There was a bunny out my window when I came home from work, tucked up into a roundish shape in the cool air.
Then he turned
Well I must be on a roll, because I was able to wash three windows today. And the crisp air, the deep sky, the coolness that came in while the chicken cooked in the oven - I cut up some potato, apple and onion with boneless thighs, added some herbs - that's something I should do more often.
This morning I could not get enthused about hot buckwheat cereal, overnight oats, poached eggs, or eggs of any kind - I realized I was craving some lunch foods, so I had soup and a sandwich. It was perfect; if you've never had Amy's Quinoa Kale & Red Lentil Soup, please try it. I would like to figure out how to make it myself.
It took Daisy less than a week to mangle that poor little onion toy.
I gave her the beet. I think that will last longer - she doesn't notice it as often. From petmd.com:
"Cats have fewer cones than most humans. Because of this, they see fewer colors than we can. They also have two types of cones, enabling dichromatic color vision, which allows them to identify yellows and blues. In contrast, most humans (excluding those who are color blind) have three cones, facilitating trichromatic color vision, which recognizes red, blue, and green color combinations.
“Cats have a difficult time distinguishing red and green from each other, hence they are red-green color blind,” Miller says. Dogs are also red-green color blind.
There’s a possibility that your kitty may prefer blue and yellow cat toys because the colors are more attention-grabbing for them, while red and green toys appear as similar shades of gray. However, Miller notes that color is generally less important to cats because motion is what really grabs their attention."
My co-workers sang For She's a Jolly Good Fellow to me, as if more needed to be done to celebrate my time at the library; Sue got a cake for the occasion. They are a nice group. A lot of young people, all very pleasant to get along with, all very dedicated and talented. I am fortunate.
Isaias is coming up this way tomorrow night and into Monday morning - at the moment it's a tropical storm, but it's been a hurricane, up to category three. If it stays over land, it won't get any stronger, but we're supposed to get lots of rain. Anyway, this is nothing in comparison to Panama.
"As I turn back toward the little white house, I wish with all my heart that the serenity of woods and hills and valleys could be shared with the whole restless and uneasy world."
- Gladys Taber
I started my Sunday cooking early, and the house smells wonderful: thyme, oregano, garlic, onion, green pepper, carrot, zucchini, tomatoes and sweet potato. What a nice way to end the day, with such aromas.
I've been meaning to clear up something - well, muddy up the waters is more like it. The missing cat is Leon, not Leo. The cat we've been feeding along with Benny, is Leo. We heard it straight from Dianne, so there is no possibility of error here, and I feel bad for whoever isn't going to see this post and miss the explanation.
Leo and Leon have been coming to our yard and going through it for many years - we could never get near them, but they liked to come here. Once Dianne said that Leo was bigger. After that when I saw one of them and he seemed large, I'd think it was Leo, and when I saw one of them and wasn't sure if it was large, I'd figure it was Leon. Not very scientific. Another time she told me that Leon had lots of knots in his fur, which they couldn't seem to get out. So when Benny showed up, and one of the yellow cats came with him, we noticed so many knots - well, this must be Leon, we thought. My brother, the hairdresser, would sometimes sit with him and patiently brush, and then use his professional electric razor. "Leon" would be so happy, he'd lick my brother's arm. Then "Leo" went missing.
We have also been in the habit of bringing Benny home in the evenings, if he's here near sunset. Benny, a black cat, is impervious to the dangers of automobiles. He is frequently to be seen in the middle of the road, grooming himself. A car may drive up to him, and he remains unfazed. Frankly, it makes us nervous wrecks, and now with days getting shorter, we just carry him home (across the street and two houses over) most of the time. Anyway, it was on one of these occasions we saw someone in Dianne's family who said that our guy is Leo, and the missing one is Leon (still missing).
I'm very sorry for the confusion this will cause! We tried to get it right!
Otherwise, after terrible humidity yesterday, today was sparkling. The mockingbirds have been singing their October recitals.
"As we walked, there came the sound of distant thunder. A storm was rolling through the dales. I'd scarcely noticed how the light had pulled itself down beneath the leaves of the great trees, how they seemed to glow with the threat of storm to come. And instead of returning the way we came, back down through the young wood and through the churchyard, we followed a path along the back hill, coming out on the edge of the ruins, slipping into the courtyard garden and passing blooms trembling in anticipatory glory. Rain was coming, and every living thing was in wait. Down a bit of stair in the southwest corner, and through an arched passage leading beneath the Glass Walk, we came out onto the stretch of lawn near the house, a view of the lake unfolding."
