Sunday, December 9, 2012

December Rain

We've had mild days of mingled mist and sunshine, some gentle showers at night.
Last evening a serious rain began and continued to come down all through the dark hours.
This was the view from the front porch this morning.
After a draught summer and an autumn that brought no moisture, these showers are most welcome in spite of the gloomy dark days which are part of the package.


The boy cats had already been outside, stomping through wet leaves, then back inside when I went out to the porch with my camera.
Aren't they a rogue's gallery?
The three year old rosemarys are still on the porch, flourishing in the mild damp air.
The one in the center--a prostrate form--has been in bloom for several months.

As I came in the front door, J. was peering out the slider in the dining room.
These turkeys are just where they always appear--crossing the back field, headed for the woods.

The zoom on my camera is inadequate to show them clearly.
No matter how quietly I cross the dooryard hoping for a better photo, they hear me and rush, gabbling, toward the trees.
J. counted 17 in this flock.

Little Edward and Nellie investigate a dooryard puddle.

Edward takes a sip from a deeper puddle near the red truck.

Cats are classically supposed to destest water.  Not so, Little Edward.
Eddie 'helps' with any task I do at the sink.
He inserts himself into folds of the shower curtain, prowls along the edge of the bathtub, often popping his head round the curtain at the foot of the tub while water steams about the bather.
As soon as the water faucet is turned off, he hops in and pokes at the drops disappearing down the drain.

"Come in , Nellie--the water is--well--a mite chilly!"

Thankfully the rains have brought up a green mist of wheat planted several weeks ago as a cover crop on the corn ground.
My treks around the muddy dooryard this morning brought to my attention the unwelcome fact that my rose-colored wellies have sprung leaks.
This is the second new pair of rubber boots in five years--not a good track record.
Rather than invest in yet another pair in that price range, I'm going online to search for some authentic green wellies--a necessity of life in the country.
At 3 P.M. the murky light of the day is already slipping away.
I've done some 'house-cleaning' on my PC in hopes that photos will load more quickly.
[This has been a real roadblock to blogging in recent weeks.]
A beef roast in the crockpot is filling the house with savory smells.
Time to kindle a fire downstairs and have a look at various projects in waiting.
Little Edward shows a definite interest in learning to hand quilt!

A pale glimmer that suggests the sun is headed for an early evening, though the official time for sundown is an hour away.


11 comments:

  1. Those cats are so amusing. Love that they 'hang out' all the time. We are in for a big storm tonight, 5cm at least of snow and then freezing rain. Ugh! Our house, too, smells of roast and veggies. The cats go from circling us in the kitchen to plopping themselves back down at the wood-stove. Oh, it's a lucky cat's life, alright.

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    1. Deb; We seem to collect cats that are very involved in whatever we are doing. The 'boys' are bundles of nosiness. Our cats are well fed, but the kitchen attracts them at mealtime--our mealtime, that is!

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  2. Do they cover the house in muddy paw prints?

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    1. Oh, Em; Pawprints to spare! Saying 'Get down!' to a cat prowling the countertop is useless. They are impervious to threats.
      A favorite place for drying sopping paws is my lap--land heavily on me, tread round and round, purr loudly. When feet are dry, off we go.

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  3. I think it's so funny that Edward likes water and lurks around the bathtub. "Rogue's Gallery" is a good description of them in a line.
    Lillian
    lillianscupboard.wordpress.com

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    1. Lillian; We've had a number of cats over the years who found water in some form mildly attractive. These kittens have an affinity for wet that is almost dog-like.
      Glad to see you back in blog circulation!

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  4. We could use some of your rain down here, we've had loads of fog this year, but very little rain. Our temperatures have been in the 70's. Love your cat pix, wish I had more than one.

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    1. Janet; Still raining here, but the weather has chilled after a midnight thunderstorm
      Best not wish for multiple cats--it has a way of happening!

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  5. I know that cats with some Maine Coon Cat in them love water. Ours will drink only from a dripping tap in the tub.
    Raining here too, until it gets colder.

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    1. Nan; Our daughter has a huge cat whom we beleive to be mostly Maine Coon Cat. He moved with them from Vermont, so proximity at least favors that breed.
      We've had cats with water quirks over the years--one or two who would only dip a paw in water dish and lick off the moisture, others who liked dripping taps--these all had Siamese in their immediate heritage.

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  6. Love the picture of them all looking out of the door, they all look so sad,
    Thankyou for your comment on my quilt, I know its rather colourful but that's how I like them, more colourful the better,.
    I now intend to make another for my Grandson in Scotland who is 21 in March.
    Not sure what they think at the moment of a quilt but like to think they will remember me in later years when they look at them.
    Hope you and your family enjoy a lovely Holiday.
    Briony
    x

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