Enhancing the Resume

I used to be secretly rather proud of my resume. Varied experience, upward mobility, awards - the whole deal. But now! I can add meter reader to that list. How many psychologists will have that on their resumes? Not many; I may be the only one.

It all started when I announced an early departure back to the farm. "Aha," thought my son, "She'll have additional time to spend on all those tasks I never get around to." So, he made a list. I don't know if the list made it onto the whiteboard but it made it onto my 'to do' list.

So yesterday afternoon, I started at the top of the list and hiked to the far paddock to check the steers and their water trough. Everything was fine there. I think I told you that all 4 steers are pure black. Not quite true; one has a rust colored ring around his mouth. Yes, I got close enough to see it. Actually, he got close enough to me. He followed me all the way to the gate and then hung forlornly around hoping I'd return. I don't know what it is with me and bovines but Romeo was the first and now here I have another fervent admirer.

So now I'm in the sheep paddock and true to form, they scatter when they see me. I begin to stomp through the tall grass to check their water troughs when I notice that the ram, in his haste to avoid me, has run under a curved branch that is lying on the ground. And he is stuck. For a brief, glorious moment I watch and think that revenge is indeed a dish best served cold. But then I remember that he sires the flock and I go to rescue him. With a marvellous ballet move, the ram throws himself backward into the air, bringing the branch with him. The branch slides to the ground and he is free. For one brief, glorious moment he contemplates lowering his horns and coming after me but then realizes that I control water and food. He turns into the woods and I continue to the water troughs.

Now I'm no engineer but common sense would tell you that one water trough with two sections should hold the same amount of water. But it doesn't. The left is filled nicely; the right is almost empty. I will email Dan and let him put that puzzle on his to do list.

It's getting dark so I decide to leave reading the meters until the morning. I awake at 6:30 to a howling wind and spritzing rain. I roll over. I wake up again at 7:30 and figure out that this is the day I have to deal with. By 8 I am reading the meter at the new barn. I slosh through the driveway past the sheep who turn their backs on me and 4 start pooing me. Quite the little send off. Down the 3/4 mile road to the red, red barn. Climb the fence (I still can't get the gate open) and through the orchard to the next paddock and gate and then into the shed to read the second meter. Smart me! I brought a flashlight and am able to read the meter, close everything back up and reshut the gate to that paddock.

Interesting fact: this gate is made of wood and you close it by sliding wood planks through slits in the gate and the fence. Pretty straightforward so far. Try it when it is raining - hard. The wood is wet and swollen and my knuckles are skinned from wrestling those planks into place.

Since I am already in the orchard, I bring out my trowel and start weeding around the newly planted fruit trees. I do most of them but the grass is up to my belly button and the rain is coming down harder than ever. I decide to plead old age and climb the fence again and head up the road. Now the road down is 3/4 of a mile but the road up the hill is 7 miles long (or at least it feels that way).

I have just had my shower, nursed my knuckles and am surveying my latest lot of library books for the perfect companion to curling up in my dry, warm room and doing nothing much at all. And it's only 11:30. What a life!