The Sunday morning drive to church is a favorite. It is a rather short ride but filled with many visuals that frankly coincide with the need to drive safely. The temperatures had reached the upper 20's overnight and we were still below freezing in the middle of the morning and frost still visible in the lower hollows and valleys. Picturesque scenes of houses with curls of smoke from wood stoves or fireplaces adding a layer of quaintness on the already layered scenery. Just a few weeks ago the mountains were covered with brilliant reds and orange leafs. The yellow and green gave the canvas for the brilliant and explosive color but now the mountains are making that trek into winter silhouetted dark gray against lighter gray overcast skies. The cows in the fields huddled together for one of the first into many days of cold beginnings. The backdrop usually covered by leafs are now being revealed discovering houses and scenes covered three quarters of the year. New discoveries being made daily on the routine drives that I make as daily life takes residence.
The bird feeder traffic is picking back up just like spring. Such a choreographed beauty are the incoming birds both small and large as they take turns at the feeder. Although Mr Cardinal can clear a feeder when he wants to. I still need to identify several of the new birds coming to visit but in the morning and before dusk this is a happening place from tiny wrens all the way to even a crow or two. Doves come at off times and even the notorious blue jays are playing nice with the other birds.
Friday I took Buddy for her annual shots and physical. Oh dear friends, Buddy wasn't happy at all with the morning. I took her back to the vet who only treats and sees cats thinking this would be better for Buddy. I am rethinking this. There is something or perceived threat from her point of view in that office. My fear is entering the porch and letting one of the resident cats out...there is a warning sign posted not to let them out and of course the sign just makes entrance and exit that more stresful. Now back to Buddy. She never acted this way for the vet in Fulshear. She was feisty but not in total attack mode. The vet took time to get Buddy to relax but Buddy is particular about her food and treats and the treats they were trying to bribe her with weren't anything she took an interest in. The vet even got down and sat on the floor to help Buddy but Buddy wasn't having any of it. She inspected and kept close to the walls or underneath the chairs and bench. I put my hand out toward Buddy and she took a couple of swipes at me but only with her paws, not claws. That's when the vet asked, does she treat you this way at home? Now to be honest she doesn't but that doesn't mean she hasn't taken a swipe or two or a bite or two at me but it is seldom and mostly done as a surprise move not being defensive and protective...So I responded no but I thought to myself and I'm thankful I didn't say what I thought because this vet is a hard nose, competent vet who just happens to own twelve cats. But I wanted to respond to her, well at home I'm not chasing her around, trying to put something up her butt, trim her nails or give her a shot. They finally had to do the swaddling method with towels but it didn't calm Buddy at all. No Buddy began to make the sound of a siren or an old time full gospel woman full of the spirit. After the ordeal the Dr had a talk with me about Buddy's food even though she had declared that Buddy's teeth were in pristine condition for a ten year old cat. She had never seen such beautiful teeth on a cat that old. She wants me to change Buddy over to more wet than dry food. I tried to explain that Buddy never shows any interest in wet food, not even tuna that drops from a sandwich. I also mentioned that Buddy stays very hydrated and is a self grazer that knows portion control...no dice... She went on to help me understand the percentages of protein and the like and that is where she lost me...all the sudden taking care of Buddy had turned into math and my brain was shutting down but my mouth kept saying, uh huh, uh huh, oh yes...uh huh....Brain on major shutdown and the vet is sounding like Charlie Brown's teacher. At least she wrote down what she was saying...Knowing that the food she wants to me to give to Buddy cannot be found at the grocery store, I still looked when I went because finding something comparable to experiment will be much cheaper than ordering food. So I found this organic cat food...and bought three cans of flavors that Buddy likes. When I placed them before the queen for dinner she looked at me like what is this crap? Where are my treats? What about my regular dry food? So mixed a little in...still got the look. Before the night was over, I had cleaned out the dish and put in dry food. Happy, happy kitty cat. So Saturday morning while working outside the black and white one eyed cat came to say hello. That poor cat is so skinny and the idea came to me, give her the open can of cat food and maybe with hunger abated she won't be as intent on catching a bird. That cat scarfed down the organic cat food that Buddy snubbed and being a good hostess I also gave it some water to drink. Cat wasn't interested in hydration, guess since it ate wet cat food.
/Roy is so happy that I put up the cushions from the outdoor furniture and assembled the chairs in one spot to be covered with a tarp. I also put more lights out around the deck and did so successfully without falling amongst the wheat straw. I disassembled boxes and got them ready for recycling.
Since I took off the one sabbatical Sunday, I was very ready to get to church. Red Box loaded and ready to be delivered, LSU t-shirts for friends (I doubted if they would even want them after Saturday) and of course my Bible and quarterly. So happy to walk in with my friend Inez and then enter into the warmth of our Sunday School class. Warmth on many levels...friendship and love warmth and we also are in the hottest room of the whole church for our class. Yes, there in freezing temps we turned on the ceiling fan. Gale had got the class to settle down when Larry came in to advertise the Christmas Luncheon for seasoned adults...I am not going to write Senior Citizen...opps, I just did. Anyway, since peer pressure is always a factor I signed up and then asked Gale to be my dining friend. After church I ran to CVS for a prescription and it dawned on me that I had read DQ had their Christmas Blizzard ready for serving...since October 26th. Oh my, the peppermint and Oreo blizzard so welcomed , so delicious. Then I came home and had salad for lunch. It was the right thing to do...Then back to church for an afternoon Christmas music rehearsal.
Usually the drive home from choir practice is in the dark now that we are off of DST but it was dusk and the beauty that greeted me that morning was now in new light of subdued tones of evening. Life settling in and ready for Monday. Children getting in that last bit of play before going in. The cows not huddled but moving closer preparing for the coming night. Once again my heart overflowing with thankfulness that we have a home here in the beauty of the mountains, that I got to experience my first real autumn, thankful for a hubby who has made all this happen, and for friends here and there, friends I've known for years and for friends who feel like I have known them for years....for all of this my heart and life exclaims...thanks be to our God.
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