Saturday Slightly Brighter

We could see the moon.

Now we can almost see the mountains.  

It's obvious the sun will be shining today.

My hands were wet with dew after opening the gate to Lefty's pasture. 

We can still see smoke, but happily, it's not as thick this morning as it's been for the past week.

Nice to see the improvement cuz the outdoor air improvement certainly enhances the moods.

After all, when the soccer tournament, which brings in droves of players and lots of dollars to the community is cancelled, the Friday night lights at the new football stadium stay dark in favor of a postponed home opener rescheduled for this afternoon AND the Last Horse Show of the Season, once cancelled, then revived, is now postponed for a couple of weeks---a lot of folks have had to find other ways to entertain themselves.

A nuisance, yes, but everyone knows that our smoky air and inconveniences are pretty minimal compared to what others are enduring, thanks to Mother Nature and regional disasters.  

It's been downright heart-wrenching over the past couple of weeks to see comments on Facebook posted by people associated with the hurricanes.  

So, if the sun does shine today and the smoke does clear, we'll be grateful and most likely doing our best to make use of improved outdoor conditions. 

In the meantime, I must explain the yucky photo that leads off this morning's post.  

Really, it's not as disgusting as it looks.  Those are just the innards and leftovers of pilfered plums on the purple plum tree.  

I started noticing the ever-increasing bits and pieces at a makeshift cement buffet table next to the kennel a couple of days ago. 

Yesterday, Bill and I watched one small segment of a process that goes on throughout most of the morning before the dogs are allowed outside.

The pine squirrel brigade wastes no time, except for a few pauses on the garden fence scampering from a big spruce tree in the west lawn to the ground, up the garden fence, across the garden via the top or bottom board, back to the ground up the purple plum tree toward the branches I could not reach with my ladder, to a hanging soon-to-be-snatched plum, across the branches, down the tree, to the lawn, back to the spruce tree for adequate storage or eating time.  

I'm guessing that when they're really hungry and the dogs are not outside, they stop off at the kennel picnic station and enjoy their purple treats.

It's quite a morning drama, to say the least, and when they have a bird accompanying them, occasionally pecking at them as they repeat this cycle, it's even more entertaining.

And so, the wonders of nature do come in many forms----some horrific, some downright adorable.  It will be nice when we all get back to a time when "adorable" once again supersedes "horrific."  

Happy Saturday. Hoping to enjoy some fresher air today and maybe even see some actual mountains, not just the outlines. 

Also, this morning I'm thinking "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah" while rejoicing for a longtime, dear friend and former student who was married yesterday.  

Pretty neat! Congratulations, much love and many blessings in this new chapter of your life.