I had cabin fever this morning, so I took a nice long drive along the Sacramento river. It's very high now, what with the release from Folsom Dam to be prepared for all this rain, and there is a ton of debris in the river. But it's beautiful in a gloomy way. Loved my drive. Picked up some mistletoe at the Clarksburg boat launch ramp, from fallen branches. Plenty to share with folks at work. Even with berries on the branches! Lots of cranes and egrets to see, too.
So many homes have gorgeous orange trees, and I really liked seeing the number of places with beautiful persimmons hanging on leafless branches of those trees. And the red of pyracanthra berries!
My yard is SOAKED. The chickens look so bedraggled! Everybody got BOSS before I left for my drive, and oatmeal when I got back. I just toss the former into the yard - trying to miss the wettest and muddiest spots - but I hand-feed the oatmeal to as many as will come to eat from my hands. Plus tossing some to the shyer birds.
I'm sitting here now with Smudge, my Himalayan, laying across my shoulders and down my left arm. Nothing like a purring neck warmer when you're at your PC.
Very late last nigh I apparently did not notice Smudge following me into the bathroom (where he used to have his litter box B.C.) and apparently locked him in there. With the wire-covered brooder containing the 3 latest bantam chick hatchlings, and the UN-covered brooder with the 4 call ducklings. Smudge is a talkative cat, but he kept his mouth shut for a long time. When he started meowing with his "I want something" voice, I couldn't find him. Uh oh, IN the bathroom! When I opened the door, he stalked out in high dudgeon. Call ducklings were perfectly calm. Huh.
I'm lucky Smudge even tries to catch the occasional mouse.
Oh, I have a garden gnome - one of the Travelocity guys!
