Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Be At Peace, All Y'all

It's been a day.
A long one, a good one, and also one with some sadness for me.
Right now Elvis is in the hen house and calling to the hens to COME AND GET ON THE ROOST, DAMMIT! RIGHT NOW! and they are all fussing at each other and I just went out to check on what the hell was going on but nothing, just some bitchy hens, I guess. I also discovered six eggs in a nest I hadn't seen when I went to check eggs earlier, one of them a lovely, pastel blue one from Ozzie who hasn't laid in months and months. I feel as if I have been gifted.

When I got myself and Ashley together this morning to drive to town I realized that I had not been anywhere beyond Lloyd since last Wednesday night which is a little weird but also wonderful. I went and picked up Lily and Gibson and we took the kitty to the clinic. We had a long wait but she was very, very good.



Amazingly so. This is just absolutely not the same animal I found under the house two weeks ago. 
But we filled out the paper work and they took her back and we went off to Target. 
I bought stuff!
Some shirts which are pretty much just like all my other shirts and I found my slippers! They are JUST like the ones I love but which are mostly worn out and I am so happy. I should have bought an extra pair which would probably have covered me for the rest of my life. This is something I was talking about to my ex the other day. How we've reached an age where a twenty-year guarantee is absolutely perfect and probably more than we need. Where we have enough of some stuff to get us through the rest of our lives. I mean- I have lots of clothes I love which are twenty years old. Okay, so maybe they don't fit me, but I still have them. Still love them. They're still in good condition. 
See? There are benefits to aging. 

Anyway, Jessie met us at Target and then we went and picked up Owen at school and then we went to Japanica! Mean Aunt Jessie had never been to Japanica! and we were so happy to share the experience of Japanica! with her. 
Here's Gibson, eating his beans. 


That kid does love an edamame. 

Owen ate two bowls of miso soup and a salad AND some sushi AND some teriyaki chicken wings. This child has the strangest tastes of any child I ever met and I have met a few children in my life. Gibson ate soup and salad and sushi and rice but he eats everything. 
Jessie and I got the green curry Bento Box which is what I always get and it is perfect. Tofu and spices and vegetables and oh, I wish I had another one right now. And Lily ate sushi. 
We were all so happy. 

Then we went to Big Lots which is right next door to Japanica! and while we were there Lily got a call from the clinic telling us that the kitten was ready to be picked up. But guess what? Ashley is a boy! I'm embarrassed. So now his name is Rusty and we went and picked him up and took him to his new house and here's what he and Owen look like. 


I think that Rusty is going to settle in quite well. He is healthy although one of his testicles has not descended (TMI?) and of course he has every sort of internal parasite and fleas. But Mommy Lily will give him his medicine and he will be fine. 
Here's another picture I just stole off the Facebook.


After I kissed everyone (including Rusty) good-bye, I left and went and got chicken scratch at the feed store and then gas at the Costco and then went to the library and while I was waiting in line I looked at my phone and discovered that Bobby Keys is dead and that sort of hit me hard. 
Bobby Keys? 
He's the guy who has played such great, great sax with the Stones (and many, many others including Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, B.B. King and oh yeah- Buddy Holly) since the 60's. A guy from Texas and after he and Keith became friends they discovered that they had been born literally hours apart and were best mates forever. He did not join the Stones on their last tour, the press release saying something like, "He is under the weather," and I was worried then. Turns out he was dying of cirrhosis and now he's gone. 
Keith described him thus: "A soul of rock and roll, a solid man, also a depraved maniac."



Fuck. But his hot licks and his legend will live forever. And I think he himself would say he'd had a very, very good life.

So. A day, as I said. 
Elvis has the hens up in the roost and they have gone quietly into their night's sleep. 
Maurice is the only cat here again except for Luna the outdoor cat who whines and moans and says, "Ow, ow, ow," as she walks and who is probably sixteen years old, at least. 
I've tidied up the bathroom where Rusty (this is strange, isn't it? Rusty?) was sleeping and have all the nest towels in the washer and Mr. Moon will be home soon and I'll heat us up some soup. 
It still smells of creosote here and I have a feeling that's just the way it's going to be for quite some time. 

But other than that, I got no complaints. 
A little sadness at the passing of another one of my guys who played the music that saved (still does) my life. 
But gratefulness, too, you know. 
A whole heart full of it. 




15 comments:

  1. you mean you tamed that kitten and you never looked to see what sex? I meant to tell you, when I was doing the river guide thing I always loved being out in the desert in Big Bend after it rained and the creosote bushes released their fragrance. I loved it. I can see where a pile of heavily creosoted timbers would be a little overwhelming.

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  2. Princess Ashley had certain ring to it.
    Prince Rusty? Nah. Plain old Rusty is good. Or maybe Prince Russell of the Kingdom of Lloyd.

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  3. Ah who thinks to check s cat for balls?! Lol!
    Is Maurice under any threat of parasites?
    Japanica! Sounds amazing!

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  4. Can you even see balls on a cat that age? Rusty looks happy with Lily and the boys. Gail

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  5. Yes, hard as the dickens to sex a 6 wk old unwilling participant kitten! No flaw on your part. I'm amazed at how calm and tame he looks with Owen. That was indeed meant to be. As for the creosote,,,,,, ugh and ack!
    Love and hugs
    Susan

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  6. Ellen Abbott- These are many piles of creosoted railroad ties. It's not unbearable but it's a bit strong.

    Denise- Haha! No, Prince Rusty just doesn't have that ring does it?

    Heartinhand- Yes. I should probably take Maurice in to be checked. I probably won't.

    Gail- Well, they sure weren't visible when I checked.
    And I do think he is in heaven now.

    Susan M- Lily says that Rusty is being calmer than their cat Parker was when they brought him home from the shelter. So, yes. I think he is very happy.

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  7. Well, if the switch to Rusty is too hard, go back to Ashley. It's a perfectly fine man's name. What about Ashley Wilkes, for example?

    Julia

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  8. A lovely post, with a sweet sort of melancholy to it, or maybe I'm just reading that into it. My favorite line: "We were all so happy." I love that you pause to notice this moments, and share them here.

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  9. Also, it tickles me that Maurice is the girl and Ashley is the boy. Now Rusty.

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  10. I thought of you immediately when I heard about the death. I'm sorry. And I'm a little bummed that Ashley is Rusty. But I'd rather Ashley is Rusty than Rusty to be Ashley, if that makes sense. I have a hard time with the name Ashley -- I always think of that insipid Ashley Wilkes from Gone with the Wind. And we all know that Rusty is no Ashley.

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  11. Julia said what I was going to say -- Ashley is a unisex name, isn't it? I wouldn't feel the need to rename him unless you want to. (Granted, Ashley Wilkes WAS insipid, as Elizabeth said, but he doesn't have to be the namesake, necessarily. Although I am hard-pressed to name another famous male Ashley.)

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  12. When I was 5 or 6 years old I wanted to change my name to Ashley. My cousin Jason (rest his soul) started calling me Ass-holey. He was a turd back then. I'm glad Rusty is at home in his new home and doing well.

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  13. Happy that little Rusty has a great home. Cute little kitten.

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