Shackleton is 3!

Our sweet boy celebrated his third birthday Sunday. To celebrate, he got a bigger piece of ham than usual for a morning treat and I sang to him. (Whether THAT was a gift is up for debate.) He is the most gentle, laid back soul who likes to spend a great deal of the day lying at the foot of our bed, curled up on one of the white stuffed animals. He likes this so much that I will find him apparently sound asleep but purring away.
As he's grown from kittenhood, he isn't as interested in play fighting or racing around the house, but he's maintained his svelte form in spite of a lot of napping. We love him from his pink ears to his curly tipped tail and are fortunate to have him in our lives. Happy BD Shack!

Spring is here

All along the Olentangy River bike trail, beautiful forsythia are in bloom, and the splashes of bright yellow are everywhere.
I think often of my little Jessie, who never got to know a spring time here. There are lots of bad things about this earth, but surely spring must be one of the most beautiful gifts our Creator gave us. And so, at least in my heart, I take Jessie with me on my rollerblading trips. I wear my heart with his name engraved on it and a tiny bit of his ashes, and as I blade along, I see all there is to see for him with my eyes and then send them to him, knowing that he has springtime every day.

Birdwatchers

Ah, springtime! Gone are the dark days of winter when the hours of bird watching were so limited and the days so short. Now, as the sun rises earlier and sets later every day, a feline person has so many more opportunities to hang out at the window and gaze at the menu choices. This is such hard work! All the teeth chattering, tail twitching and vocalizations of greed and desire are not for the faint of heart! There is also the often required glaring, swatting and- if pressed- hissing to drive away current table top occupants to be certain of at least sharing the view. And after a fine time perusing the menu, there is lots of time to take one of many naps, dreaming of cardinal fricassee, sparrow skewers or chickadee and dumplings.

Daffodils

Daffodils

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretch'd in never-ending line

Along the margin of the bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed-- and gazed-- but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth (1770- 1850)

Night buds

Several nights ago I happened to look outside after dark and I noticed that the tree to the left of the front door looked kind of neat in the dark. I am embarrassed to say that after 5 years of living with this tree in my yard, I don't know what kind of tree it is, other than it gets white flowers in the spring and drops little rust colored leaves in the fall.
I fetched my trusty camera and took this picture, which will win no art awards, but that's why I have a day job.

The Joy of Flowers

I get a chuckle every time I think that these tough little guys are called pansies, which generally means a coward or softy. Pansies look delicate, but they can withstand frost and cold. When I bought these, the nursery had tables and tables of pansy flats, and the greenhouse was a riot of colors. I especially like the delicate white with lavender edging.
Last weekend was perennial bed cleanup. I spent about 6 lovely (seriously!) hours grabbing big handsful of old brown leaves from between flowers, and gently teasing out the ones that had settled in at the base where all the little shoots were starting to come up. There were also dried stalks left from last summer's flowers, which I left hoping that they might provide some late season seeds or shelter for a bird or other small critter. So now the flower beds are clean, the brown earth is visible and the green sprouts are getting higher every day. Oh, did I mention it's supposed to snow this weekend?

My Bird

Six years ago, for the first time, I bought the car that I wanted- a Beetle with a sunroof. Originally my plans were to get a red or yellow beetle, but Birdy was there with her bright green color and sunroof and the rest is history. I love my car. She and I have traveled over 50,000 miles together in the 6 years I've owned her. We've received lots of compliments (What a fun car!) and have had lots of little kids point at us as we go by. As all 2002 Beetles do, Birdy has a built-in flower vase on the dash and I always make sure she has pretty seasonal silk flowers. There is also a crystal butterfly suspended on a cord from the rear view mirror who flies all over when we go around corners. Some people think Beetles are bad in snow, but she has never stuck me once in all the years I've had her. Most recently she saw little Jessie and me safely down the West Virginia mountains in the dark while semis raced beside us going at least 80 miles per hour. I trust my little car. As I've said to Jim, there is no way I will EVER let anyone else own her, nor will she ever see a junkyard while I am alive. So I guess if the time comes when she can't hit the road anymore, we will have a big green flowerpot in the back yard!

By the sea

When I made the trip to Australia last September, spring was in full bloom.

While walking near the beach, I noticed this brave, beautiful patch of flowers nestled behind the protection of these rocks. Sweet little patches of bright fuchsia; an awesome, mighty sea.

Probably by now these flowers are long faded, for just as we welcome our time for spring, Queensland summer is fading into Autumn. The whales who breached all around us in the bright, sunny Hervey Bay are now far *north in the Arctic waters. I think of them often and wish them safety.

* My favorite editor pointed out that the whales are north this time of year, or at least not in Antarctica. Typical of me to be switched in my directions. It's a trait I have grown to accept...sigh...

Welcome April, Welcome Tabitha

March is over: let the green begin! Even I, winter soul that I am, have had enough of cold air, brown tree limbs, and overcast winter skies. Bring on the sunshine, the warm spring breezes, and the soft green new growth as all the plants awaken. In the past few days I have begun my gardening and yard work for the year, making my first gleeful trip to the garden center for some pansies, which are now planted in a little bowl on the front porch. The flower beds need leaves and last year's dead flower stalks cleared away. As I worked on this little chore last evening, under every handful of sodden, brown leaves, I saw little sprigs of green peeking through the soil.
Welcome spring...and welcome Tabitha!! This little fireball joined our furry family a few weeks ago. She was residing in a pet store where her rescue agency had located her, hoping someone would adopt her. I am Someone. Tabby is a pretty, petite one year old with a beautiful, swirly pattern of black and tawny brown. She has made the transition of meeting all the other cats, dogs and rabbits and no longer feels the need to hiss at them. She and Sam have become, if not good buddies, then at least playmates, chasing each other through the house at lightning speeds and sounding more like a herd of cattle than 2 small felines. Of all the cats, she is-so far-the most independent, feeling no need to be petted or to sit in a lap. At least she seems to be comfortable now in her new home.