Travels of Tracy - Spring

 Good morning FFFs,

Happy Friday. It's a cloudy morning here. We've had a lot of sunshine this week though, so some clouds aren't bad. And I don't think it is supposed to stay cloudy. We've had lovely spring weather this week. We have some crocuses that are coming up and getting ready to bloom.

This week has felt a bit overwhelming at times. You see, we had to change the date for our Widows' Valentine Luncheon AGAIN! It was scheduled (after being postponed twice) for tomorrow. However, I got a call Monday night saying that the funeral for an older church member had been scheduled by the family for tomorrow morning at church. So . . . we decided to just have the luncheon right after church on Sunday. It's still okay to have a Valentine luncheon on the last day of February, right? So, I've been trying to find out who can now attend this luncheon, and get some new name cards made and take some others away. And trying to figure out the seating arrangement was a bit of a challenge. But I think I've got it now.

Yesterday evening my nieces and nephews came over and we enjoyed spending time with them. I helped my oldest niece brainstorm for the story she had to write for school (finally someone else is writing stories!), played the piano with my oldest nephew, and visited and played with the others.

Writing is going really well. I am now just past 18k for "Phil Wood" and my goal is at least 30k. Hopefully, I can get at least another thousand written today. It's been fun to see what's happening because this story feels more confusing than some of the others.

Oh, I have also been trying to work on proof listening to the audio for Triple Creek Ranch - Together. Yep, the final TCR audio book is almost done!

Well, I hope you all are having a lovely week. Enjoy this next story about Tracy.

 

Travels of Tracy - Spring

    The rain came down in torrents and Tracy, in her small, blue Road Runner, could hardly see. It didn’t help matters any that Madalyn, her long-haired, yellow tabby had decided to comfort herself from the sound of so much water by walking all over Tracy’s lap.
    “Lyn,” Tracy begged, “please stay on your side of the car until we stop.” The pleading did no good, for Lyn’s long, bushy tail swept up and brushed Tracy’s face and the cat, evidently not liking the noise the rain and bits of hail were making on the roof of the car, meowed loudly.
    “I know, Lyn,” Tracy said, attempting to see where the road was. “I wish we weren’t driving during this too. But we have to get home and how was I to know there were storms in the area?”
    There was no reply from her four legged companion save another meow and the feeling of a few sharp little claws dug into her arm.
    The rain continued to pour from the dark sky in buckets, and now and then a jagged flash of lightning would illumine the countryside, but after it was gone everything seemed darker than before. Suddenly, without any warning, Tracy felt the car move in a strange way. She tried putting the brakes on but it made no difference.
    “Oh, Lyn,” she shivered, “I think we might be floating.” Reaching up, she pushed a tawny curl from her face and then gathered her beloved cat into her arms. “Oh, dear,” she sighed, “where are we going?”
    A gentle jar shook the small car and then the motion stopped.
    “Lyn, do you think we’ve reached an island? This is when we need Tad’s fishing boat.” She gave a nervous laugh. “I wonder what he would do?” As the rain drummed on the roof of the car, she thought about her special friend who would probably be home from college already since he lived closer. She was glad to be ending her next to last year of college. Tad had graduated this spring and Tracy would next year.
    “Meow.”
    The voice of her companion brought Tracy back from her daydream to reality. The rain had slacked off and it was beginning to grow lighter. Wind was still blowing, but wind didn’t worry Tracy like the water had. Peering out the windows, she discovered that the road had been flooded and she had been swept off to the side where the car had become situated on a rise of ground near a white rail fence.
    Noticing it was only a light rain falling, Tracy decided to get out and investigate to see if she might get the car back on the road and continue her way home.
    “Now Lyn,” she admonished, setting the cat on Tad’s old high school letter jacket which now served as her traveling bed, “you stay in the car until I get back.” Then reaching back and rummaging around for a moment, Tracy pulled out an umbrella,  “I won’t be long, but you don’t like water.”
    A contented purr was the answer and a moment later Tracy had stepped from the car. The first sensation she had as she shut the car door was that of water rushing into her new white oxfords. As she took a hesitant step forward, she felt mud oozing through the small holes in her shoes and she shuddered.
    “Oh dear,” she sighed aloud, “How will I ever get the car back onto the road again? I suppose I’ll have to sit here until someone finds me.”
    Looking around, she noticed for the first time that the fence her car was beside was part of a  horse pasture and in the dim light she could see what looked like a stable on the far side. Squelching her way around the car and cringing at each new feel of mud, her dress now soaked from the blowing rain clinging to her knees, she gazed around trying to see a house.
    Suddenly the sun broke through the clouds behind her and Tracy gasped at the sight of a rainbow.
    “There’s probably a house right where that rainbow ends,” she remarked, tapping on the car window and trying to get Lyn to look at it, but Lyn was too busy cleaning her paws to notice.
    When Tracy turned again, she gave a cry of alarm for suddenly a white, swirling funnel dropped from the dark clouds and began to snake and dance its way across the treetops, turning grey as it picked things up. It was with thankfulness that she saw the tornado moving away from her.
    She never could be certain how long she stood there watching. It wasn’t until she heard a deep voice that she turned and saw a patrol car pulled to the side of the road.
    “Hey Miss,” the officer called, climbing out of his car. “Are you all right? Do you need some help?”
    “Oh dear, yes,” Tracy cried. “I don’t know how I’m to get my car back to the road. It was raining so hard and I couldn’t see and I was carried right over here by some water.”
    “You should have pulled over if you couldn’t see,” remarked the officer, making his way towards her in his tall boots.
    “I suppose I should have, but it never crossed my mind; I was so busy thinking about getting home and letting Tad know I arrived.”
    “Well, Miss, you might not make it home if you can’t see the road.”
    “I’ll remember that in the future, Sir,” Tracy assured. “Now please don’t scare my cat. She doesn’t like water.” This Tracy added as the officer got in the driver’s seat and started the engine.
    A few minutes later, the little blue Road Runner was back on the road and Tracy, after thanking the patrol officer again for his help, pulled a blanket out of the back to sit on, for she was rather wet, and settled herself to drive the rest of the way home.
    “Oh, Lyn, this dress will dry, but I’m afraid these shoes are ruined forever!” she sighed as she pulled one mud covered shoe off her almost equally muddy foot. “And I did so like these shoes.”
 

How has your week been?

Have you read or listened to the other TCR books?

Have you ever ruined a pair of favorite shoes?