A Cardinal Sign?

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'  *

Then I woke completely and sat up looking at the window facing the foot of the bed.
A plump red cardinal perched on the sill, pecking at the glass. We stared at each other for a second or two, and off he flew. But just as far as the lilac, and then he was back, tap tapping again.

That happened a couple more days last week, and then he was gone. No idea what he was looking for. If that was some kind of messenger, I completely whiffed it. Please try again.

*Edgar Allen Poe

Idle comments

Ameranth and I just came in from the garden, where we pulled old pumpkin vines, and many weeds,(and found one more butternut squash!)  getting it cleaned up for the winter. We then tackled the hen yard where an obnoxious weed had taken over. I don't know the name but it has stubborn roots and very sharp little burrs on it. I remarked that the burrs were like tiny caltrops.

Ameranth agreed, then said "You know, a lot of people would not know what you meant. See how video games and movies are educational?"

Earlier today she found an article online about a gay man enlisting (again) in the Army.  He had gone to West Point and served for 10 years before being discharged in July, because he was gay.

Ameranth: "Good for him! I'm glad he can do that. Not that enlisting in the Army is something I would ever want, but if he wants to, he should be able to do it".

Me: "That is not very Christian of you!"

It's the meds

Okay, I get that prednisone increases your appetite Rosie, but really? Raw squash? The first from the garden this year?

 

It was lucky we had more as backup, because that was beyond saving. Not that I would think of using a dog-chewed squash. Ha, that would be nasty.

I was gone - did you miss me?

Strange as it may seem, I apparently have readers who demand new fodder every so often. Since they are family, they know how to reach me to nag me make sure I am okay. Anyone else probably did not miss my life updates. Actually, the blog gets updated more often when I am not busy doing anything. When I have actual new stuff to write about, I am too busy doing said stuff to write. Go figure.

I was happy today to find new Ladyslipper pictures on her mom's Face-book account and saved them to my computer to share. So with no further ado, here she is.

Hopefully, when she is a bit older, Shoeshine will be able to bring her to visit us.

The cold I developed in R.I. was still with me all of last week, which sucked, but the good news was I successfully kept the germs to myself and neither of my parents caught it. That would have been quite the guilt trip! My sisters and I browbeat my folks into accepting the fact that they should have grab bars installed in their bathroom. One sister suggested that they totally redo it with a walk-in shower and that was enough to make the bars seem minor, I guess.

J and I drove down Friday, took my mother out to buy the ones she wanted and installed them Saturday morning. We replaced a towel bar and added a lower one at the side, but that was it. #4 asked me where the others were, and I told her that was her argument to make- I hadn't won it when I tried for 2 more bars. Baby steps.

However, later drama forced their hands when my father stood up too abruptly shortly after dialysis and keeled over. A 911 call, rescue truck ride and 2+ hours in the emergency room later, he was sent home with instructions to stand up and wait before he moves on in the future.  We struck quickly and won the 2 extra bars in the bathroom. 

Ameranth stayed home with the dogs(Thank you) and welcomed us home with the news that Boomer had a large bump over his eye. Unknown origin. We are guessing it may have been a bit of porcupine quill that worked it's way out, especially since it drained overnight.

Oh, speaking of dogs, Rosie had her first monthly steroid shot Friday. It was pouring rain, and I had to force her into the car, then into the vet's office. As we walked in the lobby I heard a low moan, followed by a couple more- it sounded like a sad,sad cow. She has a few hard little bumps on her leg which are probably quills and I mentioned them to the vet, commenting that I told Rosie if they were tumors that was the last straw. The vet thought I was kidding.

Ameranth finally got her photos uploaded. Here's the evil porcupine in a tree after it tried to kill my dogs It's a little small so I think it's probably this year's and was out on it's own for the first time.

Here are the frolicking dogs moments before the 'incident'.

And here's Boomer as he repaid Ameranth's kindness in taking him with Anna hiking up Mount Pisgah. He raced up the fire tower and then promptly forgot how to go down steps. Ameranth doesn't like heights.

 

After forcing herself up as far as she could and having me try calling him down on speaker phone, a friendly hiker finally showed up. He didn't mind heights, but was a little leery of helping a dog who was growling at him. He had to lead him all the way down because as soon as he let go Boomer tried to head up again. 

On the plus side, there were lovely views from that far up.