time passes far too quickly ...

 I've been horribly lax on following through with my Wednesday words and story.

  I feel I may just be a little bit melancholy, although I can't pinpoint a specific reason. 

  Both kittens passing may have been the trigger.

  Last week I went to see the neurosurgeon about my neck, and thankfully, no surgery is in the future.

  Charlie spent several nights away with his other besties, and so when he came home on Sunday, he just wanted to sit and snuggle and do nothing else.  I gave no argument.

  Insomnia has been plaguing me for some reason, and I'm not sure why.  Last night ... or rather this morning ... I could not sleep until almost 4a.  It makes getting up for work at 7a difficult.  Over the weekend, I was awake for 48 straight hours and had agonizing heartburn for the last 24 after I gave in and made coffee in the middle of the night after the first 24.  I will never make that mistake again.

  The besom/broom was a project during those 48, with another over the back door.  As I tend to do when I'm in a mood, I try to craft my way out of it.  There are three other projects that I started that same weekend, and I will share photos later when I've finished them.

  My menagerie of "neighbors" continues to become even more varied.  Black bear, possum, groundhog, squirrel, rabbit, black snake ... and now my two-legged neighbor stated she saw a rather large beaver shuffle running down the road in front of my house and into the creek.  She was also the witness to the black snake in the yard while she did me the blessing of mowing my weeds.  I would have loved to see both the snake and the beaver!

  She also enlightened me on an unusual snake fact that I did not know... Copperhead snakes, which are a venomous pit viper, smell like cucumbers!  She said if I ever let Charlie out in the yard and smell cucumbers, to bring him in right away because he would probably not survive a bite by the time I got him to a vet.   Which is an unfortunate distinction for them because I love cucumbers, especially home-grown ones!  But I will not grow them now out of fear of confusing a snake for my tiny garden area.

  Trees are beginning their fall color change although the temperatures have not yet cooled significantly.  This week we have been getting the rain of tropical storms and hurricanes, currently Helene is threatening my old stomping grounds on the Florida panhandle, and I do not envy them.  Mexico Beach, devastated by Hurricane Michael in 2016, could be hit again, and at the very least suffer from a storm surge of 15+ feet.  I cannot even imagine it.

  Wherever you are while reading this ... be safe.  Hugs, Ci  💚