Happy Father's Day!

It was marvelous to crawl into my own bed last night... Banichi settled in along my left side and Lovey propped her head on my right shin. It was pure heaven. I thoroughly enjoyed being with the red kids this past week - there are several bird feeders hanging by the windows and French doors that look out onto the deck, and the koi got to know me, and would flock to me at feeding time. Rosie and Remy were super as always, and for once I didn't break anything ( I have a terrible record of breaking ceramic napkin-holders at the Rs house)...

The sunrise was stupendous, and I was eager to welcome the summer sun. (I understand over 36,000 people celebrated the summer solstice at Stonehenge this morning.) Our weather is supposed to change today, and the weather folks are projecting a high in the upper 80s today and the low 90s for Monday and Tuesday - right on time for Summer! We haven't had a day in the 90s since May, and I will welcome the sun and heat again. The creeks and rivers are still running high due to the rain we've had, not to mention the snow-melt. Yesterday was the local "9 Cares, Colorado Shares" summer food drive for non-perishable goods: they had over 15 drop-off points set up from Fort Collins down to Colorado Springs, and at one station alone they collected more than 14 tons of food stuffs for the needy. Way to go, Colorado!

Today is Father's Day... and I have no trouble remembering good times spent with mine. I remember him laughing (because I was) while my horse was bucking when I was 4 while we lived in Texas - Mom was turning purple, and I don't know if she was holding her breath, or if it was a combination of fear and anger. On Sunday afternoons, he'd take my sister and me out for long walks in the woods, or picnics at Devil's Millhopper - he taught me how to track creatures of the forest and read sign, and how to carefully look for shark's teeth and arrow heads along the creek banks and in the water at the Millhopper. I remember one day when he spent the entire day driving me all over north-central Florida, looking for a place where he could rent a horse for me to ride. And even though we visited places from Jacksonville to Ocala and from Hastings to Cedar Key, we never found a spot... but we talked about animals, and his days growing up on the farm and hitching up anywhere from 2 to 8 horse and/or mules for the plow and harvester. Dad preferred mules to horses, after a mare (the only horse in the hitch) kicked him and broke his thigh when he was a teenager. - Think about all the pleasant times you spent with your father, and thank him for the time he spent with you. I can't thank my Dad in person any longer, but I certainly send good thoughts and thanks to his memory on this day, and every day.