#and the squirrel in the birdbath

[marlynnofmany]

Hey, do you think dragons do that "chattering at birds" thing that cats do?

I vote yes.

[alcnfr]

Some of this morning's Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) around the place, with a Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) tossed in for color.

[pastpossum]

Squirrels get thirsty, too. He got some strong toes.

[terakopian]

A squirrel has a sip of water from a fountain during a hot summer’s day in Kensington Gardens. London, UK. 2003. #squirrel #water #thirst #drink #waterfountain #birdbath #weatherpicture #dailylife #heatwave #nikond100 #nikon #newspaperphotography (at Kensington Gardens) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpSmWxaoh0O/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[teawithhazel]

How a Birdbath Changed my Witchcraft

This is a personal story that I wanted to share in hopes that it could help other new witches. It's a long one, so buckle up.

One of my goals this year was to forge a deeper connection to the land spirits around my home. I am still very new to the craft and this seemed like a nice way to dip my toes into spirit work while also creating an outdoor sacred space. Little did I know the impact it would have.

I did some research on offerings to land spirits and took into mind that critters may try to eat said offerings, and settled on just leaving water or inedible things. I also had to consider my less than open minded neighbors, they are decent people but I don't feel comfortable with them knowing I'm a witch.

A birdbath seemed like the perfect way to leave offerings as well as disguise the altar from my neighbors.

I set it up in early spring, after the frost was done. It was just a simple ceramic one with blue glaze (I wanted green, but they were sold out), I filled it with water and a small stone so insects could crawl out if they fell in, said a few words of thanks and did that everyday.

At first, it seemed like just a mundane task. I wasn't really feeling much from what I was doing until spring rolled into summer. I got the feeling like I had to keep that bird bath filled. I felt a pull in my gut that I still can't explain.

Then I figured out why.

Drought.

The worst my area has had in years with unbearable heat and humidity. We didn't get rain for months and when we did it was a tiny drizzle that barely dampened the ground. Most of the plants in my area dried up and went dormant.

My little birdbath was an oasis and was getting more than birds as visitors. Deer, squirrels, raccoon, skunk and opossum were using it to find vital water. I ended up getting a 5 gallon bucket to fill as well because the birdbath would get drained so quickly.

The deer got use to me and would wait at the edge of the woods for me to bring water in the mornings.

I could feel the gratitude every time an animal came for a drink. They had nothing but dry grass for miles and in their own ways they showed how thankful they were.

Yup, one of the deer stashed her kid right in my garden for a week. I usually don't read too much into animals as 'signs' from the spirits, but that is a little hard to ignore.

That was over 4 months ago. My garden thrived despite the drought. I had an abundance of cucumber, tomato, herbs, carrots, onions, and sweet potatoes this year.

Was my success because of my offerings to the land spirits? Some would say yes, some would say no. All I know is that I had the best producing garden in the neighborhood this year and a much deeper understanding of the importance of water.

[bluecatwriter]

Today I went out to refill my birdbath and accidentally scared two squirrels, one of whom took a flying leap at a branch above my head, missed, and fell straight down next to me, crashing into my leg before running off into the underbrush. 10/10 interaction tbh

[wutheringcaterpillar]

Domesticity Series: Part 2 The Move

Description: Finding a cottage away far away from town, this story delves into the process of moving and falling for someone unexpectedly fast.

Warnings: This Chapter is from William’s pov, fluff,

The tides were turning in this dreadful town. Winter changed gracefully, the leaves budding slowly on the trees, flowers blooming around every corner.

There she was, immaculate and indescribably beautiful. The wind brushed soundly through the dampened stems of grass, the flowers bending ever so gently as I lay watching her gracefully dancing and making funny faces while she held onto the polaroid camera, attempting to take photos of us together in the meadow.

The war had been over for a year now and after my divorce I stumbled upon a cottage house with a price we couldn’t pass up.

The backyard even had an orchard, filled with orange trees, apple trees, berried bushes scattered along the dirt path while various birdbaths and wheelbarrows were standing near and far. 

