Back to Work

Off to work this morning! Thank goodness that the snowplows were up and down our road so many times over the weekend. Compared to the snow in December the clean up on this one was a 100 times better, no big nasty slick spots on the road out to Hull Street.

The trip home was totally uneventful. No ice, no snow, no muss.

Walt & I ran a bunch of errand this evening. He was bound and determined to find some more rock salt for the driveway. No such luck, but he does know when it is arriving at the store.

The dogs are still suffering from cabin fever. The whole concept of staying in the house without getting out for at least 10-15 minutes to wander around every couple of hours is making them crazy. Bounce really could use the time out to literally 'bounce' around the yard. Carla on the other hand could use it so that Bounce could work off some of his energy.

The sleet is beginning to come down. I can hear it hitting the window panes in the living room. It promises to be a very slick adventure in the morning.

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Funeral For a Homeless Man

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently, I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky back-country.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost; and being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight.

There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.

The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I've never played before for this homeless man.

And as I played 'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.

As I was opening the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "I never seen nothin' like that before, and I've been putting in septic tanks for over twenty years."