Clarissa's Glassgrrl Studios

Everyone's gotten into the creative act in recent days; we volunteered to paint two of the canvas banners to be auctioned off at Classen's art festival - Tony and Sara tackled one, I had the other. It's been a good laugh to see how those two think when it comes to artistic expression. Final, finished product photos have yet to be taken, but as the banners are due to be turned in tomorrow, I reckon it'll happen soon.



Last Saturday, MJ stopped by during her whirlwind, going-out-of-town preparations, to bring me a gorgeous spring bouquet. No reason to let it waste away in her dark, lonely house, so I gladly accepted it. Even though I can't be around lilies without getting pollen on my nose..... Buster thinks they make a suitable background.

The past few days: heavenly hints of spring. The next few: supposedly a spring equinox blizzard. There's plenty of straw around the garden to cover up the tender sprouts, although any tree buds are on their own. Yesterday our northernly-exposed, slow-on-the-uptake daffodils finally bloomed. I'll stroll out again tomorrow evening to see if there's much difference in their situation.

Actually, more than for the plants, I'm concerned about our poor feral Stripey Nose II kitty, who comes around for food. A week or two ago I noticed mysterious blood drips on the path, as well as some splotches in an outdoor food bowl. It was a few more days before I saw the cat and the damage done to him, by a dog (or dogs, possibly, as a few days ago our own Inky Slinky Black Jack was blatantly attacked by two dogs, right outside my window! I rushed out and chased them away, but Jack disappeared under the neighbor's house for several hours, before finally limping inside to hide under the bed upstairs.)
So, Stripey is a real mess, can barely limp on two legs, but manages to bring himself up the path a couple times a day, asking for food. I give him a tin, with vitamin e and brewer's yeast mixed in. I'd dose him with amoxicillin if I could get my hands on some, but nothing's simple these days, it seems, with veterinary care. Any place I know to take him would require a round of 'routine' care (vaccinations, etc.) before even addressing his wounds. Today I discovered he's made a nest on an old couch in our garage. The door is stuck open since that time a few years ago when we disconnected the electricity that ran from the house, via two spliced, very un-code wires across the garden path. With the threat of cold cold winds and rain and blizzard snow, I've tried to make a bit of shelter around the couch, without changing it so much he'll not want to use it.
After his evening meal, he likes to relax (as much as a cat in pain can relax, I suppose) on a shabby mat by the back door, soaking up a bit of evening sun. I wish I could bring him inside for the storm, but suspect he'd freak out and do himself even more harm trying to escape. Poor brave fellow.