Bullfrog at home in library

While I was asleep last night my cell phone rang. From experience I have learned that always means bad news. This time it was my friend Ella saying her husband Joseph was failing fast in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital where he had been for over a week. That very day she had told me by phone that he was doing well and had been sitting up in a chair beside the bed. Now he was dying and she had been told to call family and friends. This morning I spoke briefly with Ella. Joseph died this morning. For Joseph who so struggled with every breath, I know he is now resting easy in the bosom of God. However, for Ella, who is such a strong woman yet was so dedicated to Joseph, this must be a devastating blow. Whenever I drove Ella on an errand on the way back she would call Joseph who would be waiting at the door for her. I have this uncanny ability to predict the exact time of arrival so instead of saying we would be there in a few minutes she would ask me when we would arrive and I would say something like 2 minutes and 22 seconds. Joseph was amazed and delighted with these predictions. Now there will be no one home to call. From the death of my sister and my sister-in-law I have learned how hard it can be losing a loving spouse.

This morning I went with the Graf Kids, my grandchildren, to the library in the small town nearby. Two persons from a nature center put on an exhibit where all the children got to see and touch many types of turtles, frogs, toads and snakes. Although these are mostly country kids who can find the same wildlife around them, they were still fascinated by the presentation. A couple of the creatures were fed one of their favored foods, worms. Worms as food or fish bait is something I seldom mention in the Diary of Worm. But like death, worms as food, is one of the cold hard facts of nature.

It was a hard day not having anyone to share the grief of losing Joseph, but as always my grandchildren kept me smiling, awake and alive in the moment. Joseph went home to his creator today and nature came home to the country.

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