When we had gone to retrieve our belongings to move, we stopped at the local nursery, purchasing two flowers. One for her, and for myself, planting them side by side near the front of what would be our garden.

We began painting the house with one another before we moved in our belongings. The living room a golden shade of yellow, white curtains draping the window that peered out into the woods of our backyard. To my surprise, she was quite the animal whisperer, creating small talk with the deer from a distance, teaching me how to obtain the friendship of squirrels by offering them peanuts right from the cusp of my hands. I had never seen anything quite like it.

“Haven’t you ever painted before?” She giggled innocently, brushing her wet paintbrush over the tip of my nose. Her nose snickered as she laughed gleefully, noticing that I had been using the color that was intended for our bedroom upstairs.

“Can’t say I have, y’know I could learn many things from you Y/N. Far more than anyone would believe.” She waved me off playfully, her cheeks turning a rosy shade of red, blushing from my compliment before setting down her paintbrush and tugging on my arm, lifting me away from the discolored white baseboards.

“Come. Surely, the first coat needs to dry and those boxes won’t move themselves.” I followed her out to the car, my eyes scanning every movement she made. I had never felt so at ease, so comfortable with a woman and I found myself falling for her every passing second of every passing day. She was truly an angel, and never pretended to be someone she wasn’t. That was one of the things I loved most about her.

With neither of us owning much, it didn’t take long to bring all the boxes inside. She wouldn’t allow me to carry anything for her, she’d insist that I wouldn’t be doing everything alone and I hadn’t believed her until now. It was an unexplainable feeling really. My heart finally feeling as if the voids had been filled by this unexplainably magnetizing woman.

We had finished moving in the evening. The kitchen hadn’t been fully stocked of course, but we’d build as we carried on with our life together. She’d constantly stress and apologize that she didn’t own more than what she had, and I’d have to stop her from talking such non sense. Reassuring her that this journey was just beginning, that we’d be quite alright as long as we had each other.

She’d crack jokes with me, taught me how to play chinese checkers on the hardwood floor while we’d wait for the walls to dry in the living room. Exchange and discuss our favorite works of literature and journalism until she was dozing off into my arms on the couch that we had placed in the center of the room away from the walls so the piece of furniture wouldn’t get wet.

I stared down, really taking in her natural beauty as she slept peacefully, lightly snoring here and there. I knew if I ever told her she was snoring she’d be embarrassed and in disbelief, so I never told her. Tracing her arm gently, I smiled softly to myself, finally feeling a sense of happiness.

There wasn’t a worry or doubt in my mind that I would propose to this woman. I would provide for her to any extent that I could and ensure happiness in her life. She deserved it more than anyone I had ever met. Always so giving and caring, never in a upset mood.

She hadn’t known it yet but when she was at a dentist appointment last week, I had gone ring shopping. I couldn’t explain to you the feeling of being a stranger in a new town. It was quite a relief to understand that no one would be able to spoil the surprise.

Maybe I was moving a bit fast but who’s to put a time on love? You can’t, not when in your heart, you know it’s right.

It comes when you least expect it, and I had never expected to fall for a woman so hard again after Vera, but she was the past and Y/N was my present and future and I haven’t regretted any of this. Nor would I ever.

[love-and-hisses]

Former foster update! Remember floofy polydactyl tortie Zelda (now Ruby) and her calico sister Myrtle (now Opal) from the Crate Catsby litter early in 2023? They were adopted together and are now residents of Illinois - and here they are!

Maureen says: "Happy Summer Solstice!

The Gotcha-versary for Ruby & Opal occurred a little while ago, and I wanted to let you know how things are going for the girls here west of Chicago.

They both have become best buddies with their “ brother”, Boo, our 14 year old Havanese. When he has coughing issues they will come along side of him and “hug” him with their tails. He also is allowed to bathe them and make their faces quite wet.

Both girls are fine with nail trims and grooming. I’m so glad that I handled their paws a lot as kittens, especially Ruby being a polydactyl.

