As of this morning not only are Doc and I dealing with a pandemic and murder hornets, but now flooding has hit the area, so it was quite the surprise to see strange new species of animals showing up at our house like they are getting ready to evacuate. I guess they are just moving to higher ground.

It was about 6am and I was in the yard attending to my morning constitutional before breakfast. I noticed the usual possum strolling by as he headed to bed after working the night shift. No big deal, I see him every morning and we nod and greet each other. But just as I was turning to come back in the house the breeze brought a sent of the most foulest smelling odor ever. I spotted the critter out of the corner of my eye and he must have been frightened by my big manly dog size because he hightailed it across the back acre, but not before Doc spotted it and let out a high pitched screech. ” What is that thing?” she hollered. At first we thought it was someones pet ferret that had escaped, but after conversing with some neighbors we were told it was a mink. “Holly cow,” I said out loud. “This is one swanky neighborhood if we have mink running around.”

After some research we found out that the mink are suppose to live around here. We just never see them as they stay near the creek or the damn and after the water rose to flood stage, they wandered to areas they don’t usually go. It was a treat to see it in the middle of all this mess and Doc went outside to snap it’s picture as it was running away. “He must be camera shy, ” I said to Doc. ” Oh the wonders of nature,” Doc replied, and I nodded my head in agreement.

Photo by Angela Kirk

Needless to say these are some strange times we are going through, but if ever there was a life lesson to be learned it is this…we need to support each other.

Since Doc’s nephew Zach and his girlfriend Audrey were laid off from their jobs and Doc needed some help with landscaping, a deal was struck.  As for myself, I was just excited that I was going to see someone besides Doc. I knew that they would welcome my assistance with moving the mulch and the dirt around and I also planned to proudly show them the landscaping holes I had designed under the fence in case they needed some ideas.

It was a beautiful spring day when they arrived and they worked hard for hours.The two of them did just as good of a job weeding, edging and munching all of the flower beds as professional landscapers. We even took some breaks to play “keep away” when I stole their garden gloves. It was the most fun day we had since the pandemic started and I know how much Doc appreciated their help.

I get it, not everyone has family they can count on and Doc and I know we are lucky. The good news is, if you don’t have the family you need, you can create the one you want. For example, my buddy Norman that lives next door is literally my brother from another mother. You don’t have to be blood related to be family, its the trust and the bond that define what true family is. It’s so important to have a supportive network to celebrate the good times and to walk with us through the bad, especially now.

Hopefully some good will come from the pandemic and the pause we have been forced to take. It certainly is a reminder that we rise and move forward when we lift each other up.