No pictures. Sadness, today. One of the old kitties, Charlene, reached the end of her ninth life. She was in renal failure for a long time and only surviving on the daily special ministrations from Wendy. She was worsening the last several days and had vet trips that ended for her this afternoon.

Additionally, Celis, the BLM mare that crossed the country with Wendy and John and all the rest of the animals, has not been doing well at all for several weeks now. Something to do with her digestive system, but not colic. She is much worse as I write and tomorrow may be another day of decision for Wendy.

All here in the household are affected as the animals are woven into the fabric of lives here at Rhapsody Ridge. We need the music right now.

The boys had their signup days this week for their respective schools. Both have come home with good impressions. It'll be school buses, but both schools are near--2 and 5 miles away. Aidan especially likes that the school had enough grass to have "at least four soccer fields". And, he reported one room in the school has a place to make and fire tiles; a fact that he elaborated on having seen and done enough with Phil to appreciate and look forward to having a go at it here. His bowl he made with Phil sits in the one extant dining room glass cabinet.

The delivery of my bed frame is again put off--this time due Saturday afternoon. The fine mattress I enjoy is, of course, on the floor where I am sitting on it right now. I don't really mind except for the getting up part which is a challenge since getting on my bionic knees isn't so hot. So, I roll onto my stomach, put my feet out onto the floor, then, hoist my derrierre up into the air while I push myself up by walking my hands backward. It has worked every time and sometimes I can be for a moment on my knees on the mattress. That, and the stairs are keeping me in shape.

Good things: the best corn I've eaten since we raised our own in the 1950s garden at the old farm house on the hill; include tomatoes, watermelon and cantaloupe on the list, too. Today, I found dressed fresh chickens at one of the roadside farm markets. They are scheduled for Saturday's main meal. Not organic, but weren't fed weird stuff either.

The fair I looked forward to was a bust. Pima County Fair is waaaayyy better. There probably are better ones and we just have to find out about them.

Your know, an awful lot has happened in a very short time, but I was surprised today to find it just is not a big deal. Sort of nice to remember there really are no big deals. Just interesting.

Life.

I am smiling.