Reciprocation

My friend, Mary Ellen, loves animals and flowers, thus she’s the perfect pet and house sitter whenever I’m out-of-town.

Seldom is she not available when I need her, be it a long-planned vacation, or the death of a Kentucky relative.

Baby Boomers, Mary Ellen and I are now the age where we often combine such sad and happy occasions in one visit.

My Minnesota friend has mastered juggling such obligations and recreation within one road trip. I listen, aim to learn more about pet care.

Now, I’ve accepted the reality that I’ll never achieve Mary Ellen’s skill set level. Take quilting, for instance.

Almost every time I enter her lovely home, she presents me with a new quilt she’s begun. My goodness, I barely accomplish my laundry that quickly!

Presently, Mary Ellen and her husband Jerry just crossed the Mackinac Bridge, and will arrive home well before dark today.

This means she’ll be strolling her gardens and picking ripe tomatoes I left in the raised bed that Jerry built.

“Help yourself to the tomatoes,” she said before they drove away.

You see, this is my last of several days to reciprocate watering, deadheading, and harvesting whatever yield the earth and her efforts produce. Having pear tomatoes to spare, I plucked one lonely, little wine-colored tomato and popped it into my mouth.

Yum!

As Mary Ellen’s beloved dog, Abby, always travels with her, I’ve watered plants, double checked I turned off the faucet as her note indicated, and drove away.

Easy peasy. No pet care necessary.

Not so for her whenever I travel out of town.

As aforementioned, Mary Ellen loves animals, including my cats, blue-eyed Mitty and green-eyed Cuddles.

Sometimes, it seems my pets are disappointed to see me when I return from several days’ absence.

“Oh, it’s just you,” they yawn and blink when I open the door to the basement. They aim for their kibble dish without a meow of affection or “welcome home”.

You see, their exceptional sitter takes time to sit on the basement steps to hold and talk with them.

Indeed, a true cat-whisperer.

Therefore, I offer my heartfelt affection for Abbey, their pet, whenever I enter Mary Ellen’s house. Abbey runs the same circle through the kitchen and living room. Every time. Without fail.
Oh yes, dogs and cats are entirely different creatures.

Sometimes, I remember my cocker spaniel Sweetie from high school, how she returned my love with her puppy dog eyes, devotion that seemed to save my life.

Dear Reader, sometimes I cry for Sweetie. Yet, I don’t confess this to Mitty and Cuddles.

I tell Mary Ellen instead. She understands the gift of reciprocation.

Contact Iris at irisfarmletters@gmail.com