In a searing and seemingly endless drought we have to cut each other and our fellow beings some slack. Early this week  a Library patron returned a book saying it had been in his closet, and a palmetto bug (large leggy outdoors roach) got into the closet (like many other creatures trying to find water and shade) and this bug ate the hand-inked title and call number on the old book’s spine!  The title and call number were completely gone but the  binding and glue intact.  No blame.  The book went to the Marking Table.  Mid-week there was a story in the Austin newspaper about a couple who live in Manor, Texas and own llamas, which are Andean creatures with thick coats.  The heat was getting to the llamas so now they get let into the house every afternoon to cool off.  The photographer got some adorable photos  of llamas in the house. Llamas have amazing ears. 

Now e-mail is going around my soaring club’s listserv about a neighbor’s cow that has  invaded our airport.  The cow was apparently attracted by the strip of  green grass that the club has tenderly watered with our well water to be there for takeoffs.  It is NOT pleasant for a glider being pulled behind the tow plane to be enveloped in a cloud of dust!  Anyway, the cow got in and has eluded capture so far. There was idle chat about inviting the cow to our Labor Day BBQ picnic – as the entree.  But actually we’ll return the cow to its owner and continue to operate with complete courtesy to our farmer-neighbors.  After all, every so often we misplace a little something on their land, like for example a $40,000 glider making a landout.

 It’s in everybody’s interests to stay neighborly.  Especially in such an inhospitable, distressing drought.  Hurrah for those who have put out  a bowl of water out for the birds or lugged water out to a city tree, and for the retired teacher, featured in today’s Houston Chronicle, who relocated ducks and turtles from a dried-up pond at Hooks Airport to wetter and better places!