saucy_dryad

While my actual kitties are somewhat accustomed to our summer weekend absences, the wildlife is not so attuned. When I got home after today's 10 hour rehearsal, one of the younger tree kitties* came racing up to the back door and pressed her paws to the glass, ready for treats. I cracked the door, holding out a piece of granola bar.

Tree Kitty approached. Hesitated. Approached. Backed away.

Peed. Looked at me, clearly pained by her social faux pas. Peed some more. Retired to the paving stones, sat down, uncertain as to how to proceed.

I set the granola bar on the back step and closed the door. She bounded over, scooped up the treat, and - very carefully avoiding the trail of pee - made for the woods.

Mildly amusing anecdote aside, it occurs to me: flailing. Social anxiety. Inappropriate pee. Desire for treats overcoming all of these things. Yup; pretty sure I am a tree kitty.

*on the slight chance you don't already know, tree kitty = squirrel

This time last year, I was running four times a week and about to run a half marathon. Now, I can't run more than a mile without my hip screaming in protest. Not a huge deal (aside from 'my body is supposed to do what I tell it, with no whinging'), but running does help me lose weight. And I need to lose weight. And a lot of my other friends run and do very well with it and though I shouldn't be competitive about it, I sort of am.

Looks as if I really do need to add weight training, but I am not joining a gym simply to use the machines. Whatever free weights and kettle bells I have at home will have to do. Once things are a bit more settled with lawyers and cleaning out Mom's house, I can take a few more kickboxing classes on top of what I teach. Certainly I will do my Sunday yoga until my Sundays are no longer free, which is in about six weeks. I could also be smarter about what/how much I eat.*

Got a bit of extra exercise in today. Yard clean up totally counts! I raked and pruned and hauled wheelbarrowsful of leaves and branches and bits of plants I really ought to have cleaned up in the fall. The upshot is my veggie garden is cleared out, and the strawberry plants are uncovered and cleaned up. I still need to turn the soil; have done it by hand the past two years. May rent a tiller. Herb garden is ready for planting. Flower beds and shade garden are ready as well. It's too early to plant much, but I am eager to go. In the meanwhile, I'll have to satisfy myself with surprise!snowdrops and the other spring bulbs that are popping up around my yard.

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Glory-of-the-snow and a budding hyacinth.

*so very unlikely

Several months past, when Grey Kitty (aka Erasmus, aka Raz) was hanging around, Handsome Tom was a deeply unhappy kitty. This was his territory, after all. He'd worked long and hard to stake his claim (read: he'd flopped down, been excessively adorable, and feigned all manner of bravery against the local fauna) 'till we finally brought him indoors.* He displayed his unrest in the most succinct manner possible: he sprayed. Far more than I want to think about. Numbered among the innocent victims in this 'rage against the cuddly interloper' were our cat carriers, stored in the basement and thus easily missed in the immediate response to HT's distress.

So. Several weeks past (when it was time for kitty checkups) I realized what had happened, and took the carriers outside that I might fully scrub them down.

And then life got in the way.

So. A few weeks after THAT, said carriers continued to grace my back patio.

And then baby raccoons got in the way. Adorably.

Mama showed up with three wee ones (and really - what is it with raccoons and triplets? is it just our neck o' the woods?) and reveled in the playground I'd left them. I know they're pests. I know they are not to be encouraged in any way, and trust me - we are far more careful about how we dispose of our scraps. But still... they're really freaking cute, and I cooed like hell over the, even if it meant scrubbing those blasted carriers with bleach. And enzyme solution. And bleach.

*whereupon we found that while he was still ever so handsome, that bravery thing was utter bollocks.

Upon leaving the gym Friday afternoon, I made a detour to toss some cardboard in the recycling dumpster. The moment I turned the corner, I stopped short. There were several enormous black birds sitting on the green metal bins.

( click! )

*I'll keep you posted.

I made a point of filling the bird feeders this morning; even in the snow, they get a lot of traffic.

Clearly.

I made a point of filling the bird feeders this morning; even in the snow, they get a lot of traffic.

Clearly.

That is all.

There is a storm rolling in. Thunder is grumbling and grousing in the distance, and the air is heavy and still. The quality of the light is astonishing. It is half-six, and just past sunset; with the haze and the clouds and the fading sun, the light is a rosy-orange-grey. Freaky, to be sure, but gorgeous.

at least it the sky doesn't have a green cast. *shudder* I will never, but NEVER stop being terrified of tornadoes. you can take the girl out of Wisconsin...

Current Mood: enthralled

Current Mood: enthralled

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January 2019

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