My Evening

Let me tell you about this past Friday evening. I worked late, as usual, driving home around 7:30. I had to first stop at a copy shop to see a proof of our board agenda book to make sure it was okay to print 35 copies of a 350 page agenda book with numerous colored inserts. I get there and stand in line while another person at the counter is yelling at them for not getting her project done on time. This does not bode well. Ten minutes later I get to the counter and let them know I was there to look over a proof. They immediately pull out a box, but all that is in it are my originals with instructions that I would be by after 6:00 on Friday to look over a proof.

Copyman: “Oh, I guess it didn’t get done. If you want to wait, I can get one printed out in about 30 minutes.”

Me: “You know, I don’t have 30 minutes to stand around here. I’m exhausted and I had to drive out of my way to come here.”

Copyman: “Well, it’s a pretty simple project. I’m sure it will be okay.”

Me: “Well, I’ve done this enough times to know that it is never simple. Many things can and have gone wrong”

Copyman: “If you want to come by tomorrow, the proof will be ready”

Me: (Big long sigh while rubbing my face) “Okay, again, I’ll have to make a special trip AGAIN. Can we get any additional discount on this since it has taken up my time?”

Copyman: “How about 5 percent”

Me: “Deal”

I’m driving home after this and realizing I have absolutely nothing to eat. All I wanted was a baked potato, so I stopped at Wendy’s and picked one up. Oh, it smelled so good on the way home as exhaustion was really starting to settle in. I get out of my car and I see my neighbor D. walking up.

Back up to two weeks ago, as I was mowing my lawn the mower started sounding funny and then all of a sudden the blade flew off! I realized I hadn’t been cleaning under the lawnmower and it got completely gunked up with clotted grass. The blade kept banging into it and finally said enough of this and flew the coup. I tried getting the blade back on but realized I needed a special wrench that came with the mower and God knows, I had NO idea what I did with it. So a few days back I asked D. (who has the same mower) if he had the special wrench and if I could borrow it.

Back to Friday night. You know how you should be grateful for small favors. I know I should have been happy to see D., but all I wanted to do was to get in my house, feed the cats and have my baked potato. Maybe he will just drop off the wrench. But, no, D. was there to help me with my mower. The light is quickly fading as we are both sweating and swatting mosquitoes who, I’m sure, are overwhelmed with the smorgasbord of ankles and feet. Did I mention that D. is retired. He’s a big guy but does everything s l o w l y. I could tell that he had the blade on backwards but he really thought it was on right. So, I humored him and started it up. Oh, the rattling it made.

Me: You know, I really think the blade needs to be turned over.
D: You may be right. Let me look at my mower and I’ll be right back.

Great, at least I have a little time now to feed the cats. Phone rings, it’s my neighbor K.

K: Hey, C, could you do me a big favor.
Me: (muffled cry in my head) Sure!

K: I was transporting some feral cats today and one bit me really bad. My whole hand and arm is swollen and I’m supposed to be taking care of Kelly’s cat. Would you mind running over there and feeding the cat?”

Me: No problem.

When I hang up I see D. walking up. Sure enough, the blade was on backwards. He fixed it and my mower was humming like new.

Me: Gosh, thanks so much D. This is great.
D: No problem, just let me know if it needs to be tightened up some more. Say, did I tell you about………………..

Another 15 minutes go by as I listen to D. talk about various neighborhood news. A lull finally appears in the conversation.

Me: Well, thanks again. I need to run over and feed Kelly’s cat.
D: Okay, goodnight.

Whew, I run across the street and down about a half block to Kelly’s house. The cat is outside and food is on the deck. Hmmm, shouldn’t there be some water around here? I put out food and run back home and call K. asking her about the water. Yes, there should be some water, would you mind putting out a bowl. I take a Tupperware container and fill it with water and run back over to Kelly’s. As I’m walking back to my house I notice my front storm door is wide open. Damn, I forgot to lock it! For some reason when the humidity level is high my storm door doesn’t close properly and sometimes flies open. I get to the stairs of the front porch and see Sweet Pea (inside only cat) on the front porch. Our eyes lock and we both freeze. I quietly and slowly say “Sweet Pea” and BOOM, he is gone like the roadrunner, streaking off into the night. I cannot repeat the words I said at that point. By now it was closing in on 10:00 and I decided to let Sweet Pea run while I finally sat down at my computer while eating my reheated baked potato. I tried twice after that to get Sweet Pea back in the house but he was just toying with me. After the second time when I did get a hold of his back end, but he hissed and lashed out at me, I said, ENOUGH! I’M GOING TO BED. IF YOU WANT TO STAY OUT HERE ALL NIGHT SO BE IT! I marched up the stairs to the front porch, opened the door and stood in the threshold and said “Last time”. Sweet Pea then just sauntered up the stairs and into the house.

I sighed my last sigh of the day, locked up and went to bed.

