Life with cats, and other things…
30th July 2026 Weather up here changes in a heartbeat, but for once it settled in and rained solid for two days causing floods in parts of the Northeast. Perched on the side of a hill, we are safe from such things although we did once come home to a flooded garage, but that was … Continue reading Another notch
30th July 2026 If we'd not seen signs of early Fall elsewhere, I would think that this maple had perhaps been sprayed with a toxic fluid. The trees begin to turn in August here, but this seems a little rushed for a year that has not been excessively hot. Haven't we been fortunate! But what … Continue reading Manipulated!
Lily and the 'nip. Today's WP daily writing prompt made me laugh out loud: What’s your home decoration style? Let's see, what could we call it? . "Cat-astrophic Quarters by Down-to-Earth Designs" Yeah. That'll do. . The dear darlings are all hunkered down today as it's been tipping down rain since early yesterday afternoon, with … Continue reading Decoration
26th July 2026 It is comforting to know that some things don't change. The Allen tree still stands. How different it looks, fully in leaf and offset by fields of tall corn. . We heard a cry and in the distance two Red-tailed hawks perched in a dead tree. A hawk we'd never seen before … Continue reading Summer in full bloom
Amigos in summer pasture Travelling about the countryside which has become a great pastime, we have become acquainted with a considerable number of animals. Not actually acquainted, unfortunately. Even if our approach was welcome, stopping to say hello to them all, we'd never get anywhere. But we always look out for them and worry when … Continue reading What one’s got
1949/22nd July 2026 It was a relief this morning to be spared Lily's 0430 wake-up call, although a loud altercation had got me out of bed at 0350. Usually, such things turn out to be a pair of raccoons fighting on the porch or patio and there is nothing to be done, but in a … Continue reading Trespassing?
Hearing Grant's distressed "Oh no!", I thought one of his sunflowers had been brought down. Sadly, it was something far worse. He'd caught sight of a young skunk rushing by, covered in blood and when he looked in the direction from which it appeared to have come, he saw another, also bloodied, clearly rabid. The … Continue reading Happenings
With a changed perspective, everything looks different. . The wild carrots made interesting outlines against an early sky. . On Thursday, the first of a series of appointments after a blessedly long period with none. A steroid injection in the hip was a very minor thing, but lying prone on a hard, flat surface is … Continue reading Unasked
1959/21st July 2026 Further south, around New York City and New Jersey, I read reports of tornadoes and storm damage, while up here all we got was dark clouds. On occasion we have had some fairly noisy and damaging storms, but as often as not, we have found ourselves just at the edge of serious … Continue reading A handsome bird
22nd July 2026 Hearing the familiar clucking of turkeys, I assumed it was the pair that has been visiting lately and at a quick glance, I believed this was the one that always cranes its neck to look in at us. . Rearranging the feathers "'Bye Willow! We're off now!" But then the companion strutted … Continue reading The downside