Taking my morning stroll with Kota back to the creek (today in dense fog) I heard the flapping of immense wings. Straining to see through the mist coming off the creek, I looked up and directly over my head, I saw this beautiful grey heron. He was scoping out the creek (the water is over the level due to the last few days of heavy rains. Suddenly, he swooped down and carried off a fish for his breakfast. It was magical for me. The last few months have been so tough for so many. Some of us in lock-down, removed from the people we love and who love us.

Seeing this majestic bird slammed home to me why Mike and I bought this place. At the time (30 years ago) the house was in shambles. The outside stairs leading up the second floor, wasn’t deemed safe. But we fell in love with the land and all the creatures that came with it:deer, coyote, raccoons, possums, skunks and even cougars. Although most of the the larger predators have moved on, walking the property and pausing in the trees helps me find balance in my day. Two days ago, I saw an eagle in my back pasture. I haven’t seen a eagle at our place in at least ten years..

Today, the gas man cometh. My stove has grown to be quite bi-polar. Sometimes, it works but mostly it either won’t light on the right side, or it whooshes up. I haven’t been using that side of my stove for a few months. I’m also hoping that he will help me move my stove out. I have a sneaking suspicion that the contractors left another hole in my wall as mice are still quite prevalent in my kitchen. Magoo and Ash have honed their hunting skills and last night they were alerting to my stove. When I shone my flashlight between the stove and the cupboard, I saw a gray field mice running the line of the wall.

I discovered a few months ago, that they left a big hole open behind my refrigerator (which I plugged with a steel plate). I am hoping I find a hole behind my stove- otherwise, I have no clue where these critters are getting in. I keep trying to entice Twist into the house. She is full feral and my best hunter- but she wants nothing to do with it. She has been outside her entire life after she was offered up as bait as a young kitten to a boa constrictor. 🙁 Can I even blame her that she steers clear of humans? No, I cannot, but I keep hoping that just one time she will step over the doorway and take on the hunt.

I did buy a few of those “humane” mouse traps. The slogan is “The mice go in, but they don’t come out!” Yes they do come out of the trap all the time, except first they eat all the peanut butter you spread on the pad and leave their droppings behind. LOL I am being outsmarted by a mouse. Don’t waste your money buying them- they do not work.

Thank you to those who donated to our cause recently. We were able to buy 4- 30 can cases of Fancy Feast, 2, 40 can cases of Friskies and 4,  40 pound bags of Cat Chow. Also we put a few dollars on our vet bill.I wish I didn’t have to purchase the food through walmart (after they kicked us to curb a few months ago). But we needed the food now, not in a week which is what happens when we order online.

Have a safe and sane Memorial weekend.We are staying put here with the animals.