June 25th - July 2nd: The Week We Had A Party On Our Patio

And we weren't even invited...

Hello dear friends! We’ve had yet another hot and humid week here in Central Texas. While it would be easy to complain about the hot, sticky conditions, we really should be counting our blessings that to date we have only had one day where the temperature has reached triple digits. As any Texan will tell you… Texas is still pre-heating, and soon enough triple-digit temperatures will be the norm, not the exception, sadly. I do still try to spend as much time outdoors as I possibly can, but by early to mid-afternoon I must admit defeat and retreat indoors where, thanks to the miracle known as air-conditioning, the temperature is much more pleasant to exist in. That means that many of the moments that made the day a little better this week were glimpsed through the windows that look out onto our patio, and that is how I came to know about the party being thrown on our patio to which we were not even invited!

If you have read some of my previous posts, I am certain you will remember Ratchet Tail the Rude and Ms. Manners, the two precocious squirrels who come daily to explore our patio (much to the chagrin of our dog Pogo who considers them to be his arch-enemies). It would seem, however, they may have become a bit too comfortable in their daily exploring of our patio…they have taken it upon themselves to throw a party and invite a friend over to enjoy the tasty morsels and cool water I so generously provide, and on a Sunday no less! I feel strongly that this was the doing of Ratchet Tail the Rude as Ms. Manners most certainly would have asked permission before doing such a thing! Luckily for our little party animals, Pogo was in the bedroom partaking of a mid-afternoon nap with my husband, and therefore not in the window barking out his contempt for them and ruining their fun. I, however, had been snuggled on the couch with Piglet, and was lucky enough to slip unnoticed from the couch to a spot right next to the window where I could observe their amusing antics. I’m not sure just how long I sat in the floor observing those silly little creatures, but I do know I don’t regret a single moment spent sitting as motionless as I possibly could so as not to frighten them and ruin the fun. My reward for this was to observe such antics as one of them enjoying a frenzied dirt bath in the pot of one of my plumeria trees, resulting in quite a mess on the patio around the base of the pot, another enjoying a long cool drink of water from the bird bath, only to then execute the most perfect sploot I have ever been witness to in a patch of shade under one of the Adirondack chairs, and the third of these energetic creatures feasting on the yummy peanuts and sunflower seeds provided in their feeder while also repeatedly glancing furtively in the window to make sure the coast remained clear, and their party would not be interrupted. It would seem I was not alone in being intrigued by their antics. Our dog, Piglet, seemed to be equally intrigued and curious to see what these furry little creatures running around on her patio might be. I must admit, I was extremely surprised and impressed with the way Piglet simply crept slowly and, most importantly, silently, up to the window, standing almost motionless in order to observe them. It’s as if she understood they meant no harm, no matter what Pogo might think, and simply nudged closer to the window as if to say, “Hello, little friends. I hope you are having a wonderful time!”. I truly believe animals are much smarter and more intuitive than we give them credit for being.

While it may seem that rising temperatures have kept me inside for a good part of the week, I assure you I did venture outside quite a bit and, despite the heat and humidity, happily had many little moments that made the day better. Such moments as being serenaded by a small herd of cattle as I walked their fence line (though in reality it may have been less of a serenade and more of a request for food as they apparently equate the presence of humans with it being feeding time), and catching a glimpse of one with the shape of a heart on its forehead, to spotting a small patch of thistle in a field, a plant with both a delicately beautiful flower and potentially painful burrs, and even accidentally creating art (think Jackson Pollock) as I splashed stain on the driveway after rather gracelessly tripping while holding the can in my hand. There have been many moments that have made me laugh this week, even at myself for being so clumsy, and I hope you, my dear friends, have also had many occasions to laugh this week, maybe even at yourself as well, because if we can’t laugh at ourselves, what can we laugh at really?

Blessings,

Candi 💕

Photo credit: Myself