I wasn't feeling up to snuff on my trip to town Saturday. I really wanted my 44 oz Diet Coke, though. And of course some scratchers. The day was overcast, temps in the upper 60s, so there's that. I was mentally arguing with myself about where I was going to get scratchers. I had $30 of winners to cash in. Of course I'd get a ticket at The Gas Station Chicken Store when purchasing my magical elixir. I hadn't been to Country Mart in a few days. So their lottery machine was a candidate. Orb K would probably be my other stop, having not been there for a few days, either.
The Gas Station Chicken Store business concluded, I almost went up the street to Casey's, to get it over with, leaving only Country Mart. But I didn't. I'd stick to the original plan. I headed through the light to Country Mart, and parked where T-Hoe had locked himself into PARK. Didn't bump the concrete bumper thingy this time.
As I headed inside for two tickets, I pushed in a cart. I had no plans to shop, only to return a cart to their vestibule. I'm a do-gooder like that. Karma. You never know when it will strike. Hopefully, I wasn't acting as Typhoid Cart-Val and spreading my disease...
I returned with my tickets and climbed into T-Hoe, thankfully shifting him into reverse with no issues. As I looked out the driver's side window for four-wheeled or two-legged victims in need of avoidance, I noticed a spot on the window. Huh. It's amazing how high that pothole water can splash!
Wait a minute. That spot was moving. Moving up the window, a perfect circle, not like a water droplet sliding up with a tail due to air blowing on it. I was moving forward now, on the way to exit the parking lot, when I looked again.
IT WAS A LADYBUG!
I was looking at the legs and underside of a ladybug as it crawled up my window. Up, up, up. Of all the times! I really wanted picture of that ladybug! I pulled into an empty row of parking spaces at the top of the parking lot. That ladybug had already reached the top of my window and disappeared.
Grabbing my phone, I got out and searched the door. Not on the window. Not on the top of the door frame. I climbed up on the running board with the door open. Not on the roof. Not on the rubber gutter thingy along the door frame. Not on the windshield. Not on the hood. Dang it! Pics or it didn't happen, you know!
I was still thinking about my missed photo-op as I pulled out of the parking lot, and got in the left turn lane to head under the overpass to Orb K. The light was red, as usual. I think their timing system is off. I was happy to have seen the ladybug, but sad that I missed a picture. If only I'd looked out the side window before putting T-Hoe in reverse, I could have gotten a photo of that ladybug's undercarriage as it climbed.
I looked out the window, to see if cross traffic was slowing, wondering if it was finally time for my green arrow.
THE LADYBUG WAS ON THE MIRROR!
I got a quick shot, through the window. Unfocused, but definitely my ladybug. You can see Orb K's red roof under the overpass. And in the mirror, the rat poison factory where Neighbor Tommy worked for one week.
Dang it! My light had indeed turned green, so I had to drive. You don't want to be the one lagging at that arrow. People behind you get really mad, because then only two of them can run the red light instead of three! Seriously. That green arrow does not stay green long enough for the width of the intersection, and I was already three cars back.
Ooh, yeah! My next light was red. The ladybug was still on the mirror! Probably going to Orb K with me. I put down the window and zoomed in my phone camera, and THE LADYBUG FLEW AWAY! Dang it.
At least I had the first picture, even though out of focus. A ladybug found me. And I had proof.
You can bet I looked all over T-Hoe for the ladybug when I got to Orb K, but it was gone. I found something else there, though. More on that tomorrow.
Speaking of green lights, there is an intersection in my city which I travel through on a bus twice a day, twice a week. In an east-west/west-east direction. And EVERYTIME the north-south traffic gets a green light for two full minutes while the east/west traffic gets the green for 19 seconds. I've stood there and timed it with my watch. Nice to see a ladybug, it's been a while.
ReplyDelete19 seconds? That's ridiculous! This light has time for about 3 cars to get through. Supposedly the highway department is going to be messing with the lanes and light, because school buses come through there and don't have enough time. The bus barn is beside Country Mart, so every bus in the district has to come through that light every morning.
DeleteI was thrilled to see that ladybug!
We have "ladybugs" all over the place.
ReplyDeleteNot here. I guess you're hoarding them!
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