They have plenty of playtime and toys and love to sit on their cat tree facing out to a garden with rabbits, chipmunks, birds & squirrels romping about. In the backyard, they enjoy peering at the birdbath.

Neither of them are especially fond of the grandkids when they visit, so they hide, and I respect that. They are very good at the game of hide and seek and are rarely found!

Here are some pictures over the past few months that I hope you enjoy.

I can’t thank you enough for allowing me the honor of being the girls “mom”. They are such a blessing to ,not only me, but also my husband, Tom and especially, Boo!"

Aren't they beautiful? Ruby's tail is AMAZING - Maureen said that Ruby "wraps it around Boo’s head sometimes so he looks like he’s wearing a parka🥰" TOO cute!

(Thanks Maureen!)

[kates-photography]

Happy Holidays! Here’s an adorable little squirrel drinking from the birdbath <3

[archived-junkissed]

the secret garden

member — seokmin x gn reader genre — fluff :) happy valentine's day! word count — 2.2k warnings — none! notes — this is for @hvcmixtape's valentine's day song collab!! this fic is based on: "like real people do" by hozier

be sure to check out the other participants in the collab - masterlist here!

“hey, honey?”

seokmin looks up at the sound of your voice trailing in from the other room. “yeah?” he calls back.

“i’m off to the store to get stuff for dinner, okay? i’ll be back in a while. text me if you need anything!”

he smiles. “ ‘kay. love you!”

“love you too!” you reply.

he closes his laptop, waiting. minutes later he hears the front door click shut and faintly, the sound of your car starting as you drive away.

when he’s sure you’re gone, he gets up from his chair, peeking out through the doorway of his office before walking out into the house.

the sliding glass door to your backyard opens with a squeak as seokmin slips outside, quickly crossing the yard. he struggles a little moving the heavy birdbath, but once it’s out of the way he finds what he’s looking for.

it’s purposefully hard to get to; hidden behind a cluster of small trees and shrubs and covered even further by the birdbath, because he needs to make sure you won’t see it, unless you knew exactly where to look.

he breathes a sigh of relief when he sees everything in place, just as it was when he last checked a few days ago.

he’s been planning this since last february, when he originally planned on doing this for you; except the squirrels got to it a few days before he could and he had to rush to buy cheap roses from the grocery store down the street because all the florists had been sold out for weeks. he’s still mad about that, and this year he made sure to cover everything in netting so it wouldn’t happen again.

he even bought anti-squirrel spray, and he feels kinda bad about using chemicals, but he didn’t want to risk a natural, chemical-free repellant not working and forcing him to settle for something store bought for a second year in a row. sorry, squirrels.

but thanks to—or perhaps, in spite of—his precautions this year, his gift is perfectly safe and sound. his flowers are coming along perfectly.

they’re right on the verge of blooming: the buds just barely beginning to open, just in time for valentine’s day in a week.

of course, he’s got the classic v-day flowers: deep red roses, pink speckled carnations, white daisies.

but he knows he can do better than that. any moron with a packet of seeds can grow roses in their backyard. so he’s planted some of your other favorites too, ones that took a little more planning to pull off. honeysuckle, tulips, and daffodils, some of your favorites, take up one corner of the flower bed.

the work and research put into getting everything right has been tedious, but seokmin is an ambitious man, and he would only attempt it for you. sure, it probably cost more in time, effort, and supplies than ordering a nice bouquet online would have, but he likes doing things himself, and he likes that his way is more personal.

it’s been many months of diligently deleting the search history on his computer so you don’t see the hour and a half of googling things like “how often do i water carnations” and “are worms good for plants” and “how much sunlight for tulips” every day.

not that he thinks you’d go looking, but he can never be too careful when dealing with surprises. not after two christmases ago when you found your (unwrapped) presents sitting behind the washing machine when your sock had fallen down there; no, he’s learned his lesson.

he heads to the shed along the side of the house to grab the scissors from the shelf of gardening supplies, along with a small watering can.

