Rain at the parade for the last two days. Mixing and pouring a concrete slab to replace wooden roof over the incoming water pipes at the pump house (scene of rattle snake massacre of last week) when a red wasp stung me just below my right eye on Sunday. Returned yesterday after work to remove form-boards and got another taste of wasp anger with a sting on the end of my nose.

They both flew at me as if propelled by a rocket. Straight line with no circling, no buzzing menacingly around me…just flew straight into my face and delivered the stinger and the toxin dose.  After four hours of ice pack and two benadryl tabs, my nose was still twice its normal size and my eyes swollen almost shut. Put a serious cramp in my swagger. – Payback is hell!

No selfie for this one. Eye still half closed this morning.

I’ve been very lucky in life. The past few months have been especially so. Everything has sailed along with few hitches and a surprisingly low level of frustration and annoyance. But not so much this last 10 days to 2 weeks. When this happens, I try to remember my prior good fortune and be patient.

Sometimes that is easier than others but, so far, there are no major setbacks – just lots of small annoyances and minor threats to tranquility. In the context of all of the pain and suffering in the world, I have no issues to whine about. I am still a very lucky individual, even on a “bad” day.

At the university’s sculpture studio a contractor crew is removing all of the overhead ductwork which is filled with the dust and dirt of over thirty years of grinding, welding, plaster mold making, stone carving, and bronze casting. Makes for a thick atmosphere.

The studio will be without AC for several weeks during July and here in the southeast that can be oppressive. Meantime the new professor and I are remaking, reorganizing, rebuilding and re-imagining the various areas of the studio. Good things will come of this by the beginning of the fall semester. Looking forward to working together to make our art department the best we can be.

Another amazing day. Working with Sigi to clear the vines and brush from the hillside below the house. A slope between 30 and 40 degrees and filled with rocks and soft dirt. I was pulling grape vine from the shrubs above me when I lost my balance and realised I was past the point of recovering balance. I glanced down below me at the large sharp rocks. Determined to avoid hitting the rocks, I bent my knees and pushed off as hard as I could. I missed the rocks and hit the ground rolling and just managed to stop rolling before I fell off into a large hole. I won’t always be lucky, but I was again this time. Enjoy every minute.

I know that sudden death and casual cruelty is the normal order in the natural world but I’m not a casual killer of anything. So today it was with mixed feelings that I shot and killed a pair of large rattlesnakes. I killed them because I am afraid of them. The things we do out of fear. More later.