An alternately gloomy and beautiful Sunday, we decided to skip the movies and stay home. Maria did some gardening, I did some sleeping, photo-taking, and reading. This coming week is flooded with doctor’s apartments, all routine and pre-scheduled –  urologist, chiropractor, dentist. Old man maintenance. I suppose the chiropractor isn’t quite average; my back has been painful since my brain injury, and I’ve moved my weekly blog reader Zoom to Thursday morning.

Zip was excited because Maria moved the composter away from the vegetable garden. The chipmunks used it as a highway to the garden and vegetables. Now, they are all moving, possibly to their regret. Nature is often about one thing eating another.

I’m having some severe allergy issues, and the coughing and sneezing are worsening my back. I’m sure our chiropractor can help. I’m on a Thomas Merton kick; something will come from my reading of Merton today. He started the change in my life that resulted in my moving up to the country. He is my hidden guide.

Zip was busy today out in the marsh, but he did come to visit me, and I did get some photos of him and some other things thrown in.

Zip looks tough, but I don’t think he is. He likes rubbing and scratching.

Zip and St Joseph’s are pals these days. If Zip isn’t in the barn, he’s like to be out with St. Joseph, looking for chipmunks. I think they meditate together.

Zip has commandeered the garden beds as one of his thrones, especially when Im out working there. I’m hoping he doesn’t decide to pee there. He seems to be everywhere and nowhere at once.

The garden bed is shrinking but still colorful and hanging on. About one-half is gone.

Many of my garden bed flowers are dying or being transported to Maria’s gardens—one heroic flower in one of the beds flowering on to last. I’ll hang on there with it. I have new and unpublished flowers to last through the winter. My garden bed has flowers for a few weeks.

Sunday morning  light

Soul of a Dahlia