he’s glad you never end up sticking to your annual new year’s resolution to start gardening more, because if you had, you probably would’ve found his secret flowers already. although maybe after this, he might be able to convince you to come outside and garden with him every once in a while. it’s actually kind of fun, and it’s satisfying seeing his hard work turn into something beautiful.

when he’s done trimming the dead leaves and making sure the plants have enough water, he carefully replaces the netting and moves the birdbath back into place. he puts the gardening scissors and watering can where they belong before heading back inside, carefully sliding the door shut behind him and locking it again.

he’s just finishing washing the dirt off his hands when he hears your car pull up into the driveway, and he can’t help the smile that grows across his face at just the thought of you. he flicks his hands, gives them a quick wipe with a towel before opening the front door and going out to meet you at the car and help you carry everything inside.

the next few days pass by quickly, and before seokmin knows it, it’s the night before valentine’s day.

he’s just gotten back from work, having left early to make sure he has time before you get home, leaving him plenty of time to get everything ready for tomorrow. 

he opens the back door, leaving it open so he can hear your car pulling up in case you get home earlier than expected.

crossing the yard he feels like a kid on christmas eve, sneaking out of bed to peek at their presents before christmas morning. he’s excited for his months of planning to finally come together, and he can’t wait to see the look on your face tomorrow when he finally gets to give it to you.

he carefully cuts the flowers, picking out the prettiest and brightest blooms and setting them in a little container so he can take them inside without damaging them. 

back in the house he stands over the counter, thinking about how to put everything together. he’s watched countless videos on how to do different kinds of flower arrangements, but sitting in front of the flowers he grew himself, ready to start, it’s a little more nerve-wracking than he had thought.

he’s only got one shot at doing this right, and although there’s still some flowers left outside that he didn’t cut, it won’t be enough to make a completely new bouquet.

he takes a deep breath, eyes flicking across the counter from the daffodils to the daisies before he finally settles on the roses first. gingerly he picks one up and sets it in the vase he bought, already lined with floral tape and filled with just the right amount of water.

one by one he carefully places the flowers in the vase, trying his best to add layers and make everything look nice and organized.

it takes him a little while but finally it’s finished, and he stands back, admiring his work. it’s not as perfect as he’d hoped it would be, but he has to admit it looks pretty damn good for an amateur florist like himself. it definitely would've looked nicer had he bought a pre-made arrangement instead, but he's so happy with everything that the thought of buying flowers doesn't even cross his mind.

he checks his watch, surprised to see how much time has passed as he hurries to put the arrangement in a hiding spot (one that you won’t accidentally find this time) and put your other presents together in a little pink gift bag covered in hearts.

he hears the front doorknob turn just as he’s taking things out of the refrigerator to get started making dinner (it’s your night to cook, but he wants to keep you out of the kitchen and away from the hidden presents).

as always, you greet him with a smile and a kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck and leaning your head against his shoulder. the corners of your eyes crinkle in joy when you see that he’s making your favorite dinner, and you start telling him about your exhausting work day as he cooks.

you’ve decided to take the holiday off and call in sick tomorrow, preferring to spend a nice, romantic day with your husband, so you aren’t in bed as early as you usually would be on a work night. instead, you’re cuddled up on the couch after dinner, talking late into the night about everything and nothing at all. it’s these evening with seokmin that you love the most; the quiet days when you can just be around each other and everything feels safe and comfortable.

and he doesn’t even mind when you fall asleep on his shoulder and he has to gently tap you awake to bring you to bed. in fact, he couldn’t be happier.

the next day he sets his alarm and wakes up before you, sneaking out of bed and tucking his side of the blankets against you so that you won’t immediately notice he’s gone.

by the time you wake up a little while later, the smell of breakfast is already wafting into the room as seokmin carries a tray of waffles and fruit, topped with whipped cream and strawberries in the shape of a heart.

his face breaks into a grin when he sees you awake, carefully handing you the platter of food.

you smile sleepily at him, still letting your eyes adjust to the morning sunlight. “hi, baby.”

he giggles, sitting on his side of the bed next to you. “hi sweetheart. happy valentine’s day.”

