Tuesday Morning

I'm looking out my window at a wall of fog. High temperatures are forecasted again, but right now it is relatively cool. I fed the chickens and they are out doing what chickens do. Later on, no doubt, they will hide in the shade and wait out the heat like they did yesterday. The hummingbirds have been busy at their feeder and the nasturtiums on the front porch.

We've had lots of wild critters paying us visits recently. Yesterday I came home from the grocery store to find a HUGE black snake on the back porch. It was a least 3 feet long, if not longer. And while Monkey thought the tiny one we caught last week was rather cute, she wasn't too taken with one that was longer than she is tall. There I was with Monkey crying among the dropped grocery bags removing a snake who's only desire seemed to be to stay on the porch. In the end the broom proved to be a useful snake remover and the snake slithered under the porch. I'm generally not timid around snakes, but did do involuntary jumps a few times yesterday when I'd catch a glimpse of something long and dark out of the corner of my eye. It was always a stick.

Last night there was a baby possum stuck on our screened-in porch. We left the door open and it was gone this morning. Note to Self: Do not let Big Daddy leave the compost bowl on the back porch. Maybe I could start my own nature show - Things That Visit My Back Porch. It would include a vulture, a bear, the snake, the possum, stray dogs, cute little songbirds, and the UPS man. The UPS man is there a lot due to my penchant for ordering out of catalogs and two long distance grandmothers who like to send stuff to the Monkey.

The Monkey is running a fever. It started yesterday. Other than the fever, she seems to have nothing wrong with her. She says her head hurts a little, but she's still quite active. She's lying on the couch eating a freezer pop at 8 a.m. Does that make me a bad mother? Certainly not. I figure she's hot, it's cold and maybe it will get a little fluid in her. While she's relaxing, I think I'll go out and possum proof the porch.