November Morning

To take my mind off the confusion of electronics, I decided to walk around in the yard this morning and gather up all Darby's toys for washing.  I found only one, which means that Mike throws them away when he finds them water-logged and dirty.  Luckily I bought her a new something yesterday - just garish and strange enough to thrill her.  And some treats since she's going to be spending her days alone with the cat.

We're lucky enough to have found an excellent pet sitter who seems to really care about taking care of the girls and making sure the house is secure.  This time Kelly will come twice a day, once in the morning to feed them and let them out - if the weather is good - and then again in the afternoon to let them in for the night or to run around before dark.

Our yard is just boring in the fall and winter.  What few leaves the trees had are long gone, and the grass is brown.  It's a perfect place for little dogs to run and chase birds though and other imaginary creatures.

She did trap a possum again the other night, and there was nothing for us to do about it except wait until she barked herself hoarse and decided to release the poor thing.  We kind of talked to her and begged her to come in and shone the flashlight on them and yelled a little bit, but they both ignored us.  I couldn't imagine going out there and grabbing her and risking an attack from that hissing, snarling thing - big one too,  Mike says.  She usually sleeps inside but asked to go out in the middle of the night, maybe because she heard this creature poking around.  I hope the possum learned its lesson.  It can't have been a fun night for it.

Anyway, I saw several pretty pink blossoms that I wish I had had last spring.  Right now, they seem out of place with the bare landscape and autumn decorations.

A morning glory, of all things, left over from two summers ago.

 The sasanqua/camelia has barely begun to bloom, and it has lots and lots of buds.  We always say cah-mail-ya in honor of the perfect Southern belle from Thomaston who did the Southern accent right.

 Mike hates these fall-blooming azaleas, and I really wish they would bloom in the spring, but I think they're pretty any time.

 A leftover geranium from the pots on the front porch.  I also love geranium blooms any time, anywhere.

I promised to give Mike's Lenten Rose equal billing.  We dragged it home from Washington in April.  It didn't travel well and really didn't take too well to Alabama, but he babied it all summer, and it looks like it's going to be okay.  We'll see how it does over the winter.

Stella/Molly is not in a good mood lately, alternately clingy and aloof - catlike, I guess.

 She sees things going into the car and bags being packed and probably knows something different is about to happen.  We managed to get Darby, who is oblivious to anything but when she's going to get fed and let into the house, to pose with her briefly.

.  I told Darby to "Lie down," and she did it immediately at the same time Stella got up and walked away.  Oh, well.  This didn't last near long enough, and I have no reason not to get started on housework and packing and maybe a little bit of transferring of files.