On my way to the barn, I was greeted by a late nasturtium bloom. I turned the horses out, fed the cats, and on my way back to the house, I was transfixed by the most beautiful birdsong! A mockingbird with a huge repertoire was perched in the pine tree by the mud room door singing its heart out with endless variety. I feel very fortunate to live here, on this most incrededible planet. Roscoe agrees with me.
Life is good
Harry went into St. Louis, to Vlad’s studio in Soulard, to position the four storyteller sculptures for Nacogdoches, Texas. Three have their patina, one is still raw bronze, but they are most impressive. I am always amazed by how much better the sculptures look when they transition from clay to metal. Harry took pictures.
Four Storytellers 
Vlad joins the storytellers
Here, Rebecca came to help today. We did some barn work, and then she helped me move rock. I hope she is not as tired and sore as I am! Being younger, I expect she found it easy. She would not let me take a picture today, but she was smiling through all the hard work. These pictures do not do justice to the scope of this project, which is ongoing, but great progress was made today. Erosion control.
On our way to the house, just before Rebecca left, we saw a wood peewee, and I had my camera with me. I just love these little birds! This one sat on the fence, and dove for insects. We watched it eat a couple of bugs. It was a privilege to watch, and we were pleased that the bird didn’t mind our presence nearby.
After Rebecca left, Harry was home, and I took a few pictures around the place.
Crown of Thorns 
Prairie Fire crab apples 
Bart 
Bart’s younger brother, Oisin 
Goldfish – well, actually a koi
One of the great joys of living with animals, is the pleasure of seeing their interactions with each other. I understand quite a lot of horse behavior, and now that we have a herd of cats, I am enjoying learning more about their relationships. I find them much more enigmatic than horses. It is so interesting that Twizzler, who is 11 years old, has become close to Tom Morris, who just arrived last year. And Licorice, litter sister of Twizzler, has been solitary for most of her life, living out in the woods, but is now inseparable from newcomer, Marmalade. Maybe their mother or father was an orange cat, who knows?
Five of the eight cats
Twizzler & Skittle, Rosie & Roscoe & Tom Morris
Best friends, Twizzler and Tom Morris
Much as I would like to study cat behavior from time to time, I cannot resist treating Roscoe as a stuffed toy sometimes. Our friend, Susan, in New York, sent Roscoe a set of bat wings for Halloween. He loves them (I might be projecting).
Finally, from Nancy out in Montana – snow in the high country… it’s coming.
Stay safe, stay well.
We delight in learning about those feline friendships! There have been several feral yellow cats in the neighborhood so it’s quite likely that one of them fathered the Crouchers.
Yes, I’m feeling a bit sore and last night changed my ambition plans. Always good to see you and Harry and your menagerie. Glad to help out and that way I got to see the peewee first-hand. Your photos of it are excellent! The transformation of the sculptures is remarkable. I hope Rainy likes snow.