Yes, I was supposed to write my goals earlier. Weird things have happened. A few days ago I found I have a praying mantis on my hummingbird feeder. I now feed her every few days. She’s changed from green to brown.

The day after my blog, as I got ready for bed I found a snake in my hall. Note at this time I was in a blood donor XL tee to sleep. It was a garter snake but still startled me. As I pushed him into a plastic container, I notice a gecko run away, into my office.

What in the world??

I am too tired to question beyond that. So I capture the gecko who was little bigger than a penny and a snake that was probably 8 inches long. I take pictures of the strange twosome. (Yes, I am a nerd.) Then I pull on shorts and take them out front, dropping one here and one there, in case the snake was trying to eat the gecko.

Then on Saturday, I ran an errand. Ran to the store to get grapes to break up to feed a Cardinal who eats from my fingertips, to toss at a squirrel, and for myself. Laughing to myself, I drive home, amused by the sudden friendliness of wild animals. It’s not like I have moved, same house for 14 years. As I pull into the drive, Butch Boy and Luna bark at me. Then race to the back of the house when I get out of the car. Then as I start taking my bag (note I BRING MY BAGS TO THE STORE) in the house my shrub says “Mew.”

Mew?

That’s new. (A poet and didn’t know it.) My hedge normally doesn’t talk. But it mews again. I get down on my knees. There beneath the shrub is a little bitty frightened kitten. I already have two cats, two dogs, and one of each is a stray. I give it some food and milk outside, hoping it will disappear. My mom has given me a heart for animals, so I am also hoping it will stay.

A week tomorrow, and the kitten is still here. I offered her to my neighbors, they said we could share. The shelter has 17 kittens; plus cats, so that’s not an option. Big heart, small budget… big heart will win. It’s inevitable.

It is a lot of fun, to roll this fuzzy ball over and get her tummy, or listen to her purr.  I am feeling more at peace, and it seems animals are very much at peace with me now.   Maybe soon, I will be at peace about some problems, and they will fade away…