Saturday

Such a curiously off balance day! Or perhaps it feels that way because Ed has not yet fully recovered from a cold that first hit him at the end of November and the noise that accompanies a dragging recovery makes for a very interrupted sleep. For both of us. I tell him -- you should have it checked, even as I worry that the mere suggestion of a need for a check up makes it less likely that he will follow through. With Ed, you need to use triple psychology to get him from point A to your desired point B, otherwise you may well push him back to point Z.

Other oddities? Well, when I look out on the porch this morning to see if Stop Sign is around, I see none other than Miss Calico. So! She has figured out how to leave the sheep shed! Unfortunately, she is anything but happy to see me. Well no wonder. She associates me with her traumatic experience and then with an entrapment in the sheep shed.

It's a pleasant if somewhat cold day and the big cats are mostly prowling around hunting mice. When I go into the sheep shed to feed them all, I see that Calico's sister is still hiding in the corner. So, she's the slow learner. I wonder how long it'll take her to follow her sister's brave leap out the cat door.

Breakfast...






Miss Calico comes back to the porch, but only to grab a few bites of food. Then she is out again and unfortunately, I see her aiming toward the road, most likely to return to her second hide out. Oh, silly cat! I'm not your danger point! It's the cars that will get you if you dont be careful!

The sun comes out for a little while and even though it's below freezing, I use this rather pleasant moment to clear some of the branches that were cut down by the MGandE tree trimmers. And while I am at it, I take out the sheers and trim some of the nearby hydrangeas. These beautiful bushes are terribly invasive and if I don't do a heavy pruning job in any given year, I am bound to regret it. I may as well hack away at them now, because during springtime, I have far more interesting things to do in the flower fields.

It feels odd to be pruning your garden in February. Odd, but in a pleasant sort of way.







In the evening, the young family comes over for Sunday dinner. This was my idea. We are expecting a snowstorm tomorrow and though the path of this weather event is not yet certain, I sure hate to have them driving even in only moderately bad weather.











After dinner, they want to see what video clip he's watching. He diverts them to something more child friendly.





Okay? -- he asks. Are we done?
No! She begs him to read. He never turns them away.