Quite a dramatic drop in temperatures this morning! The orange stray cat went to get tested, fixed and vaccinated. To my relief, he was negative for disease, so we did not have to kill him. He is home now, and I will attempt to convince him of my good intentions for a couple of days before turning him loose again. At this point, he sees me as evil. He is not at all tame. But he does have a name, thanks to Nancy Stevens in Montana. He is Marmalade.
Fancy recovery apartment 
Marmalade (our 8th cat)
Tom Morris, who went through the same thing eleven months ago, was mildly interested. He, too, was pretty wild then, and is now a pet.
The water trough needed cleaning, and Mr. and Mrs. Toad are still living underneath and are quite happy. I was very careful not to squash them.
It was so cool, I wore a jacket when we rode! It was also very windy, and Oisin was quite spooky, but fun. No pictures today.
I did take some pictures in the garden with my cell phone.
Daylilies 
Echinacea (native) 
Daisy with a photobombing fly 
Veronica (Speedwell)
And finally, a friend in the CWE sent a picture of Harry’s Tennessee Williams bust on Poets’ Corner. He is staying safe (and may have to quit smoking)!
Stay safe, stay well, and don’t smoke.
Marmalade is a very good name. My Magic Marmalade McClaren is still living at the WWU Annex I’m told. First Laura’s Marmalade died. Then I spotted his ghost watching me ride out to the field on several occasions. Then I trapped him and named him—it took a week, he kept eating the food without tripping the trap. In fact, he was often there waiting fo me to refill the food! Then he went to the vet so they could do what they do. Then they called me to pick him up while he was still asleep—before he could hurt somebody. He was kind of pissed off at the time I dropped him off…. Then he woke up and spent his first three hours with Laura in the viewing lounge: hour one he was in the crate and Laura was on the floor beside it, talking to him; hour two he was on top of the cabinets over the sink and Laura was sitting at a table talking to him; hour three saw Laura standing up on the countertop talking to him and finally cradling him in her arms while he was hunkered down on top of the cabinets over the sink. He was a domestic cat after that. Have you read Vicki Hearne’s Animal Happiness? It’s kind of fun. Well done you! I hope your Marmalade lives a long and happy life.
Oh, Linda! I am so happy that this unfortunate cat has the good luck to share such an auspicious name. I love that story about Laura – I may have to call her in for some therapy work. I did touch this Marmalade through the bars of the crate, but he is still pretty freaked out and not ready to eat yet. I am hoping to ply him with food when he gets hungry enough, since I am not a cat whisperer. Or patient enough to spend three hours trying to become one.
I will definitely try Animal Happiness (eventually). I am the world’s slowest reader and my pile “to read ASAP” is getting high.
Love the Marmalade stories! What lucky cats! And, Anne, your endless flowers! I so envy you knowledgable gardeners. Nothing like putting on a jacket to ride in the cool windly air in mid June. Heaven! Just to make you swoon some more, it’s 62 this AM in KY. lol
This has been a strange year, but we have had some unusually delightful weather to keep us happy, eh? 62 here, too, but rising to a forecast 82. No wind, though!