pets

Pet or pest?

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It’s a matter of perspective. For the past several years, I haven’t had a pet, unless you consider bees pets, and I don’t. I’ve had dogs, cats, turtles, hamsters, fish. We had dogs who had puppies when I was young, ducks briefly, and then cats my adult life until now.

None could replace Shirley.

I adopted her and her sister, Oreo, as kittens. Oreo was lost in the wilds of Nissequogue, NY. Then we got Loki, a black and serious cat.

They lived on a catamaran with us, traveled to lighthouses and moved north to Adirondacks. They accommodated easily to their surroundings.

My last cat, Elli, died young and unexpectedly during the pandemic and I opted to take a pause.

Now there are signs we have a new pet. We went away for a few days and my indoor arugula plant was nibbled to the stem.

We caught one mouse but that wasn’t the culprit because this morning the dust in a joint between the concrete floor in the basement was pulled out in tufts.

It may be another mouse or it could be a self- sufficient pet. It’s all a matter of perspective.

No pets, lots of critters

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Since September, I have been without a pet for the first time in my life. After our cat died, we were scheduled to caretake Seguin Island and Acadia National Park and it wasn’t the right time to adopt kittens. And now…

Life at home is a little lonelier but it’s a lot easier to leave. Although I often ask myself why we leave.

We are surrounded by critters big and small with little or no work and we are free to come and go without having to arrange housesits, which is always the most stressful part of taking a big trip. Alas, we have no big trips planned at the moment but still…

As I write this, our first hummingbird just returned and is sipping that pink rhododendron in the first photo. We also have goldfinch, blue birds, cardinals, purple Finch, blue jays, nut hatch, eastern towhees and a pileated woodpecker who likes to rat-a-tat-tat a metal sign.

And deer and bear wander around as well.

And the bees, tens of thousands.

This weekend we hiked a new trail in the Adirondacks to Wolf Pond. It was a lovely pine needle lined path, with new bridges for dicey river crossings, and great views of the mountain as a reward.

And I found a new friend. There were rocks at the edge of a pond where we sat and enjoyed the view. A few salamanders were in the water by our boots. I put a finger in the water and sat still. One little guy swam to me and hung out under my finger. The first time it approached, I pulled back while I contemplated whether they had big teeth.

I don’t think they do, do they?

We’ve had lots of wind at home and my neighbor’s birches are permanently listing to port.

And of course with big wind comes falling trees and an exacerbation of dendrephobia. Then on my way home from work the other day, this reebar jumped from the road and pierced my bumper!

This was after I read about a turtle that had smashed through someone’s windshield when it was sent flying by another vehicle. Now I have road debris-aphobia..

Transition

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We are getting ready to head to Seguin Island Lighthouse for a couple of weeks. I conscientiously enlisted a Catsitter to watch cute little Elli.

Tim went backpacking for a couple of nights and while he was gone she died unexpectedly. Healthy during the day, dead overnight. Life is like that.

Because it’s so close to our departure, the catsitter has become a housesitter and they are still coming (which means I still have to clean the fridge).

They won’t have to cook for him, whose call is , “who cooks for you”, but I came across this beauty in our backyard. He was hanging out on a branch near an owl house made for a much smaller owl.

I just stood with him quietly in the woods very peacefully.

Fall is in the air. This tree’s color popped out at me.

Colors haven’t changed in the hills yet.

Nor at ye olde homestead with the cutest sheshedbeeshed, which still needs a foundation skirt and interior shelving.

I see kitten(s) in our future. (Don’t tell Tim).

Different couch, same guards

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Couch guardsI think they may be using me as an excuse to lay around on the couches. It works for me. Neither one has come close to my cast or foot. Very strange how they seem to know. Tim’s taking good care of me but also said he’s ready (after one day) to invest in  long term care insurance for me!

My knitting is progressing. I finished the lining for the Fiddlehead mittens in the hospital and the Pinstripe Slouch hat is well underway.

Fiddleheads

Pinstripe slouch hat