Monday

It's going to be a beautiful, sunny, warm day! Our wildflower seeds have arrived. Wouldn't this be a fine time to plant the various meadows and beds, so that they will deliver the flowers we crave next spring?

It is an overwhelming job. Not because of the work of planting, but because we don't really know the best way to do this. So, after feeding the kitties, I go back to bed and I stay there. (In my defense, I'm nursing sniffles...)

By mid morning, a great desire to eat a good breakfast on the porch pushes us up and out.






And then I survey the gardens and still I have no good plan. The problem is that the places I want to seed have a mix of weeds and good flowers in them. But to take out the weeds by hand is daunting. It would take weeks to clear the spaces. Should we be half-assed about it as usual and just sow the seeds and hope for a miracle? Should we mow down everything? Till the whole area? I just don't know...

(Flower beds, from the perspective of fall... these don't require care right now; perennials fend for themselves in the dormant periods.)






(everything is so... September!)






(meadow in the young orchard...)






In the meantime, a friend contacted me and asked if she could take in one of the kittens. Well of course! Ed prompts -- two would be even better, they're so bonded! My friend and her family are, in our minds, ideal. They're great animal and nature lovers, they know their way around pets. But should we keep our favorites? Or conversely, should we hand over the friendliest one, because she (or he) has the greatest chance of feeling joy in a nurturing environment?

I feel like we're sending off a kid to college. Or worse, into the arms of a loved one in her new home!

I remind myself we will have ten left. Well, maybe nine. Plus the elusive Stop Sign. Still, there is a twinge of angst. Will the little guy(s) behave? Will they thrive and prosper?


In the afternoon, Snowdrop is here to play. And play we do!






She is full of spirit today (she cajoles Ed to join us here...)!






Toward evening, my friend comes over to meet the kitties. Snowdrop is quite excited to introduce the little ones to her, but of course, none of the cats here are used to a lot of commotion. It takes a bit of coaxing to bring them out of hiding.






In an effort to shift some of that Snowdrop energy away from the picnic table, I suggest that she and I go feed the cheepers. Okay!






It is quite likely that my friend will come back in a few days for some subset of the littlest ones. I miss them already!






(I catch up with my friend; Snowdrop keeps us company!)






The day ends, the seasons shift, the kitties will move on. Farmette life does not stand still.