he nods at the plate, wordlessly asking you to try the food, and you oblige, cutting off a big piece of waffle. and of course, like everything seokmin does, it’s— 

“—so good,” you moan through a mouthful of food, savoring the taste. “you spoil me,” you say as you motion to the spread on your lap.

he giggles. “you deserve to be spoiled. and besides, you haven’t even seen everything yet.”

you pretend to be shocked, gasping exaggeratedly. “there’s more?” 

after many years with seokmin, you know he’s probably got something insanely elaborate up his sleeve, but you’re still not used to the way he treats you like you’re the most precious thing in the world. and to him, you are.

he sits with you while you finish your breakfast, leaving only to take your dish back to the sink while you get up and throw some clothes on.

you meet him in the kitchen and immediately see the counter covered in little gifts, but the focal point of the arrangement is a huge case full of flowers, bright pinks and whites and reds with little hints of green spread throughout.

"minnie, this is so…" you start, your voice breaking a little as you walk towards the little display. "these flowers are gorgeous. you must've spent a fortune, you shouldn't have!"

he blushes a little, twining his fingers together. "i didn't!"

you narrow your eyes at him in confusion, and he continues. "i didn't spend anything on them," he repeats. "i grew them myself. so– well, yeah, technically i did buy the bulbs and the seeds and the fertilizer, but i got them on sale so it wasn't that much…" he trails off when he sees you staring at him, mouth hanging open. "what?"

"you grew these?" you ask in shock.

he grins proudly. "i did! and i arranged it myself, too, does it look okay? the carnations wouldn't stick to the tape right, so i had to just– y'know, shove them in there. but they look fine, right?"

you think you might cry at how thoughtful and perfect and wonderful he is, and he's explaining something about squirrels but you're not paying attention because all you can see is the way the smile on his face reaches all the way up to his eyes and the way he scrunches up his nose when he talks, and all you can think about is how happy it makes him when he makes you happy and how happy it makes you when he's happy and how you couldn't be more in love with this man if you tried.

so you do the only thing you can think to do: throw your arms around him and kiss him like it's your first kiss, your last kiss, and every kiss in between all wrapped up into one, and the way he instantly melts into your arms is worth more than any present or expensive floral arrangement he could buy for you. his gifts mean a lot, but nothing comes close to the giddy feeling bubbling up in your stomach when your lips are on his and his arms are softly hugging your waist and his nose is just barely brushing your cheek, and it's the most wonderful feeling in the whole entire world.

and when you finally break apart he's got that sickeningly in-love look on his face, and you know that everything in your life has been leading up to this moment; when you both have so much love you can't physically hold it in, and it spills out over into everything you do for each other. nothing else matters except you and him, your sunshine husband who grows homemade bouquets of flowers for you.

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i hope you enjoyed this!! if you did, consider reblogging or leaving a comment or an ask :) it lets me know this is something people want to see more of and it helps a ton with being motivated to write. thanks for reading!!

[rjzimmerman]

How to co-exist with a belligerent catbird. (Washington Post)

My childhood bedroom had a Jane Goodall quote on the wall — “My mission is to create a world where we can live in harmony with nature” — and I think this helps explain how I became a person who surrendered five blueberry bushes and my dignity to an angry catbird.

We called her Catherine. The spring when my daughter was 2, Catherine claimed the entire garden beside our house as her domain. I discovered this when we went to pick blueberries from our bushes; as my toddler plucked the fruit, the bird began calling loudly. Then she dove toward me and landed on my headband. I gasped and jumped, startling my daughter.

“What happened?” she asked, and because I wanted to convey a scene that was more Beatrix Potter than Alfred Hitchcock, I said, very calmly: “Mama catbird is asking for some space for her babies! What a good mom! Congratulations on your babies, Catherine!” Then I hurried us away, my daughter cheerfully calling, “Congratulations!” to the bird who was still shrieking and swooping toward my head.

