends and I were walking, we saw first, an osprey, then a hawk, and bringing up the rear a black bird chasing the other two.

The osprey landed on the bank of the retention pond only to find the hawk swooping down upon him. They both took flight with the black bird literally on their tails. The osprey and hawk flew off in opposite directions. With those birds gone, the black bird returned to the tree where he most likely was guarding a nest.

There was a lot of action and noise for a few seconds.

I do believe there is definitely a lesson to be learned from this David and two Goliaths’ battle.

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We have a new “homemade” donut shop that just opened near my house. I mean within walking distance.

A neighbor gave me a sample, a mochi donut, which was the best donut I have ever eaten. So, of course, I had to go to the new shop. Mochi donuts are only sold on the weekends. This was Monday, so I bought a coconut donut.

When I saw the coconut atop the donut, I immediately thought of Harris Bakery coconut cream donuts. Today’s coconut donut was good but not Harris Bakery good.

I will return Saturday for a Mochi donut.

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When retired people panic:

The books I put on hold at different times at the library have all come in at the same time – Today!

AGH!

I hope some of these are the DVD’s I ordered.

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OMG! Another library notice – Another book is in, either the fourth or the fifth. I have lost count.

This is either a “horn of plenty” or “When it rains, it pours.”

Can you believe this?

How many books/DVDs have I actually requested?

Another retiree problem – I don’t remember. The exact total of books reserved isn’t yet in my long-term memory.

I ponder this dilemma.

You know, I go for days with nothing exciting happening.

I think that I am going to savor this moment of drama.

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When I went to eat at a fast food restaurant today, I hit a roadblock, literally. I drove on the third lane circling the building bypassing the drive thru windows and was halted by a rope across the pathway. I wouldn’t have cared, but there was no sign warning about this blocked roadway. Luckily, when I had to back up, there was no one else behind me.

When I ordered my lunch at the inside counter, I reported, to no avail, the possibly dangerous dilemma that cars were encountering.

With my lunch I sat by a window that overlooked the questionable parking lot area where several cars went in and then backed out of the roped off area. At one point three cars were caught together and backed up in a rather chaotic strategy.

The climax of my lunch was when a Waste Management truck passed by, could not reach the trash receptacle, and backed up with the very loud backup alarm catching everyone’s attention including the drive-thru customers who could not yell loudly enough to order over the loud alarm.

I finished my lunch, grabbed my book, which I had not even opened, and left the building. I went to my car, which I had parked a very long way away. I was careful as the parking lot had become an obstacle course with my dodging cars that were still going and retreating in that blocked lane.

The dodging of cars was not the only problem.

The odor from the Waste Management truck still lingered in the air.

Do you remember when we were young, and our mothers gave us the mail addressed “Occupant?” How I loved getting that mail. I don’t know if I even knew what the word “Occupant” meant, but I rushed to the mailbox for “my” mail.

Now the “Occupant “reads “Resident,” and there is so much “Resident” mail that I have to take a bag to the mailbox to collect it all.

One good thing, though, is that I now know the difference between yesterday’s “Occupant” and today’s “Resident.”

Today’s “Resident” means I pay the bills.