Leaves turning, Auras and the Volt
There I was just sitting on the front porch after a brisk hike in the early fall heat. Panting, catching my breath and cooling off. The car looked like it was glowing in the morning light and the leaves were turning. It seemed odd because I thought the leaves turned because it got cold out, but it was still hotter than heck. “Ok, so the trees are smarter than us,” I said to myself as Nala glanced at me and smiled as I absently rubbed my sore knee.
Her name is “Rez Girl” because she’s smart and sassy.
Nala is our doggie and she can actually smile. No kidding, she’ll show her pearly white teeth when I tell a little joke or ask if she wants to take me for a walk. I suspect that she can see my aura too because sometimes she gazes at it and smiles. I’m ok with that even though I’ve never seen an aura myself.
My physical therapist told me I need two walks a day for my knee to heal well. I asked earnestly, “How can I tell when it’s healed?”
She pondered for a moment and replied with a slight smirk, “Oktoberfest is coming up soon right? Have you ever seen the big German steins of beer? They look like they’re a liter each, and I bet they’re fairly heavy with the sturdy glass. I’ll make a deal with you. If you can carry two of those big steins 100 meters with no pain, we’ll call it healed.”
My knee was throbbing from the morning hike and had a dull ache. “It doesn’t look like any beer stein tests will happen this week,” I thought to myself. “I wonder if using a little cart for the beer would be allowed? That sounds ok,” I carefully reasoned, sealing the deal.
I glanced over at the Volt and noticed with a chuckle that this could be a calendar photo for a hybrid that only sips gas. “Hey I’ll make a deal with you,” I hollered over to the car. “If I can get two steins of beer I’ll get some gas for you.” I hadn’t had to put any gas in for months and the dealer said the gas would get stale in the gas tank if it’s not used. I’d been going on electric power all this time. Come to think of it, the gas money could be used on coffee instead. Sounds good to this kid.
Copyright Larry McNeil 2025