Regarding ants and applesauce...

Yesterday, I cleaned out some of the budding science experiments in the back of my refrigerator. I think there is a zone back there that must utilize some sort of cloak of invisibility. No matter how hard I try, one or two bowls or jars always end up way in the back of the fridge undetected for months.

One of the jars had a little bit of applesauce that still looked OK, but I didn't want to take a chance on it. I decided to share this snack with the ants way out in my yard, so I carefully spooned the applesauce next to the edge of the ant bed.

Almost instantly, the ants scurried out of the ground to see what was up, but to my surprise, the little guys did the opposite of what I expected. Instead of crowding around and crawling all over the applesauce hill, they began a building project. Within moments, they were hauling in bits of grass, balls of dirt, and tiny twigs. They began to create a wall to cover the bottom of the applesauce hillside. Many of the ants carried items that were huge compared to their own size. It made me think that, if we had such strengths, we could walk around carrying around a pickup truck or a fully grown redwood tree with our bare hands.

They worked quickly and with purpose. I pulled up a small chair and watched them for a while. I don't know if they wanted to disguise the food source or keep it from drying out. I noticed today that they made quite a bit of progress, but the applesauce hill is still mostly uncovered. Did they give up, get distracted with another project, or do they now have a covered walkway leading to a tunnel within the the food source? I'm not sure, but I do know that watching them work was fascinating and one of the most restful parts of my day.

If you have time this week, find an anthill, pull up a chair, and see what you might discover. Just watch where you put your hands and feet. :)

Be grateful for the simple things...

Recently, I was without running water for several days. It had been very cold one night, and when I came home from work to find the water faucets empty, I guessed that the lines had frozen. Even though the the weather warmed up a few days later, the lines remained dry. After a comedy of errors and numerous attempts to solve the mystery of the missing H2O, all was finally back to normal.

Through it all, I took things in stride and came up with creative ways to bathe, cook, and stay hydrated and clean. Also, I am blessed with a lake that provided a source for "gray water" for the plumbing system. Several times a day I walked to the lake with a bucket to dip water. In my head, I could hear the rhyme, "Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water..." I now have a better appreciation of the famous poem. :)

I was most surprised to find an unexpected side affect of this situation. Many weekends, I spend a good bit of my time with laundry and dishes. Without those chores, I actually had time to relax and quietly read a book. The house seemed more restful. I felt as if I went on a camping trip for the weekend. Even though I am glad to have the ability to do the cleaning chores again, I want to remember the lesson to take time occasionally to do nothing. Find time each day to relax and recharge.

Thank goodness for the simple things-a fresh glass of water, peace and quiet, and friends who are there to help out when needed.