- from The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, vol. 8
There's been a wind advisory in effect since noon yesterday, but there isn't much wind yet. It was beautifully breezy yesterday, but got quiet later in the day, and all night (although I was not awake all night to be sure of that). The wind began to appear mid-morning, it's been gusting and blowing on and off since, and I'm starting to hear thunder. It's supposed to be a whopper, so we'll see what happens next. I did all the laundry I can do, and there's a pot roast in the slow cooker.
I went out last evening before dark and everything had a pinkish tinge -
and even this guy
I would like to cut out a dress, and get out some fall-ish decor. Maybe bake a cake.
The weather is getting nicer - I used the oven twice today, and the house really didn't get uncomfortable! I've wanted to make bread, so I used a quick rising recipe for raisin bread - it's delicious, but I do prefer slow rises with less yeast. Soon, when the temperatures come down!
We still have loads of tomatoes coming in, and zucchini. I used a huge one for a big pot of soup, and I think I'll grate some for the freezer. It's a pleasure to do these things on a mild, dry day like this one.
Leon, sleeping deeply.
I decided to stop reading The Brothers K - I won't miss them. I w
rote down the publisher, and the translator in case I ever have a reason to go back to them. For a good reason, I might; if so, it may as well be the same edition.
I've had the cushion for the rocking chair in my bedroom, waiting for some finishing touches, so long that I kept forgetting about it. But enough was enough and today I was looking at it. Basically, I'd covered the whole thing with some corduroy, just going right over the original, piping and all, and it almost was enough to cover the whole pad, but there's a space at the back of it that I just handstitched on. I've been meaning to cover it with something - nothing seems like a great idea. So I left it that way; it's on the chair and nobody's going to notice it until something strikes me.
The offending area is at the back, where the chair spokes (is that the right term?) are, quite unobtrusive.
I took a video of Benny, coming up our driveway:
That is Leon eating, and the other is Leo, his brother. They're twins, and this photo was taken about a week ago. Leo isn't used to us; he will come through, but not let us near him.
We didn't want Benny going home after dark this evening, so my brother carried him over there. Dianne was outside and said she hasn't seen Leo in a week.
Last night I heard a Great Horned Owl outside at bedtime. Maybe he wouldn't be able to pick up a furry cat like Leo - let us hope. But prayers would be appreciated - we hope he isn't stuck in a garage somewhere.
A little more ferocious looking than his brother, Leon.
I've been wondering at what level cats can communicate information to one another.
After Benny was coming around for a few weeks, Leon started to show up. I would put out a bowl of food for Benny, Leon would come up the steps, Benny would continue eating while Leon might attempt to nose in on a bite here and there, Benny would just keep eating, and then Leon would give up the attempts. Benny would not hiss or swat, there was no annoyance or aggravation between them. They are used to each other. But I dud once see Benny stop eating and go nose to nose with Leon. It seemed there was some exchange there, something imparted. They know each other well. Leon backed off. Now we just give them both food.
They both seem very mild-mannered, very gentle. My brother picked up Benny today, after he had reached up, seeming to want it. Meanwhile, I was visiting with Leon on the back step while pulling little things from his long fur; I heard him purring.
We've had such beautiful weather this week - so welcome, after the Previous Awful. And the nights are in the fifties lately! Very unusual for July. In this morning's prayers: from Psalm 65 - "the hills are girded with joy". I underlined it. This sort of poetic description just takes you away, doesn't it?
I'm reading The Brothers Karamazov - wish me luck. I expect it'll take me at least a month.
I sat on the front step this evening before sunset and saw two young rabbits frolicking across the street. After a while, they ran back across the road to our back area, I think. But then I noticed two more still across the street, so life continues.
I bought a dress - new - and it came with a scent that I didn't want. It smelled like a fake fragrance you get from some detergents - not appealing. Why? A new dress! Anyway, I knew what to do. I hung it on the clothesline. This was last Saturday. Then we had heavy rain on and off. I left it out. A new dress. It wasn't on sale, by the way, but what are you going to do? I had washed it, but it has only happened once that a smell came out in the wash - not usually. Anyway, I was determined to give the fresh air a chance.
