remembering Dolly, and other Monday things

 We are back to seasonal temperatures, but it was so sunny today it really seemed much warmer - not sure if it was, but it did seem. 

I began transferring the pattern markings onto my dress pieces, but I soon realized that what I need is good old-fashioned tracing paper, the colored kind that you use with a tracing wheel. I have my wheels, but I had to order some paper. I was relieved they still make it because it's been ages since I bothered with any. It's coming tomorrow.

My brother was mowing and he found a little rabbit, dead, near the crabapple tree. He has no idea if he caused its demise; he's afraid maybe the mower surprised it and scared it to death, if it was perhaps in a depression under the grass? But would they make a nest so near the road? I don't know how smart they are. I remember when they made a nest in the backyard vegetable garden - that was genius! It's quite possible he had nothing to do with it, but he found a small box - it was a young one - and buried it across the brook where so many others are buried.

And that reminds me - it's Dolly's birthday. I was thinking about what made her so unusual. 

From the start, she saw herself as one of us, one of our tribe. She didn't connect with any of the other cats we had, but with us. I'm not suggesting she thought she was human, or that she didn't know she was a cat - she just knew she was one of us, she made an effort to be one of us, and we accepted that and treated her accordingly. 

She was photogenic. I took a lot of photos of Dolly.

She had a serenity which made it easier to take a picture. Although - she didn't like to look into the camera; she knew I was using her. But I got lots of photos because she wasn't always moving around.

She was pretty.

unusual, for her to look at the camera

Anyway, she won't be forgotten here, ever.