When we think about living with animals, we might think first about pets — how they teach us empathy, responsibility and patience and shape our daily rhythms. But the wild creatures who inhabit our yards and neighborhoods offer their own lessons in companionship and accountability, and these, too, have become an indelible part of our family life. My daughter’s first words were, “Hi, squirrel!��� as she waved to the plump rodent peering in the window. When the white-tailed deer bring their fawns to our yard, we are sure to keep the birdbath full; the nursing mothers are always thirsty. My children greet our garden residents by name: Mariah, the chipmunk, known for her clear, high-pitched vocalizations; Sally, the eastern cottontail rabbit, who nests in the flower bed; Albirdo, the redheaded woodpecker, who rudely banishes all competition from the suet feeder. (“Share,” my daughter urges him, unsuccessfully.)

Albirdo doesn’t understand that edict, but we try to uphold it. This is the one little patch of Earth over which we have any measure of control, and I want our family to share it thoughtfully with the other beings who belong here — even when those relationships demand a little extra compromise.

My loved ones have come to accept my soft spot for the wildlife forced to adapt to our modern human presence. In an apartment where doves nested above the concrete patio, I set out cushions and towels to soften the landing for fledglings. I once baited a humane mouse trap with parsley and peanut butter and conducted daily releases in a wooded area behind the yard. (Turns out I was releasing just one mouse, who returned day after day, increasingly plump and at ease with our morning routine. My mounting suspicion led me to dot a black Sharpie on the back of his head before he dashed into the underbrush. The next day, I drove Sharpie Mouse to a park several miles away, where I bid him a permanent farewell.)

Others are more skeptical of my devotions. Once, circling the perimeter of our house with a termite prevention specialist, he gestured toward the ivy-covered stump where a magnificent oak once stood. “That,” he said gravely, “will attract voles or chipmunks to live there.” “I know!” I gushed. I think he realized I was a lost cause.

Catherine sensed my weakness, too. She harvested the majority of our blueberries that first year; I didn’t dare challenge her. The next year, I tried to net the bushes — but she built her nest within the netting, so I gave up and took it down. Every time my husband passed by to take the trash out, she divebombed him. Still, I couldn’t bear to banish her.

In our third year as neighbors, when it came time for me to plant my dahlias in the raised bed — squarely in Catherine’s territory — I knew I’d need protection. I dug my old horseback-riding helmet out of the closet.

[alcnfr]

Assorted Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) around the place this Christmas Morning.

[thestudentfarmer]

Nothing overly specific to post today aside from some rambles and a few pics of going on.

Rendered lard (5 total pints this week) and cut up the weeks worth of beef for the family

Also got into researching local beef farmers as that is next on our attempt to divest from what we want to see changed on the food system, it is definatly a rabbit hole of everything with that.

So far, for those curious where to start looking for places and people, so you can to remove yourself from big ag and cafo feed systems check out

🌱Craigslist and similar (Facebook too.) Be aware, you may need to know. Learn or be willing to help with or do the process of butcher, clean and process

🌱search engine, small grocers and local butcher shops.

🌱feed stores and occasionally pet/reptile stores. Feed stores will have a lot more localised or regional/state. Reptile stores has oddly been where I've made some egg sale/trade connections (I like to get crickets, worms and other insect goodies for my hens there)

🌱small scale fabric and sewing notion stores. Aside from finding sewers and other small crafter I've seen pig share flyers on a few boards.

🌱some cultural centers hold workshops or farmers markets.

I've not found a specific spot or place yet, but for now I'm looking to figure out what options would be best for us.

Not too much going on with the garden right now. Still been a bit to hot out to do much except maintain what I can (which as you can see, I'm not doing too well atm lol.)

I did some trimming of dead things this week, as well as a lot of grass pulling in the mint area. In the next month or so, there's intending to get some material to start planning extensions this coming winter/spring. As well as some stuff to be done in the back bit.

I did get around to 2 soap batches. This recipe is an almost castile style soap, which means it will take awhile to fully harden and cure.

This one's got ground oats and coffee grounds mixe din for an exfoliating, soothing bar.

