’Detta May

My sweet kitty is dying.

We adopted Dettie in 1995, after the gruesome death of the beautiful black cat we called "Birdie." After Birdie died, following a failed leg amputation, the vet assistant cheerfully told us about a cat she had rescued from the wild. She had been trying to capture her all winter but only succeeded come spring. When it came time to have her spayed, she sadly realized why the wild one was eager to find a warm home.

Well, since 1995, Odetta, named for that awesome folk singer, has remained wild.

When she came home with us, she was full of knotted long hair. I wrangled her to comb it out. Her anger calmed a bit after she realized I was the stronger.

But she has always continued to be a defiant, sometimes angry, sometimes loving, soul. She was my hero several years ago when she deliberately killed an entire litter of rats. Every night for a week she deposited one on the back door. I praised her effusively. She was the proudest cat ever.

She loved to sit on my lap, but if I looked at her wrong, or moved my leg in a way that seemed inconvenient to her, she would strike out in hissing anger.

You just learned to love Odetta.

In her later years, she developed a raging hunger. She would howl in the most astonishing way until she got the food she wanted. Freshly cooked salmon or chicken were sure to satisfy. Canned tuna would do in a pinch. Fancy Feast (God love them) has sustained us through many a crisis.

Now we bid goodbye to this dear, fierce soul. But she isn't going without a fight. We took her in to the vet on Saturday. She got three injections, but none of them could revive her failing organs.

I continue to clean her up after her accidents. But I love that she seems to be peacefully enjoying her last days on the sun porch. The sun streams in all day. The birds sing. The cicadas and crickets join in a chorus together. I believe she is enjoying them.

My Garden Photo of the Day 8/19/10 Praying Mantis

Went out to put a letter in the mailbox and noticed Ms. Praying Mantis munching on her cicada lunch. She took an annoyed moment to have her photo taken. Made my day!

Click photo for a larger version. :-}

Mama Told Me

Days Like This

Summer is waning!

The heat-filled, oppressive days are giving way to cooler hours.

But even if things are getting better, I remember Mama's message: when you think things are going well there will be "days like this."

That is so true, but we also have the hope of butterflies fluttering among the garden flowers; goldfinches munching on the zinnia seeds; hummingbirds hovering around the coreopsis.

Still, pain hovers over the weeds and promises to pounce.

This just noted

My Rubbermaid "Revelations" 12 qt storage container (which I've used most recently to soak my tired cracked feet) is a "Limited Edition."

Huh?

New dog

Banjo has been a lonely depressed soul since the loss of Carlos and Lucy last year. We had a good spring alone and it was fun to see his personality without the influence of the older dogs, but I knew he needed a friend. I also knew that I couldn't handle a puppy right now as I'm limited to lifting 15 pounds and strenuous activity leaves my neck in extreme pain. We found a great Lab rescue organization down by Springfield called Canine Solutions.

They introduced us to a wonderful 18-month old black Lab named Meisha. She and Banjo hit it off right at first. They haven't been overly affectionate or playful but have gotten along great. Today, day 12, they started playing. They were in the pool and enjoyed racing each other. When I got them out, they ran circles around the yard, Meisha did the play bow, and Banjo jumped on her playfully. So good to see them happy and enjoying each other's company. She is missing her brother, from whom she was recently separated, and Banjo misses his friend Lucy.

Meisha loves our back yard pool. She doesn't bother with steps, but flings herself into the water to capture her coveted ball.

tired of all the nonsense

Recently the GOP and T-Party have been screaming about Obama's "job-killing agenda."

"Govament needs to stand back and let the private sector create jobs!"

"Govament is just standing in the way with senseless regulations, taxes, and commi agendas."

Oh, but when Goldman Sachs and BP totally F*** things up and try to ruin our nation, what are these babies crying? Why isn't Obama doing something? He needs to ride in on a big white stallion and create jobs that Wall Street took away. He needs to deal with Goldman Sachs. He needs to clean up the Gulf because obviously BP doesn't have a God-Loving Clue!

What do you want, hypocrites, government or not?

My Garden Photo of the Day 5/23/10 Wild Ginger

This year I'm trying to be a frugal gardener. I have been establishing plants in different areas of my yard, and the last several years this has meant going to area nurseries and buying perennials and some annuals just for fun.

I've been disappointed when some of the perennials didn't come back the next year. The past two winters have brought extreme cold temps (-20) so only native or the hardiest plants survived. I've decided to focus on plants that are native to Illinois or ones proven to survive here - such as peonies, hostas, etc.

This season I'm going to focus my energy on cultivating existing plants for transplant to other areas of the yard. One plant that I love and that has enjoyed great success here is one native to Illinois—Asarum canadense reflexum or Wild Ginger.

My specimens came from my sister's yard in Kentucky, but they are quite at home in Illinois, where Wild Ginger grows naturally in nearly every county. From an original two or three plants five years ago, a large patch has flourished underneath a tree in the back yard. They have lovely leaves, especially stunning when a nice colony has developed. To find the tiny flower, however, you have to lift up the leaves and look on the ground. (You can just see it in my photo.) The plant gets its name from its fragrance, which is similar to ginger. 

I dug up and transplanted five plants last week and, thanks to some good rain, they are thriving. I'm looking forward to a nice colony under our maple tree beside the patio in a few years. I also dug up (from down the bluff behind our house) some bluebells roots and planted them next to the ginger for a nice woodland effect in early spring.