To all the June babies I know

They say April is the cruelest month, but June is for me. Ever since I've been working at my current place of employment (over 18 years now!) I'm waist deep in preparations for our July Board meeting. I eat, sleep, and drink my job from mid-May until the end of July. That is in a typical year. This year, we've lost some very valuable people and my boss has taken up the slack. In turn, I've been given a lot more work on top of my already crazy schedule. I told a co-worker today that I'm just totally burned out.


So, I need to apologize to all my peeps who are born in June. I always am late or totally forget to acknowledge your birthdays--my sister and brother-in-law, my good friends J & P, and my great pal and sometimes blogging buddy, Cat59.


I hope you will accept this small virtual token birthday present:



The very first handfull of blueberries from my very own Butterball blueberry bush! Now, remember, I did say virtual, because...well...I threw these little puppies into a container of vanilla yogurt and ate them this morning. They were butterballisious!


Not to worry though, there are still many more blueberries on their way to ripening.


Happy Birthday all you Geminis out there!!

Eine Kleine Elefantmusik*

(*with apologies to Mozart)

With all the craziness going on in the world at large and in our own little worlds, I thought I'd lighten things up with a couple of videos courtesy of the Elephant Sanctuary. No, the elephants aren't making the music, but there is great music that accompanies each one.

The first shows that The Elephant Sanctuary is not just a sanctuary for elephants. In the rural Tennessee town where the sanctuary is located, there is an area close by that is a known "dumping grounds" for people who no longer want their cats or dogs. The Elephant Sanctuary will find a stray and take them in, getting them--up to date on their shots, neutered or spayed, dewormed and defleaed and then gives them sanctuary on their grounds. (In the past few months the sanctuary staff has worked with Lewis County in an advisory capacity to find a solution to the ongoing problem of stray animals.) Enjoy! I especially like the Spike Jones music.

The second video just makes my heart sing. It shows the elephants just having fun. Remember that the vast majority of these elephants have been taken from cruel and abusive situations. Some were kept chained in a windowless barn for months at a time. To see them frolicking and being able to come and go as they please, pleases me to no end. And who doesn't love a good Desi Arnaz song to go with it?

Wild Kingdom (Takoma Park style)

Sorry yet again for the long delay in posts. With me being up to my eyeballs in paper at work and staring at a computer screen all day long, the most I’ve been able to do at night is read a few blogs and leave even fewer comments. On top of that the heat and humidity of the summer has arrived in full force for the weekend. Temps in the mid to upper 90s and high humidity. I just find myself very depressed during this kind of weather and if I’m not working, don’t feel like doing much of anything.

Hmmm, I wasn’t expecting that to come out so negative considering I have a cute wildlife video for your perusal! You have met Willy Mo, one of the many raccoons who come by the Possumlady Outdoor Cafe, now meet…..Little Mo. Little Mo is new to my wildlife menagerie. I have three other possums that come around—Daisy, Simon, and Twinkle Toes. Little Mo started appearing around March. Hope you’re not bored with the video as it is over a minute of just watching him eat, but he is just so cute! I don’t understand people who think possums are ugly. They are so timid too and do no damage around the house and help eat up insects and grubs. Though I think my possums probably think they’re a little too high class for that now after gorging on expensive Science Diet cat kibble, along with the occasional grape for dessert.

The video was taken around 8:00 one evening when I was surprised to see him out in the daylight. But 8:00 is his usual feeding time, in darkness or daylight. You will see him scoot into a cat shelter my neighbor brought over. The cats will go into it if it starts storming out, but it really has been taken over by the possums at night. I don’t know where they go during the day as I’ve opened it up on several occasions during the day and no possums.






Speaking of storms, we had a hellish one on Wednesday afternoon. Tornados were spotted around the DC area (which is very rare). The wife of my boss called to say that a huge neighbor’s tree had fallen on her car and crushed it and also damaged my boss’s house. He lives in Takoma Park too so I was quick on the phone to my neighbor and luckily there was no damage to my house or the block.

I’m writing this on a late lunch break as I know I’ll be too tired when I get home to post anything. Wish me luck though! I’ll be turning on the AC for the first time this season when I get home and fingers crossed, I hope it works!!





Update: Well, I'm finally posting this on Saturday morning. The AC works!! Woke up and wasn't even able to open the windows for a bit this morning as outside is already unbearably humid and sticky--yuk! The inside cats are not happy. Their usual perch in the windowsill is no more until the heatwave breaks late next week. Who ARE all these people that crave summer!! Do you LIKE sweating and having no energy? I just don't get it.

Sweet Pea trying to cool his ample stomach on the kitchen floor. Hmmm, maybe I should give that a try!!

Stay cool everyone!

Bleuberricous Butterballous

A few years ago I bought two small blueberry bushes. Before I bought them I looked up blueberry bushes and found they have pretty spring flowers, then blueberries (for the birds), then beautiful red leaves in fall. You needed to get two different species of blueberries for best results. I planted them and they never really took off--pretty spindly and few berries. Then, one died. I've kept the one lone bush but it was clearly lonely and not doing well. It did produce blueberries but only one little cluster of about 6 or 8 berries a year that the mockingbirds got always a few days before they were ripe.