We've got hummingbird friends regularly now, This makes 3 new species noticed in the last year.

The gila wood pecker, the peach cheeked lovebirds and now more than 1 hummingbird (this is the 3rd).

We've also had a hawk, bats, red breasted and gold breasted finches, collared doves to name a few regular visitors.

Don't worry, there is plans to add a birdbath or two as well as a few other sugar feeders for the hummers (though if the flower patch and herb expansion area works as we hope, that may not be necessary as it'll be a free flowering patch)

And I've been able to get into the office space and do some repairs on clothes and work on some jackets for the fall/winter. Thought I ahd zippers squirreled away that'd work, I do not. So for now it's a pause 😬

Well, that's it for me today, I've got some lawncare to do, and procrastinating won't get it done faster, lol

🌱✨️Happy homesteading and sustainable journeys✨️🌱

8.15.2024

[sebsxphia]

Seb I'm so sorry to hear you're sick, I know this time of the year between winter's death throes and the beginning of spring is super gross (although nothing can beat the first allergy flare-ups when the trees and the flowers start blooming, lol).

I know for a fact though that Rhett and Bob would take such good care of you. They're probably calling up their parents for home remedies and such (Royal's mom used to make the best chicken soup on the planet and Bob's Meemaw knew how to find all the wild medicine plants). Bob's making you a hot tea while Rhett's airing out the house since it's finally warm enough to do so. Bob's putting orange and peppermint oil in his little diffuser to freshen things up and to help you clear out your nasal passages.

Even though the budding plants and trees are probably the worst thing for your nasal passages, Rhett and Bob both insist on bringing you outside for fresh air. You can already see the first sings of spring, the bluebirds, cardinals, bullfinches and tufted titmice all at the birdfeeder (Rhett loves that thing along with the hilarious shenanigans of squirrels trying to get in it, lol). Bob even clears off the debris that had collected on the stone birdbath and scrubs the yuckies off the St. Francis and goddess Brigid statues in the backyard (Rhett inherited the St. Francis one from Royal who didn't want Perry wrecking it, but he had the Brigid one made by a buddy of his who was a well known stonemason).

Seb honey, I hope this makes you feel a little bit better, there's so much more I could've put in here but I didn't wanna overload it. Already in the yard, I can see signs of spring and I'm only hoping it's soon that it comes. Feel better m'dear.

ohhhh my goodness, my love! bless you! 🥹 this was such a comforting read and is exactly what i need rn! i’m still feeling poorly and my ears are all blocked up, so bobby and rhett making sure they’re doing everything to clear out my sinuses would be the DREAM 🥹 they would be so good with dotting on you and ensuring you get enough fresh air, before you feel too exhausted and need a little nap.

it absolutely does make me feel better my love! thank you so much for this! mwah! 💌💗🫶🏻

[danceswithdarkspawn]

I feel like GAY is not really an assumption, so based on what I've read I'm guessing you had at least a brief goth phase at some point, and get excited when you see a corvid in the wild.

Me being gay is perhaps the safest assumption about me, ever.

I did actually have a brief goth phase in mostly in spirit because I lived in bumfuck hicktown rural America and that was Frowned Upon. Which is to say I dyed my hair black for a few years and dressed looking like I was going to Meemaw's funeral in 100 degree weather.

I love seeing corvid friends. There's a crow pair nearby that has a very noisy chick. Someone or some venue nearby leaves whole peanuts out for birds and squirrels. On several occasions, I've watched crows and bluejays hide their prizes in the tall grass, or wash them in a birdbath. I get excited seeing any birds, really, but Corvidae especially.

[jadedanddark]

Anytime I see birds at the birdbath in my yard, or see my cat's toys scattered about in a different order than they were when I'd left the room, or see the pile of pine cones on my fence has been gnawed on by squirrels, I just light up inside. Like yeah buddy! I offered you, an animal with no concept of giving, a gift! And you accepted it! Your life is made nicer for it, even if it's a small thing! I love you and you love me! The world is dark and we have brightened our corner of it!