Monday, September 9, 2019

The hour of the wolf, with a wolf.


 Last night I woke up after two in the morning, fortunately I don't have to work today, otherwise I would be exhausted. My wittle brain decided that I had enough sleep and this was a perfect time for some serious worrying. Tick tock, tick tock watch the clock. I started to think about my work choices, this was brought on by the fact that a bunch of my cousins have retired this summer. Some are only fifty four and are as healthy as a forty year old. They had high paying government jobs and their retirement income will be much more than I make, it's like they won the lottery. Don't get me wrong, nothing was handed to them, they worked hard to get these jobs.

 Hindsight is 20/20, and I really understand the meaning of that statement as I get older. A good example is two brothers retiring at the same time. The older brother didn't like school and went into home renovations etc. However after a few years he didn't like the uncertainty of that type of work, also he watched his younger brothers and sisters doing really well for themselves. He went to university, got a degree, then got into the government. It feels like ten years ago that he did that, yet he retired in spring, his younger brother made all the right decisions from high school on, so he also retired last spring. I think I will be working until I'm 90. Actually that played on my mind because I can retire at 65; however that's when mom began to show signs of dementia. Do I work till 65 and then lose my mind, that frightens me.

 That's the strange part of life, it's a lottery. If you have your health, you win, if you don't, you lose and you can lose on so many levels, example my parents. I went to see my godparents yesterday. I shouldn't be startled by their ages but sometimes I'm in denial about the amount of time that has passed. They are 81 and 84 and have been a perfect example of people who won the life lottery. Both retired with good pensions, they travel south for the winter. They drive down, I don't think I would be brave enough to try that. They golf and other physical activities, both are very social and are sharp as a tack with their thinking, 80 is the new 60 absolutely applies to them. They are starting to have health issues now but seeing how they are on the journey towards 90, I think that is expected. I had a good visit with them, there are not many people of my parents generation left that I can talk to, plus the wisdom, people of that generation from around here have a life experience that isn't common anymore. It's comforting to be able to hear it again.

 What was that? Suddenly I'm snapped out of my runaway train of thoughts. There was a strange noise outside, like a growl. Immediately I think about Kitty, nope we're good, it's damp out so she retired to the barn, she's safe. I listen but nothing, the deer come at night for the apples, I wonder about them. I look at the clock, going on to three in the morning. Suddenly there is howling close, very close to the house, other voices join in. I jump up, it's a bright moon but I can't see, there is a heavy fog over the land. Wolves and coyotes are masters at staying out of sight, night time makes them brave, night plus fog makes them bold. There is another chorus of howling, I can tell these are coyotes and there's three of them,  about two minutes later from a distance a louder chorus answers back. This is a much deeper sounding tone, I'm not sure if they are older coyotes or maybe wolves howling to let them know this is their territory. It's hard to tell some times because the wolves here are red wolves and they will interbreed with coyotes.

 I lay back down, thinking thinking thinking, I don't know why, I didn't have any coffee or chocolate. The temperature dropped to freezing, I brought in a bunch of veggies and covered the rest, hope the flowers survive for at least another week or two. I hear a car go by, unusual for this remote road at this time of night, makes me suspicious. What time is it anyway I'm thinking to myself. I look at the clock, it's not night anymore, it's five in the morning. I groan.. might as well get up now and do something. I'm exhausted, I made it through the night, I close my eyes for a few seconds and immediately fall asleep, not waking until almost nine, so much for getting a lot done.

18 comments:

anne marie in philly said...

dontcha just HATE those kinds of nights? tonight turn your brain off and get a good rest. have a glass of wine if necessary.

Jimmy said...

Wolfotes????? Never heard of such.

May years ago, and old woman told me "Go and do when you're young, because when you are old you have to take the doctor with you."

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Anne Marie, I really hate nights like that, completely throws the system off. Alcohol makes me want to pee! Lol

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Jimmy, haven't you heard of a coywolf??? Google it. Because of man's interference, it's becoming common.

Jimmy said...

Wow! Who said you couldn't learn something from a blog.

Bob said...

Man, your brain was on fir with all those thoughts.
I may not sleep a wink tonight just thinking about retiring and when and where and how old I will be and ....and ... oy!

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Jimmy, you can learn lots of things from a blog, like now I am a master at cooking bacon! :D

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Bob, then have sex with hubby, that should do it or go for a second round! ;)

Mistress Maddie said...

You definitely need a man. Your doing WAY to much thinking in bed.

Last night I too was awoken by the cries and or warning sounds of the foxes. The sounds are blood curdling to hear in the night. But I actually like hearing them, I got up and sure enough, the young one were all out there playing and frolicking.... and went fast back to sleep. I thought of it as a serenade.

Old Lurker said...

I am sorry to say that you already won the lottery. You could have been born a raccoon.

I hope you are able to sleep better before work (tomorrow?).

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Maddie, of course they would come out to see you, one cute Fox to another! :)

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Lurky, or I could have been born a skunk!

Sixpence Notthewiser said...

OMG waking up at two in the morning is the WORST. Has happened to me several times and I wake up feeling like a damn rag doll.
I think I’ll work until I’m over seventy. I really wouldn’t know what to do with myself with unlimited time. Besides, I’d like to retire like those guys, with an awesome salary. Yep.
So coyotes, huh? And wolves? And a full moon?

XoXo

Richard said...

I didn't know wolves and coyotes will mate.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Sixpence, many people here that retire young, go on to start a business, something they always wanted to do. They don't have any stress because of a good pension. The result is they now have two salaries, life gets really really good for them, I'm so jealous lol.
Some nights there is even an owl, it's like living in a nature show or worse, a Halloween movie. O.O

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Richard, they usually don't. The big grey wolves kill coyotes and apparently genetically can't mate with coyotes. The problem started when the wolves were killed off, coyotes moved east. The wolves here are eastern red wolves, a little smaller and are genetically an older strain of wolf, they can successfully mate with coyotes. The resulting hybrid pups can mate with any type of wolf or coyotes. Sometimes when a young wolf is trying to find a mate, they find a mix instead. There was apparently a pair that made it into central park NYC. The female was a coyote but the male was a coywolf.

Dave R said...

Two in the morning... hey, that's not bad. Night before last, Lily had me up three times to go outside... not that she had to go, she just wanted to stand on the veranda and look around.

Early retirement sounds find, but remember, their pension, or whatever you have up there is going to need to take there of them for the rest of their lives, and prices are not going to go down.

Howling, what a unique sound.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Dave, their pensions will rise to meet inflation I believe, plus they will have everything covered, glasses, teeth, hearing aides, it's sweet. Also at 55 many get another job, it doesn't affect their pensions, that's why I'm so jealous! Lol
I don't have dogs, I like them but being away for up to 12+ hours a day would not be fair to a dog and I feel it's like having small kids that never grow up.