The morning is damp and cold. The house was only 64˚ when we all woke up, the dogs and I. The sun is supposed to appear later, but it will stay in the low 60's. I have two errands, the dump and the store for cat food. I found a taste Jack likes. He empties his bowl. Unlike dogs, cats are picky. My dogs will eat anything. Each morning they get a biscuit and some banana. I just get the banana.
The air is sweet. When I walk outside, I can smell the flowers. My lilac tree is in bloom. Dark purple flowers are spread across the top. In the front garden, the white ground cover flowers have spread and bloomed. Here and there are a few pink flowers. My day lilies are tall. They border my lawn and the wild spot between my house and the next. Most of them are orange but a few yellow are intermingled. The forsythia tree has yellow buds. It is the oldest growing thing in my garden. The tree was a housewarming gift in 1977. I almost lost it one year, but it is full now. Lilies of the valley are all over the yard. They came from my mother's house. I think of her every spring when the lilies bloom. I think it a joy to be remembered in flowers.
Every morning the dogs sense the change in my breathing and know I'm awake. They start whacking me so I have no choice but to get up. That seems to happen around 8:30 every day. I have become a creature of habit.
Last night I was patting Nala and found a tick on the inside of her floppy ear. It was tiny and hadn't yet impeded. I flushed it. Now I'm paranoid about ticks. I checked Nala and found no more. I checked as much of Henry as he let me. He too was clean. Every day now they'll be checked.
I sit with Jack every night, usually close to an hour. He gets treats, clean water, fresh wet food and more dry food. I clean his litter box. Jack sits behind me while I either pat or comb him. He is a huge, fluffy boy. I always find clumps. He purrs the entire time I clear the clumps. Every morning I go in and give Jack some treats and pat him and scratch his back. He always watches and waits for me. The dogs impatiently stand waiting outside the cat room gate. They want out.
The house is dark. Everything is quiet. The rain has stopped, and the wind is gone. Even the dogs have settled. I am content.
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