Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Solitude On My Deck. #2
Good morning and Happy Saturday to everyone! I am so glad to see you this morning and to have you join me on my deck with a cup of coffee. It is a bit chilly so a jacket is definitely necessary still. But the sun is shining so beautifully on all those new, bright green leaves. Only the black ash have not started to sprout leaves yet, but the leaves on the walnut trees are starting to come out now.
Walnut trees are not native to our area but my previous landlord had planted a couple about 50 years ago. One died but the one in the front yard produces buckets of walnuts each year. The squirrels, over the years, have buried many of the walnuts and some have grown and at least one is big enough now to also produce walnuts. They are a slow growing tree this far north. There are more birds singing this morning, I think they enjoy sunny mornings better too, just like me.
A robin is singing so beautifully about 3 houses down the street. Guess they are nesting in that area. That is why I do not get a chance to see them often here. Usually there are several robins singing around the area, but this year there is only the one. There are a dozen evening grosbeaks here this morning. They do not really have a song as such, but they do have a lively chirping that they do constantly. Some people do not like their chirping, but personally I think it sounds very cheerful.
Oh look, there is a male ruby-throated hummingbird at the feeder. I always enjoy having them around. There are 2 males, but I have only seen 1 female. The red alderberry bush is in full bloom right now. Oddly I have not seen any bees at it yet. The neighbor’s mock cherry tree is also in full bloom and I hope to get a photo of it today while the sun is shining.
Again, it is usually full of bees, but I have not seen any around it this year. Perhaps the long winter and very cold spring has hurt the bee population this year. That would be bad for the flowers. I have not seen any of our flower flies yet this year either. The sky is such a rich blue this morning, reminds me of the blue on our blue jays. There are at least 4 families of blue jays around now. Baxter, Betty and their 3 young ones are here nearly all day, the others just come and go throughout the day.
The black-capped chickadees and red-breasted nuthatches come and go throughout the day as well. It is always nice to see them. We have 2 pairs of chipping sparrows here this year, they are such cute and friendly little birds. A solitary vireo is singing from a tree next door and a chestnut-sided warbler is singing a little further away across the street.
That is one of my favorite summer bird songs. Look up there, 18 of our local Canada geese are flying overhead, probably going down to the river. With warmer, drier weather moving in starting on Monday, I hope to get more walks to the river. There is a pair of American goldfinches at the feeder now, there are 2 pairs this year. Usually, other years, there are 10 or more pairs around this time of year. Hmm, the wind is getting stronger, it is supposed to get calm this morning.
I guess the wind did not hear the forecast. Sitting here listening to and watching the different birds, that is true solitude. No squirrels or chipmunks this morning. If they were here that would just add to the beauty of solitude on my deck. Thank you all for joining me here this morning. Have a wonderful weekend, enjoy your own patch of solitude and God bless!
Steve and Muffin. (top featured image is a Harris’ sparrow)
©2022 Steve McLeod.
The Investigators, Inc. Ghost Town Mystery. Chapter 16. Getting Away.
As the 2 men opened the back of the covered truck they each received a hard kick to their head and fell to the ground. “What is going on over there?”, yelled Ralf. “Looks like you are in for a big surprise you ugly old coot,” laughed Mel. “That is all I take from you!”, yelled Ralf to Mel and he pointed his gun at her. But suddenly he screamed, raising his arms and he shot in the air. “I will take that gun,” said a voice as a gun was placed against Ralf’s head. Ralf let go of his gun.
Then “Thwock!” “Thwock!” and more fighting, then “Thwock!”, “Thwock!”. “Okay Storm,” I said, “you can let go now before Ralf screams any more.” Storm dropped off Ralf’s back where he had dug in his claws nice and deep. “You!”, exclaimed Mel, “but how? We all saw that chopper explode and no one got out of it, how?” “Quite simple really,” I said, “we were not on the helicopter.” “But we saw you get on, you never got off again,” she said, still very puzzled.
“Well, oddly enough there is a tunnel from the old store and it opens onto that field right over there. We marked the spot and they landed the helicopter right over it. Fortunately the dried grass was long enough to hide the underside of the helicopter and the ground and grasses had grown solid over the wood door to the tunnel. We opened that tunnel door and the bottom of the helicopter so we could all escape. Then the pilot flew the helicopter by remote just over the trees, then he detonated the bomb on board.
Very lifelike dummies were used for each of us inside that would burn just right to look like real victims.” “Your team sure acted like it was real enough,” said Mel shaking her head. “That is because they did not know what was going on, except for Kat,” I explained, “we had to do it to expose our traitor since we did not know who it was. But we found out that Ax, that is Axelina, was working with Ralf here to get that treasure, and to get rid of us as well.”
“How did you know it wasn’t one of those 3?”, asked Ralf. “Sometimes a person just knows,” I said smiling, “and my cats were a big help, though it was tough on Storm, but he held up strong.” Meowr.=Me always know traitor not my human Angel, she too nice for traitor. “I agree with you storm,” said Jenny. “I can’t believe you actually act like those things can talk,” growled Ralf.
Meowr.=Let me scratch back again. “I think he has had enough of back scratching for today Storm,” said Galyna as she picked him up to cuddle him. “How many did you get Muffin?”, I asked. Meow,meow=Me get two, pop, pop. Meow.=Me get two too, also pop, pop. “Now to track down John,” I said. However, it was too late for that. John had kept an escape plan, which was a small helicopter, a little ways from the old town, and he was soon flying away once again.
But we got Mel and Ralf and took them to the old jail in town and locked them up until the police could get there. Maggie, Val, Jill and 2 of John’s men were dead. John took his friend Bill away with him. I drove the bus back to the house and we waited for the police to arrive.
Meanwhile back at the chateau… After revealing that Ax was the traitor, then Baldwin explained to everyone that we were still alive and why we had to use a bit of deception to catch our traitor quickly. He apologized to everyone, but the girls and Rock were just very relieved to know that we were still okay. Soon the police were up to take Ax away in a well guarded police van. “They are not taking any chances with her,” said Kat. “That is a good thing,” said Baldwin.
“Yes,” agreed Jake, “especially after she swore to get each of you. She is a very dangerous woman.” “People used to say that about me,” said Kat, “and it is still true.” “I can believe that too,” said Jake. Later we discovered that the original police officers had been overpowered and locked up and it was actually friends of Ax who came to pick her up. So she is still out there somewhere and I am sure we will meet her again at some point.
When the police arrived at the ghost town to pick up Ralf and Mel, they were both gone as well. It seems there was an old escape tunnel from each of those two cells they were locked in, and Mel knew about it. So they had a nice 4 hour head start in their escape and neither were ever found. As for the treasure, most of it came from a robbery of a bank more than a 125 years ago.
The company that owned it, and the bank, are long since lost in history so the treasure becomes property of the state. But they actually shared it with our team for recovering it, so some of that gold and part of the gems were given to us. Not bad really. One of the few times we actually got paid for our services. Flying back home with Muffin curled up on my lap I wondered what our next case would be.
The End, but a new case will begin on Monday.
©2022 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 