Starring Celeste

Celeste complained recently that she was not getting her share of publicity and that Ralph has been hogging the spotlight.  It must be said that Celeste's complaints were very quiet and ladylike, much like her personality.  She has the tiniest, squeakiest voice, unlike Ralph the Mouth (remember Happy Days?) who talks to himself constantly as he plans his next - oh, who knows what his "next" will be!  Celeste does not involve herself in Ralph's shenanigans.  Unless she is giving him a beat-down when he finally gets on her nerves or she is herding me into the kitchen for a treat, this is how I most frequently see Celeste.  The photo was taken on a rare occasion when Bessie Anne was not in residence on my lap.  More frequently, Celeste has to squeeze into whatever space is left over, but squeeze she does.  In the evening, Ralph might make a brief appearance but he never settles down and is soon on his way to take care of Ralph business.

In order to give my lap a rest and because the day was much cooler, I fired up Fu Manchu and mowed the front yard, the driveway, and the frontage road yesterday.  We're looking mighty spiffy!  It was such a lovely afternoon, I didn't want to go back in the house so I got a bit of a start on weeding the lavender bed.  When the weeds are green as they are now, the product of this enterprise go over the fence to the chickens.  They scatter and scream as if I'd thrown a bomb, but immediately come back to chatter and pick out the best of the goodies.

Every time I turn around, all three feeders are empty.  More and more hummers show up and are sipping more than two quarts a day.  I can't imagine what it will be like when it gets really hot.  As the saying goes, "I live to serve."

A lap is a lap wherever it might be.  Celeste has pushed her way between me and the desk (trust me, there's not much room).  It's very difficult to type with this lump and her head on my arm.

It was a good day.