Sorry I'm Late

I was just about ready to get the Kumquat (my laptop) fired up around 8:00 this morning when I saw an oriole land on the crook of the hummingbird feeder. A scout come to check out our offerings! He sat on one perch and bent around to sip nectar from the next port. I hurried downstairs to get the oriole feeder and the parts of copper one. Then I made 2 cups of sugar water tinted orange and, while it cooled, rescued the half-rotten orange from the trash so I could put the good part out with the grape jelly. Of course the first few places I chose to pound in the pole for the copper feeder had a big rock or piece of cement 6" under the surface so I had to find a different place, then the nectar feeder needed to be on a different hook so I had to cut wire ties and shift things around. Needless to say I had barely enough time to shower, dress, and bolt my breakfast before driving off to the dive shop. I've had just enough phone calls and customers to interfere with the timely posting of this writing but now it's quiet so in the last forty minutes of my workday, here I am.

May 6--Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kuba Peoples, Bushoong Group Ceremonial Skirt (Ntchak). Ren tugged on the edge of the skirt. He felt exposed even though he had spent most of his short life naked. Where he lived in the jungle along the big river it was too hot and wet for clothes. His mama had a dress once that she kept for special ceremonies but when she wanted to wear it to the Kuba meeting it was so full of holes from bugs chewing on it and rot from being damp she threw it away and Pap used it to wrap up a sore on the cow's leg. Ren was turning thirteen and it was time for him to start on the path to manhood in the tribe. He had spent afternoons sitting in the yard of Old Boi learning the songs and the hunting stories and then Boi's son, Jue had taught him and his age-mates the dance of the hunt. Tonight was their turn to dance.

There. A little story for you. I wanted more but sleep came instead of words. Soon I'll get to go outside in the sunshine. Maybe I'll even ride my bike. I'll for sure ride the stationary one.
--Barbara