Reveille

Hey kids! I'm feeling much better...still a cough and a drippy schnoz...but much better.

And speaking of drippy...that remains the weather forecast for the foreseeable future. No big storms. No big wind. Just overcast and occasional rain...for the next week. On the other hand, I noted in the Oregonian this morning that Portland has got a wonderful warm weekend forecast. Hope you cats get out and enjoy it!

In other news, the hounds and I continue to get to know one another. Tucson is getting in shape. We travel a little further each day and he is no longer limping by the end of the walk. I have scrounged a bit of plywood to serve as a ramp to get him up the first couple of steps to the apartment. He is an old man with arthritis.

Tucson has generously taken it upon himself to let Jasper and I know when it's time to roll-out in the morning. His internal clock is very accurate. Tucson sleeps on an old comforter right beside my bed and he starts bathing himself promptly at 5:30 AM. Slurping, shaking of the jowls, and an occasional sneeze continue for about fifteen minutes at which time he rises and heads to the living room where I have placed the water dish. More slurping. A good shake and a sneeze. Then back to the bedroom for the main event.

Tucson is a very talented percussionist and the confines of my bedroom provide him with a near perfect venue. Every morning he demonstrates his virtuosity by beating-out a tatoo with his tail. This morning he was seriously into reggae - a remarkable steel drum solo accomplished using a brass bedpost as the instrument. Yesterday, he went for the traditional Japanese drum effect - the hollow core sliding closet door makes a nice BIG sound. Enough to wake the dead in fact. Reveille with Tucson.

Meanwhile Jasper and I have reached an understanding. He pretends to respect my authority and I overlook a number of his minor transgressions like his obsessive/compulsive harrying of his squeaky sex toy.

The three of us are very much enjoying our daily walks - usually on the airport dike trail. The wetlands are now fully greened and the Spring wildflowers are in bloom with the lupine and buttercups leading the show.

Less obvious, but very pretty in their own right, lots of other wildflowers can be found both on the dike and on the wetlands.

A Chocolate Lily on the Airport Dike Trail

I don't know what this is...almost looks like Astilbe. It's about 8 inches tall and quite showy.

Have a great weekend everybody!