Again our weekend weather has been a disappointment as I continue to shake my head about this decidedly weird Spring we’ve had. Yesterday, the weather folks called for rain and several thunderstorms beginning at dawn, then off and on throughout Saturday; Sunday and Monday would feature hot-and-steamy temperatures in the mid-90s with a heat index of 100+ degrees – ugh. We might as well morph right into Summer as it makes its debut next Thursday anyway.
Because of my walking regimen, and, more because I am a weather worrier, I follow a few meteorologists, plus check out the online Weather Channel at www.weather.com on a daily basis. Yesterday everyone predicted this rainy/stormy Saturday. But, because they are often wrong, when I went to bed Friday night, I told myself “you’ll get up the usual time, look outside at dawn and if it is not raining, you’ll go on a walk” … so that was my mindset when the alarm went off this morning. However, I’d already had breakfast, including coffee, when the first rumble of thunder started around 5:30 a.m. It was one of those long, deep rumbles that precedes the first huge splats of rain, and then the inevitable thunderstorm. Another walk ruined! I decided I was not going to be consulting the window, the weatherman, nor Weather.com all day long to try to fit in a walk. I was so disgusted that I turned off the kitchen light and went back to bed. I didn’t even bother resetting the alarm. I’d just wake up when I was good and ready. (So there!) Well, I woke up around 9:30 a.m. and saw sunshine streaming through the blinds. I got up and looked outside – clear as a bell with a blue sky and the sun shining brightly. I was disgusted with myself, Mother Nature and all the weather “experts” and I turned on the radio just as the weatherman said “it’s currently 75 degrees, 75% humidity and a storm is coming around noon.”
So I sprang into action, in an effort to salvage a walk and be home before the stormy weather arrived. I took the car for a spin and off we went to Council Point Park. I drove past the woodchuck who was way at the outskirts of the Park and I silently said “hold that pose, I’ll be there in about 15 minutes” and pulled into the parking lot. It was already hot and sticky as I crossed the parking lot, and I started on the second loop first, but the woodchuck was long gone, likely back in his cool underground burrow to avoid the heat and another photo op. I did two complete loops on that side of the Park just in case he had a change of heart and emerged, but he did not.
I then headed over to the other side of the Park.
I don’t know if it was the heat, my late arrival, or the commotion of a graduation party going on at the pavilion area, but there were no furry peanut pals there to greet me at the beginning of the trail. Perhaps the loud hum of a generator that was running near the pavilion (to keep the party food and drinks cold) had scared them off. However, on the second time around this loop, I heard squirrels chattering and looked up in a tree to find two squirrels laying on different tree branches. I spoke to them, but they didn’t acknowledge me like they usually do by scrambling down the tree to hurry over to my feet. They just stayed there, sprawled out, their furry forms and bushy tails stretched along the thick branch. Were they sick or just being lazy? Was their energy zapped by the heat and humidity like mine was? I took out the Ziploc bag of peanuts and wiggled the plastic bag, but there were no takers, and I even lined up a few peanuts on the asphalt path – still no movement by them. Just blank stares and their lounging position up in the tree. I decided I would not hang around any longer to coax and cajole them. They were obviously new to the Park since they didn’t recognize one of their most-faithful benefactors, so I moved on.
Before I left, I took some pictures of this pair of slackers, and, as I walked away I decided they’d be the subject of today’s post and I knew just the title for it: “Too pooped to participate” – you don’t hear this expression much anymore, but it was a common and polite way to “beg off” doing something by simply saying “sorry, I’m too pooped to participate.”
My mom used to love to do jigsaw puzzles and she especially enjoyed those puzzles that featured the artwork of painter Charles Wysocki. His Americana folk art paintings often featured horse and buggy rides and quaint farmhouses, but there were unique animal scenes as well. I’d see those puzzles in progress on the puzzle board, so I got familiar with his artwork.
One Wysocki puzzle Mom did was the reproduction of this painting entitled “Too pooped to participate” and this photo of one of those sleepy squirrels reminded me of this scene.
Do you agree?
I did two complete trips around Council Point Park, only four miles today, but they were bonus miles that I didn’t count on given the dire weather forecast. And, as I write this post, while I don’t welcome bad weather anytime, it still has not rained or stormed.
[Image of “Too pooped to participate” by Charles Wysocki from Pinterest.]
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Miss Linda………………………..yes i did go for a walk this morning with my umbrella in my hand………………….I did hear the thunder earlier but I went anyway and then the sun came out but it sure looked like it was going to storm any minute and it didn’t so I was lucky I’d say…………………it’s a pure guessing game…………………………with this weather………………you were smart to not try to venture far when it looks like a storm is coming
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I need to just venture out Ann Marie. They called for storms all day and I never heard anything – not even rain. I am just as glad and I think the storm on Monday which will break the heat will be volatile. Hopefully not. It is a guessing game – I didn’t even take an umbrella … I was so mad at myself for going back to bed. It was very hot at the Park at that time. You and I prefer the peace and solitude and coolness – not mid-morning.
