Construction

The neighbourhood thrums with activity these days. With daylight savings time coinciding with what one might presume to be better weather, the sounds of hammers, lawn mowers, woodpeckers seeking their territory, and the whine of saws and machinery gives a different beat to the day.

It was odd...time changes usually bother me no end. But this one passed with nary a whimper from me...in fact, it seems as if I might have finally understood what living in the timeless manner I strive for is all about.

Better weather?...Well, our March weather is quintessential early Spring...warm, misty rain one day, cold, howling hurricane force winds the next, bringing along a clear and dry warm day...and so it goes.

But time marches on, no matter what the weather is like...Birds are busy scurrying for soft pieces of dog hair with which to line their nests. Their busy chirping, mating calls, and territorial fights almost drown out the sound of saws from the next door lot, where there is a new house being built.

Woodpecker drums on any surface he can find, marking his place in the Universe. Unfortunately, our Woodpecker drums mostly on metal surfaces. And the resultant noise of his incessant drumming on the metal flashing around our chimney is driving me slightly off kilter. And if I feel that way, can you imagine how Woodpecker must be feeling? Headachey, to say the least.

Too, I will have to get used to big concrete trucks, delivery trucks and vans, trades and construction workers arriving next door on a constant basis...driving the dogs to distraction.

Both of them are so tired at the end of the day that they are hardly interested in waking up to eat their dinner. It is extremely stressful, they tell me, to keep tabs on the comings and goings of all these strange people, who are doing who knows what right next door!

But this afternoon a part of the panel of our fence separating the two properties fell over, the result of an altercation with the Excavator. I wasn't even aware of it, until I saw Lucky casually sauntering towards the opening. He was using his investigative body movements...tail straight up, ears alert, not drawing any attention to himself, moving slowly. Something's always up when Lucky looks like this!

Ahhh...the doorway to freedom!

And not only that. Other dogs and cats can get in, as well. Well, the excitement was not to be borne! And, without much surprise on my part, there was not a construction worker in sight, they having all decamped for parts unknown, before the fence fell.

It was their machinery which did in the fence, ergo...they should fix it, by all accounts. The workers will return at some point. Hopefully, they understand the good neighbour policy!

So here we sit, the dogs and I. My plans to join in with all the busy behavior of Spring by wheeling barrows full of mulch to garden beds have come to nought. Until either I or someone more knowledgeable than I when it comes to building fences, although I'm not averse to trying, comes along, the dogs are banished inside the house.

I can't bear to leave them in, when they can see me working outside. There would be many tears shed. And Nate has a way of holding sadness in his eyes that can tear me apart. Lucky would howl the house down.

The best laid plans...

Normally, plans that are thwarted make me jumpy and uneasy and scattered. I started out that way, this afternoon when I couldn't have my gardening fix. But the Universe keeps throwing situations at me where I beat my head against an immovable wall. It's time to learn to shrug my shoulders and let things go a little more.

I find myself railing against circumstances which cannot change. I find myself asking for the Wisdom, Courage and Serenity more and more these days, when not so long ago, I was working and using the Serenity Prayer before the Wall showed up.

It was a small lesson, but one which I heard loud and clear. It is too draining to fight situations which just aren't going well. Energy flows away from me when, after trying this and that and the other thing, a situation is still not resolved.

At some point, I have to recognize where to stop. And usually, I am good at this, before my body tells me, in no uncertain terms.

But, just as the builders next door, just as the birds and bees and flora and fauna are...I am constructing a bridge to further enlightenment in the school of life. Just as the builders work with unforeseen circumstances, so is my bridge halted, at times.

And so, this time, when the Wall showed up...I took a nap.

Construction can wait.