In April, my friend and neighbor Stephanie surprised me with a blueberry bush in honor of Butterball. I have yet to plant it but I put it right next to my lone blueberry bush and exciting things started to happen! Bees were coming by and I watched as they would fly between the two bushes pollinating each one. My one lonely little bush produced many more leaves and flowers. Here, take a look for yourself...

I know it still looks spindly but it has at least 7 clusters of berries. Maybe I might even get to taste a few this year before the catbirds and mockingbirds get them all. I've named this plant Sunkist.

Here's my new plant, Butterball.

It has been two months on Saturday since Butterball left me. I've been under so much stress at work lately and this time of year the yard is growing out of control. It ain't easy being a single homeowner with a good-sized yard. I really think the reason I've not been able to shake this stress is that my main man is no longer around to calm me down. The rest of the cats, God bless 'em, can be a constant source of stress with all their allergies and issues with one another. I told a co-worker that as much as I love my other cats, it is always like they are saying "Feed me, play with me, love me, leave me alone, let me out, let me back in, would it hurt you to clean the litterbox?" With Butterball it was as if he would look at me and say "What's wrong mom, you look a little stressed. What can I do for you?" Oh, I still miss him something awful.

Butterball and Apu just hangin out

Meet Willy Mo

All right, I know I should be chasing these guys away and I usually do, but this guy was just too cute. I almost didn't post this video because of my geeky background talking but hey, that's me. I talk that way to all the animals here, the cats, raccoons, possums, birds, tent caterpillars, etc.

My friends Paul and Joy treated me to a Washington Nationals game a few weeks ago (in their new fancy schmancy stadium I might add). I was telling them when the time came to get another cat I had to think of a good name. We started going through the names of the Nationals. Joy wanted me to name it "Lastings". There is a Nats player with the first name of Lastings! What kind of a name is that? My favorite was Willy Mo! Now that's a name. And, since I won't be getting a new cat anytime soon, I decided to name this little visitor Willy Mo.

Flower Mart and a Shout Out!

I just realized I'm going to talk about a flower mart without any photos of flowers! Oh well.

One of the jewels of Washington, DC is the National Cathedral. Make sure the next time you visit to put the Cathedral on your list. It is an Episcopalian church with its own parish community but the community shares it with the nation as it is named the Nation's Cathedral. I LOVE this church and its surrounding gardens. This Church is a uniter in every sense of the word. They bring in wonderful speakers such as Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama.

Most former Presidents have their funeral service here as well as services for major events like right after 9/11.

There is a wonderful little book that was published years ago called "A Soul in Balance: The Gardens of Washington National Cathedral." The introduction states that early designers and supporters of the Cathedral "foresaw the creation of gardens suitable for a fourteenth century Gothic cathedral: ancient, walled gardens appealing to the five senses, filled with plants of historic interest, plants of biblical myth and legend, and native plants. Tranquil, permanent, and timeless; hallowed yet real, set in the midst of a bustling capital city."

Every spring the guardians of the Cathedral gardens, the All Hallows Guild, put on a Flower Mart festival to raise funds for the upkeep of the Cathedral close. The Cathedral is a quick ten minute drive from my house, so my sister and I have made it a tradition to attend almost every year for close to 10 years.

The festival is always on a Friday and Saturday. We have always gone on Saturday and, while fun, it is extremely crowded. This year with my sister recently retired I decided to take the day off and go on Friday. The crowds weren't nearly as bad. They have plant and herbs for sale as well as wonderful crafts and delicious food.

Every year the festival showcases a different country. This year was South Africa

As soon as I saw this group dancing I thought they were performing a Zulu dance.

And I was right! Sometimes I amaze myself!

It got up to the mid-80s on Friday so my sister and I were quite hot when we returned home. I had told her about my latest discovery--Edy's Coconut Creme fruit bars. If you love coconut, these are heaven.

They're even "Woody approved"!

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Now onto the Shout-out! I just need to publicly state how much I love and appreciate cartoonist Patrick McDonnell. He created the comic strip "Mutts" about the adventures of a dog, "Earl" and a cat "Mooch". The comic strip is a delight. I even named one of my strays Moochie. But the thing I admire most about Patrick McDonnell is his commitment to the environment, animal welfare, and especially the plight of shelter animals. Every year he devotes a few weeks to telling shelter stories. Now, I don't know if I will get in trouble for copying this cartoon here, but I just wanted to share it with those who may not get his comic in your paper...

A few years ago he was on a discussion chat sponsored by The Washington Post. I wrote in telling him how much I appreciated his work and asked him if he could write about the plight of older animals that always seem to get overlooked at shelters. He wrote back thanking me for my volunteer work and said he would definitely work different animals into his shelter stories. And, he was true to his word...

I could not have said it better myself.