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Miss Linda…………………….oh ………………….and I love the lazy squirrel lying on the tree branch
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He certainly was a lazy bones wasn’t he Ann Marie?
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The rain and shine-hide and seek- seems like a story from my native land. But we like the rain and do go out in it even without umbrellas. Because the sun soon comes out and dries us up.
Glad you got your four miles but those poor squirrels- wonder what was wrong ?
Too pooped to participate- can’t remember anytime that has happened with me.
Sad about the generator noise and no animals- sound pollution. No machinery sound can match up to nature sounds.
Susie
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I’m just as happy no rain or volatile weather Susie. We have two days of heat as I mentioned and then a storm on Monday night will break the heat. For us, this weather is 15 degrees above normal.
I don’t know why the squirrels were not around – I thought perhaps the heat. These squirrels were acting odd, and after I stood under them taking pictures, I told myself “hope they are not rabid or something – they were not acting normal” … you don’t see squirrels laying around like that.
I agree about the nature sounds – that is why I prefer going earlier, later there are more people and sometimes kids … the nature sounds leave a lasting impression.
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The picture from which the puzzle was made was perfect for this post. I laughed at the lounging squirrels.
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I thought the picture from the puzzle was perfect as well Anne. I know you like to do jigsaw puzzles – did you ever do Wysocki puzzles? Toys-R-Us used to have them in stock all the time and we would go there for the best selection, all 1,000-piece puzzles.
Maybe those squirrels hang out in the trees like that when it is so hot – I am usually home by that time, but it struck me odd so I had to take photos . I felt as pooped out as they looked by the time I got home!
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I have helped do a few 1,000-piece puzzles, but no more! I can’t see well enough to do them. I love 350-piece ones. I have felt like your squirrels, too. I’m so glad you took those photos.
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My mom did them up to 1,000 pieces, but no more than that. They sure take a lot of patience to do them and they are a strain on the eyes as well. I decided to stay in today and work in the house, which needed it, and I stayed cool and still got some steps in. Those squirrels looked pretty comfy up there – I guess they were beating the heat, but I would think they would return to their nests to sleep. Maybe the nests are full of young’uns.
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Do they stay in nests year round? I know nothing about squirrels.
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They do Anne – big nests up high. I can see them in the trees after all the leaves fall off – it exposes all the squirrel and bird nests.
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Nice to know. Thanks.
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I feel their poopedness!!
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Me too Michael – by the time I got home from the walk in the heat, I wanted to hang out on a branch in the shade of a tree too!
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Hahaha,I laughed wen i saw the cute kitten in the tree!😁 Beautiful picture and interesting blog as usually!😊
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Thanks John – I HAD to take pictures of these two because they looked like I felt after walking around in that heat and humidity. I don’t know how you did it a few weeks ago, hiking around and taking photos in 104 degree weather. We have 95 with a real feel of 100+ degrees today. This is 15 degrees above normal … this is what we have in the “Dog Days of August”.
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So glad the storms didn’t ruin your day. The squirrel photo is definitely similar to the puzzle I can see why you were reminded of it. I hope the weather is good to you today.
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I am too Ruth. I am getting ready to head out and walk early before too much heat comes. I usually go a little later on Sundays … not as many walkers and sometimes a little deserted there so I wait until more walkers show up. Enjoy your day as well – do you have Father’s Day activities planned?
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Visiting my dad this morning.
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Hope you told him he was the subject of your blog post – that would make him smile.
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Dad is one of my readers. That makes me smile 🙂
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Even better Ruth – he must be very proud of you.
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Smiles all around! 🙂 It’s going to be a great day.
No time to feel pooped. Hope your walk goes well.
Hang in there. The heat is on… Cheerz, UT
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Yes, hope your Father’s Day was special Uncle Tree and that Rudy came through with a little gift for Dad. 🙂 The heat sure is on – 95 degrees today and 100 “real feel” on the heat index. Too hot for me. I was going to walk while it was still cool, and decided to stay inside and do some housework – the walking, blogging, picture-taking has taken its toll on the house. I racked up almost 3 miles just working in the house.
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I feel so bad for critters who suffer severely and who have to put up with temperature changes due to global warming while the old bureaucrats who dismantled the Environmental Protection Agency are sitting in air-conditioning.
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Yes, it is terrible what is happening as a result of that move. Critters will not live and/or suffer severely. It is very sad. They need to have people with a love for Mother Earth to steer them in the right direction.
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I enjoyed this post! Happy Sunday!
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Thank you Sharon – same to you!
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Hahaha silly squirrel!
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