Sophie was the most wonderful dog in the world. Her bones lie in the ground under a Fairy Candle (Black Cohosh) brought to me from the higher mountains by a wanted criminal who I thought was a friend. When we buried Sophie, Leroy was three or four years old. For the next year he would ask me, "Gramma, can we dig up Sophie's bones and she'll be alive again?" I don't remember his exact words, but in his magical thinking and lack of experience with death, this is what he thought. Later, he stopped asking. I guess he learned that she was really dead. He didn't watch her die, but he helped bury her. Also buried in my back yard are Charlie, my grey Siamese-tabby mix, and Sarah, who was killed by the criminal's dog, though by my own fault. That dog is buried in Lee's back yard, along with Blizzard, the little Eskimo Spitz. I am told that a former resident's St. Bernard is also buried in my yard. Butter, my wonderful black and white cat, is not buried here, because after he was hit by a car and ran into the Fortney's bushes I never found his body. His daughter, who looks just like him but with golden ginger ale eyes, is alive and well. Another time I'll talk about Butter, the hiking cat.

Estivate, all!!!

It's summer, folks. I don't care what the official people say, the Equinox is notable, but in these latutudes --- it's summer/ Last week i was camping at Hunting Islnd, SC. in the sub-tropical zone. Eaarlly summer" tentative mosquities, shrill frogs,mosquitoes under control ... but then I used ton of bug stuff!!

Happy Birthday, Louise Erdrich

The Urban Almanac tells me that it's the birthday of Louise Erdrich and Paul Gaugin. I hope that she is luckier than he. We shall see what comes of this blog-foray! Over and out.