It WAS a Sunshine Day

Yesterday when I headed off to town, I had a good feeling about the day. To start with, I got up AN HOUR EARLY at the crack of 8:30! I wanted to get through Backroads before the local high school lined up for their homecoming parade. Yes, I started down the driveway, feeling like a Brady singing "Sunshine Day."

I stopped by the cemetery briefly. Only briefly, because whenever I stop, it seems like the groundskeeper has an alarm go off on his surveillance camera, because he always comes in my direction, no matter what he's doing or what machinery he's operating. On Friday, that happened to be a big green tractor. He came out of nowhere, up over a hill towards the very back of the property. So with a hasty apology to Mom and Dad, something like, "Oh, crap! Here he comes again! I'll stop by next week sometime. Love ya!" I headed on to town to mail the boys' weekly letters.

The first stop was the Casey's where I usually get gas, to pick up two scratch-off tickets that go in Genius's letter with his $6 Chinese food money. None for me. I was getting mine on up the road. I scoped out the parking lot for pennies, but saw none. As I came back to T-Hoe, parked at the side, not in my rightful spot by the handicap ramp, I felt like someone was watching me. As I finished the few short steps to T-Hoe, I flinched like I was about to step on something, looked down, and saw this

Yeah. A little mouse. He didn't even move as I walked by. Yes, he was breathing. I don't know if seeing a mouse that doesn't run is good luck or bad luck, but for him, the fact that he was breathing and uncrushed by my New Balance was good luck for him.

On to Waterside Mart, where I was cashing in a ticket for two more. I was still thinking about the mouse when I parked at the end space and started in.

Can you see it there? I like playing this little game with you. Could YOU spot the penny that was placed there just for you to find? It's not as easy as my penny collection seems to imply.

Yep! There it is, by that black blob. I almost stepped on it, because I was casting my eye farther and wider. It was a 1980 model.

On to the main branch post office, where a story landed in my lap that I will tell another day, because I'm pretty sure The Truth in Blogging Law has a corollary in fine print that says a post must be shorter than the long white beard you grow while reading it.

Then back to Backroads for my 44 oz Diet Coke. I could have parked in the nearest space, by the door, but decided to steer T-Hoe over to my regular spot by the moat that separates the gas station chicken store from Hick's pharmacy, CeilingReds. I could see the top of a head down in that moat, and it intrigued me, even though I was sure it was the mower man. It was. But he was weedeating that very steep slope. Good thing I didn't confuse T-Hoe's brake for his gas pedal!

I started inside, no winner to cash in, almost-exact change in hand. As I strode in front of the gas pumps, I felt like I might stub my toe. That lot is not exactly flat. There are raised humps around the giant grates over their gas tanks. I looked down, and there was another one!

Sorry there's no frame of reference here. No crazy stripes. No landmarks. The people in the gassing trucks were virtually gunning their engines waiting for me to stop my crazy picture-taking and get out of their way. Let the record show that when I took my phone out of my pocket for the picture, I saw that the time was 11:11. I guess that's what comes of getting up early to beat the parade.

This one was a newer model, 2016. I put it in a different pocket than my Waterside Mart penny, though after checking the dates with my at-home magnifying glass, they both ended up in my penny goblet.

Sorry, antipennyites. You already got a song and a mouse. You'll have to put off further Val-blog gratification until tomorrow.

But I WILL leave you with this silver nugget from Wednesday.

I found a dime Wednesday at the Backroads Casey's. Right where I usually park T-Hoe. Lucky for me there were three empty unmarked spaces left at that end, and I chose the optimum dime-finding slot.

The dime was from 1994. Genius's birth year. Somebody's been celebrating something in his room all week, starting around 1:00 a.m. As much as I try to tell myself that it's the dogs on the porch...the noise is coming from inside the house. Thumps on carpet, not dog toenails on wood.
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These were pennies #34 and 35. Dime #7.