Sadness on My Corner of Katy

I posted this on Facebook yesterday and wanted to share it with y'all so you'll understand why I've not been blogging much lately and may not have much to say for a few days. As much as I'm hurting for and with Hayley, I know her grief is immeasurably deeper. 


My daughter is without a doubt the bravest, most compassionate and most selfless person I know. She made the difficult decision yesterday to say goodbye to her beloved kitty Loki rather than put him through more treatments that had only a small chance of saving his life. Loki was only 2 years old so it was especially hard to know what was best for him. She held him in her arms as he crossed the Rainbow Bridge and the last thing he saw was her face. Hayley, you are my hero and you make me proud every day but never more so than yesterday.

On The Road Again ...

For the first time in almost two years, I motored over to Austin today to spend some time with my sister ... tomorrow we're going to a hen party, otherwise known as the Funky Chicken Coop Tour.  We expect to be entertained and enlightened on the subject of chickens, which will be a nice antidote to the somber sights I encountered today between Smithville and Bastrop.  The devastation that resulted from last September's wildfires moved me to tears and it will be a long time before I shake the images of the charred and blackened sticks that were once Loblolly Pines.  Over 34,000 acres were affected by the fires and 1600 homes were lost, some of them belonging to the firefighters battling to save other homes from destruction. The area continues to recover and rebuild but the landscape will never be the same.

Wednesday's Walkabout

Back at Rick Rice Park again ... I wish the picture of this bald cypress could convey the impossibly tender and beautiful color of its new spring foliage.  It was hard not to stop and marvel at each and every tree.

Let's Get Small

The Head Gardener and I sighted these tiny blooms on this morning's fitness walk around Rick Rice Park. They never fail to make us smile.

A note re the pictures: I've been using my iPhone camera on these jaunts for the sake of convenience.  It's hard to capture a good shot without lying down on the trail  so the shots aren't as crisp as they could be.