I turned it over every day - I was concerned about fading, but the coloring has a faded effect anyway, so I hoped it wouldn't be anything obviously awful. On Thursday I sniffed it, and - it was ninety nine percent gone, and that was good enough for me.
She fits in it perfectly.
She hides underneath it, so no one can see her!
Snow was predicted last night and all day today, and by morning light, everything looked fresh. Then around eight, visibility dropped and the wind was blowing it all around - I wondered if they'd be wrong again about the amounts, but it must have been a squall; it settled back into a light snow and ended mid-afternoon. But it's cold, and windy.
We throw out timothy hay, cracked corn, carrots, peanuts. The mourning doves seemed to like the corn this afternoon.
I'd bought two large plastic bins for organizing the Christmas things, and today I can say it's done - everything is sensibly arranged in the bins and a couple of shoe boxes. Much better than it was, and I feel light as a feather! I'm surprised at how relieved I feel to have that done. By using the bins, I got a lot out of the closet, consolidated a few smaller boxes, and things that I like to group together are stored together - like it should have been all along!
Peter Wohlleben, who wrote The Hidden Life of Trees, also has written The Inner Life of Animals; I just finished it. I liked some parts better than others, but many things were interesting. Here, he explains why moths fly around lights:
"Moths... rely on the moon when they want to fly in a straight line. For example, when the moon is at its height and they want to fly west, all they have to do is keep the moon to their left. But little moths can't tell the difference between the moon and a cozy lamp adding a decorative touch to a garden at night. Now, as the tiny winged wanderer glides past the tulips and the roses, it immediately gets turned around. The brightest light at night must be the moon, mustn't it? And so it tries to keep this new moon to its left, but the lamp is unfortunately not 238,900 miles but only a few yards away. If the moth keeps flying in a straight line, the "moon" appears behind it, and it seems to the moth that it must have flown in a circle. And so the insect pilot corrects its course to the left to, as it thinks, continue flying straight ahead. This makes the "moon" appear on the correct side, but what's really happening is that the moth is flying in circles around the light. The spiraling flight takes the moth ever closer to the light until it finally end up at the center. If the artificial moon is a candle, there's a brief "puff", and the moth's life is snuffed out."
Well, it was a nice day and we had a good time. The cats didn't end up getting any turkey - they were sleeping while we ate. Daisy, of course, was at hand when I set the table.
Don't tell me I should have driven her off as soon as I saw here there - I already know that. I think she liked the tablecloth.
On the subject of cats, my brother went to the church early in the morning; his intention was to go to Mass, but first to the office, where he had to use the copier. He noticed some bags on the steps of the church, but did not investigate - this was before seven. At eight thirty, it was still there - it was an orange cat, in a carrier, with all its possessions, i.e., bowls, harness, etc.. As he was wondering if he should just bring it home, the organist came along and said he'd take it, and see if the local vet could find a home for it. So he took it upstairs in the choir loft, where the poor creature was crying. But there is a crying room up there, so that's where the kitty went. We are looking forward to Sunday when we'll see him, to find out the rest of the story.
I was pretty shocked at this - I follow several cat rescue channels on youtube, and see this sort of thing all the time. But I never saw it here. That is probably naive, to be surprised.
Anyway, we are hoping for a happy conclusion to this Thanksgiving story.
My autumnal display on the front steps looks pretty, I think.
This little piece of whatever is almost done. It might not look bad in the spare bedroom, under a lamp.
I suppose you would only know about Baker & Taylor if you were a library worker, but they are a large book distributor in North America. Where I work, we've always gotten our books from them; now, they are going out of business, and my boss has had to find another company.
Baker & Taylor had two Scottish Fold cats for mascots. If you went to a library conference, you could get a paper shopping bag with their photo on it. And other things. They passed away years ago, but the B&T bags, and calendar, kept going. In fact, they would ask for photos of library cats for the calendar - I had almost forgotten that.
The cats lived at a small library in Nevada, but were obtained for the library by B&T, who thought it would be a cute PR thing. They never expected them to be such a hit. Anyway, this book was written by a librarian at that library, and I couldn't resist when I heard about it. I don't know how a company can go from the largest distributor to libraries, to having to close up shop, but it's sad. My boss was faithful to them till the end (and a cat lover, I might add). It's not a gripping story, but under the circumstances I'm interested to know the story.
