Friday, November 5, 2010

This Old House





- I think they want to buy your house,
says Susan, the real-estate lady.

Of course they do!






Is there a better house
on the planet
to raise a family?





The dining room
may look sedate now...





...but it was the site
of many a
furious Monopoly match!






Yes, it's a luxury bathtub...






...but it's best use
is when shared.








The large kitchen
is perfect
for decorating Christmas cookies.





And that kitchen window?






Food scraps
thrown out that window
never hit the ground.






The backyard?




It cries out
for a sandbox...







...and swingset






...and kids!






The basketball hoop
is lonely...







...as is Marshall.

(but she doesn't come with the house.)





I warn you -
this front door
opens to all
the neighborhood kids...

...even when they forget to knock.






...and the steps
are a favorite place
for dog games.






I wouldn't be telling the truth
if I told you water balloons
had never been thrown
from my bedroom window....







...or that this roof
had never been climbed.






But what I can tell you...




...is that this house
has been well-loved...












...and it's ready
for a new family.




Thursday, November 4, 2010

Frost






Frost edges
the oak leaves.






The sun rises in chilled air.

Maybe November
is silver.





Kitty settles on the register
to soak in the warmth of home.

It's a good day to stay home...



...and read my favorite poet.

Coincidence
his name is Frost?











I remember Frost's Mending Wall
I biked by in New Hampshire
just two short months ago...



...as the long bike ride neared the end

and I so hungered for home.













I read my Frost...

"Not yesterday I learned to know
The love of bare November days..."







Ah, Robert,
my love of November
is warm kitties in the sun.










Birds fill the feeders
fluttering for food
to warm their cold bellies.















It's a good night
for candles...

...our first night of candles
at Brixton

Small flames for warmth and light...


And we watch the sun set now
over the branches of home.


Monday, November 1, 2010

Tom's Cats

-       






     Write a blog about Dusty’s ears, 
      Tom says.


-What?! I ask.







Tom goes on...

- His ears are so interesting.




Dusty can move
his ears independently.
















When he’s hunting,
both ears go forward.






When he’s mad,
the ears go back.





And when I call him
he turns one ear towards me.









Yes, Tom, but what is really interesting
is how crazy you are
about this silly cat.



Tom had never had a cat
when he met me.

I had my Merlin cat...










..a Humane Society kitty
that looked like a Maine Coon cat.








KC insists that Tom just married me
so he could live with Merlin.


Tom adored Merlin
and Merlin loved Tom.




Every night Tom would watch television
with Merlin asleep on his lap.




At age 16 Merlin was hit by a car
and killed.

Tom was devastated.

A week later I tentatively
raised the idea of getting a new cat.


To my surprise Tom said - I had been thinking the same thing.

We should get a Maine Coon kitten.









...and I had already found one in Indy.





We got our new 
Maine Coon kitty, 
Dusty, the next day.





Tom now loves his Dusty

and watches his ears









...and feeds him all the time.







And Dusty is kind enough
to let him.


November...








November is brown.





...and gray









...and dark.













It's a good time
to gather round
a warm fire...





...for s'mores.






I can expect some
bad weather biking...

Cold...






Rain...




Wind...



But I'll bike
all the same.


I will be biking less, that's for sure.

So this is my learning season.

Every year I use the winter to gain a new skill.







One year
it was French.

Oo-la-la!




Last year, I read about the lands
I would see
biking across America.



This year, photography.

That big bike ride
got me way excited
about taking pictures.



I've been browsing photo books.

And I used my birthday money
for a new camera.



Oh, don't worry.

I'll still bike with the old G11
around my neck.






No, the new camera is for
my more sedate days...





watching kitties...




walking dogs...

(or running dogs
as the case may be)






enjoying the birds...







..and, of course,

sharing my new photos
on my blog.