The Reindeer Keeper

My 13-year-old granddaughter sent me a message last week asking if I would make her a strawberry-rhubarb pie for her 14th birthday. It felt like Christmas!  Of course I would make her a strawberry-rhubarb pie! As many as she would like! We decided I would deliver the pie for supper on her birthday. My son Brian and I would be staying for her Celebration supper, complete with a Special-Order Strawberry-Rhubarb pie! When that special day arrived, I decided to make an apple pie along with the strawberry-rhubarb pie.  Ingredients were measured and mixed and two pies were the result. I dressed up the Strawberry-Rhubarb pie since it represented what would have been her Birthday Cake. I wrapped both pies up in aluminum foil. Then placed them side by side on a wooden tray and placed that tray on the back seat. Off we went with the radio on high and the excitement growing.  As I made the last turn onto their road, I heard something. Something going on in the back seat. No! That wo...

When driving by this group of sheep gathered together in one massive nap underneath a pine tree in the heat of the day, I had to stop and try to capture the moment. They all looked so comfortable curled up, side by side in the cool grass. So, I parked down the road and quietly made my way back to the sheep sprawled out in mass. But despite my thinking I was quiet, I did stir a few of them. And they, in turn, stirred a few more and soon some inquisitive sheep were watching my every move. I understood. I certainly would not enjoy a group of inquisitive sheep staring at me when napping in the daytime. I only intruded on their break in the day for a few minutes. I did not want to scare them. I did not want to make them feel so threatened that a few would jump up and hurry away from me, followed by the rest of the gang. So, I took a few photos and left, hoping those curious of me would put their heads back down and fall back to sleep. I did wonder as I walked away if they themselves ever co...