Sunday, April 3, 2005

Cold. Gray. Drizzly. I forgot to turn on the heat and light in Gunter's (the giant tortoise) enclosure until almost 9 a.m. He was glaring at me when I switched on the lamp. He needs more hay. I felt neglectful and mean. What must it feel like for your body's core temperature to fall so low and then labor back up by external means? (I have just the opposite problem!) We all had a good sleep. Water is back: I found a leaky faucet in the greenhouse and because it's unfixable (by me--the joins are cemented with minerals) I screwed on a brass hose splitter and shut the valves tight. Voila. No drips. And plenty of water by last night to risk a load of laundry. And still water there today. A shower! Yes. Gunter and Ranger will leave us this afternoon. This could be our forever farewell. They board with us three times a year--two weeks at Christmas and again at Easter, a month at summer vacation--and we will miss them. Gunter never has really warmed to me, so to speak, even though I bring him fine clumps of dandelions. But Ranger is my love, and lives to press his snout between my arm and torso and just lean quietly, as if in consolation for some great grief. My great grief is that I can't keep him--he's just too heavy and unruly, he truly can't help himself--so our good-bye later today will be a sad one. I put a hundred and fifty books, CDs, and DVDs up for sale ten days ago and sales have been brisk. I have four books to wrap and label so far today. But I can't wait to get back to work on my writing projects. (The cards say success [defined by me as earning a living] is inevitable--if I can develop some serious discipline.) And I'm ready to put my post- and greeting cards for sale online. Then I'll design my coloring books... Rain or shine, we have a hike to take late this afternoon. I'll post photos. 10:50:18 AM    comment []