Foiled Again

I have ruined some squirrel's plans for winter.  As I went into the first shed to get birdseed yesterday morning, I noted the mountain of empty boxes thrown into a heap.  (One never knows when a good cardboard box might be needed.)  Swept along on the tide of cleaning madness and leaving the birds to tap their feet as they waited for breakfast, I thought, "Now is the time!," and started breaking the boxes down to be put out with the trash today.  And then I picked up a heavy "empty" box.  It was full of acorns, carefully shucked of their caps and neatly stored for future use.  That wasn't the only box of acorns.  I ended up throwing out over a gallon of winter stores.  Poor squirrels.

Going to the grocery store just once a month leaves one gasping at the checkout stand.  I could paper walls with the long receipts.  I never let the truck's gas tank get more than half empty as it would cause a coronary to look at the total for a full tank at the gas station.  Given the rising cost of feed, I wish I could claim all the feathered and hooved "kids" on my income tax.  Ah, well.

I needed to make the grocery run yesterday, hoping to beat the predicted storm...and I did.  The rain in the valley has not yet made it up the hill.  Temperatures plummeted last night.  I awoke several times with Bessie Anne jammed up against my back and Frank lying like a rock on my feet.  Tank tops one day, turtlenecks the next.  Tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner...fall comfort food at its best!