For A Change

Cats sleep in the darnedest positions.  For a change, I caught Ralph in a rare moment of repose yesterday.  Back to his normal antics this morning, he is racing around in the dark, brrrp-brrrping as he goes, and ambushing Celeste from under the dust ruffle on the bed.  She is not amused.

After days of thick smoke, heat, lassitude, and difficulty breathing, a most welcome breeze sprang up yesterday, offering some relief for a change.  Unfortunately, that lovely, smoke-moving breeze soon became a strong, gusting wind, as strong as any we've had of late.  From the piles of leaves on the deck now, one would never know I'd used the leaf blower (I think they call that job security).  While I found the cooler temperature and lack of smoke invigorating, I worried what the wind was doing to the Butte Fire.  I actually got more done in one day than I'd done in a week, polishing, washing, dry-mopping, and getting trash down to the big road.  (Must be careful not to strain my arm while patting self on the back.)  The best change of all came after dark when I heard, wait, can it be?, rain on the deck!  Really and truly rain!  Maybe this would give the fire-fighters a much-needed break.  It didn't last all night, but the deck and earth are still wet, a hopeful sign.  In the dim, predawn light, I can't tell if that is smoke or mist that hides the hills to the south, but I'm holding the good thought.

For a change, it was a good day.