Empty Nest

Linda and Luna flew the coop yesterday afternoon.  As always, the house seems very quiet after a guest leaves.  I can't say the same for Linda's car.  Luna, from whom not one peep was heard during her entire visit, began vocalizing as soon as she was put into her luxurious, spacious cat carrier in the back seat.  "Put the pedal to the metal, Mom, and let's beat feet outta here!"  I hope Linda enjoyed her stay at Farview.  I know poor Luna did not.  As for my kids, who had stayed pretty much in the bedroom when Linda was up and about, Ralph and Celeste were out and all over me as soon as they saw taillights go down the drive.  Spoiled, it had taken them days to get used to sharing my attention or having a stranger in the house, bolting when Linda walked into the room.

I heard Linda giggle as she was packing her cooler for the trip home.  She'd found the zucchini I'd tucked in there.  We'd joked about the need to lock one's car during zucchini season or gardeners whose plants were overproductive would fill it with that squash.  The one I passed on was a gift from Camille's garden.

Shortly after she left, Linda texted that she saw three firetrucks and a CHP running Code 3 (lights and siren) and headed in my direction.  I went out to look, but couldn't see smoke in any direction.  Turned out to be a fire up on Omo Ranch Rd. at the far end of Slug Gulch that was quickly put out, thanks to the rapid response.

Company or no company, the morning barn routine had to go on as usual, a little earlier yesterday in an attempt to beat the heat, only partially successful.  Guests are left to fend for themselves daily for that hour and a half.  People understand.  The goats would not if I didn't show up.  Yesterday the water pot that I'd filled the night before for the wild things was bone dry and if there had not been a chain around the wire gates to the alfalfa I'd have been raided.  Deer had pushed in one of the gates in an attempt to get at the bales.

The beastie boys were in the front pasture this morning, singing up a storm just before daybreak.  I haven't heard the coyotes that close in a long time.  The house may be quiet, but they weren't.