One More August Post

One more post for August 2021, and then we begin September. And tell me, please, I am not the only one who is a bit astonished about this. You know, I have a label on this blog for about any subject imaginable, but the missing label is for all the posts and mentions of me being astonished, shocked, surprised, kerfuffled about the passage of time. I am predictable, and easily flummoxed over simple, forseeable things.

But! Could you have foreseen this? This picture of a goat, with a long mop of hipster hair? I don't think so. I came across this dude, who looks about to grab his long board and survey the surf, at a nursery. What a character. If this goat came around to ask Grace Hopper on a date, I would have to send them out with a chaperone. Bruh.

Back at home, our own goats are at last really settled into being a herd. There are changes since we introduced baby Grace to Ada and Tasha. For one thing, Ada is no longer the talker, the one shouting PSAs from the run. Grace Hopper is the talker, and she still has a plaintive, high baby voice. Her cries are a direct tug on anyone's heart. I guess Ada doesn't need to say much any more, since Grace is so capable of bleating away! Tasha is the top goat, but Grace is the tall goat... her long legs suggest she may have some growth in her yet. The best of all is bringing them out of the run and into the whole yard. Grace has raised the energy, and Ada and Tasha have become more playful again. It's a hilarious, spirited scene when the three ladies come bounding out, springing and ambling about. And of course, as long as I have a bag of Trader Joe's Veggie Flaxseed Chips on hand, I can herd them back home in a snap! I am a goatherd, but instead of a crook, I rely on the crinkle of a chip bag to lead them around.

It's just Feynman, being a cat. I was sitting here, staring at the screen, trying to think of an excuse, some compelling anecdote or reason for posting these two pictures. It's nothing. I mean... he's so cute, and sweet, and handsome. Why wouldn't I share his pictures? Should I mention the humid days? How languid and assuming the cats have been? Does anyone need to hear, once more, about cats on the dining table, cats begging treats? I think not. The cats are being their perfect selves, and pay no heed to the weather, or whether we want them sleeping on our feet. So, really, I have no point to make, whatsoever.

A conspiracy of cats, on a humid August afternoon.

That same humid afternoon, we were treated to an absolutely riveting and thunderous storm! It genuinely rained. A long, sustained rain, with lightning, thunder, petrichor. Cats, and humans, all were up on the covered balcony, watching the sky and enjoying the show. The cats under the bed, because thunder and lightning are too rare, and they didn't know what to make of it. We loved it. And when the wildest bits of it blew through, Geoff and I went for a walk. The wind kept up, and we got rained on a little bit. It was wonderful, and it smelled not only like dry earth waking up to water, but like a tropical garden, plumeria, dampness, like the world when it's washed, enlivened.

Monday, again. Two weeks in. It's starting to feel routine... the whole back to school thing. Maria makes it easy. I have no complaints. But... online, at home learning? It was nice, for us. We do miss her, when she's away. I've been kidding about starting a new blog, so we can chronicle her Outfit of The Day. This morning, William and I dropped her off. It's almost always at least two of us dropping her off, or going to pick her up... eager to be with her, eager to share some news, or start something anticipated.

The backcountry outing Geoff and I enjoyed last week piqued William's interest, and we decided to head back to Julian, including the hardware store in Santa Ysabel, Manzanita Supply. William is not about to pass up on visiting an antique shop and hardware store... the combination is too ideal! And the execution is definitely worth the stop. Ryan and Krystin are keeping the historic site stocked like a genuine general store, from candy jars, to bolts of fabric, with paint and brushes, deer fencing, shovels, and canning supplies. I enjoyed the displays of locally made things like candles, soaps, decorative bowls, and those darling mini quilts made of yoyos! I picked up some postcards, a candle meant to evoke a day in Cuyamaca, and another handful of Smarties! These treats will not stay in my dress pocket, this time.

Late summer, still warm, but comfortable, and beautiful. Apple Season is coming, and that's when this highway, and the towns fill up with visitors. I am looking forward to enjoying some freshly pressed cider, especially when we can return with all of us. William and I hiked around, enjoying the oak trees, and slopes, and even a brisk walk through town. This time we did get a pie, a Mom's Pie, and brough it home for all. There are a lot of pie bakers in Julian, and I don't want to start any feuds, but Mom's Apple Boysenberry Crumb? It's a favorite!