A Peachy Day

When I woke this morning, the sun was shining--finally--and a cool breeze blew through the backyard. I drank my coffee and made my list.

Mr. Lester's Farm was my first stop. Unfortunately for me (fortunately for him), every other person in the area had the same idea that I had. His produce stand was packed and a photographer from Southern Living was on hand, snapping pics. I bought a cabbage for my mom, a jar of local honey, and a box of peaches ($14.50 a box--cheap and delicious!).

The grocery store was my next stop for some needed supplies, including some canning jars. Then I went to the Ace Hardware store to get lawnmower oil (I have to go back; I needed 48oz of oil and the two bottles I bought only add up to 40oz. I should wear my glasses! I'll go back tomorrow--then I'll change the oil in the lawnmower).

The entire trip took less than an hour. When I got back home, I opened up my copy of The Southern Country Cookbook, which I've owned since 1973. The last chapter of the book has recipes for jams, jellys, preserves, etc. I made something called "Peach Honey." It looks similar to preserves and it just consists of sugar, peaches and lemon juice. Cook until thick, ladle into sterilized jars, and voila! Great Christmas gift with a jar of muffin or biscuit mix.

And, since I'm overrun with tomatoes at the moment, I made a lasagne with tomatoes, yellow squash and zuchinni. Yum-my.

What I must do tomorrow: (1) change the lawnmower's oil; (2) mow the grass (if the rain stays away); (3) general housekeeping; (4) catch up on schoolwork.

Now, I'm off to read and grade papers and assignments. And, later, I'm going to try out my new blender and make a fruit smoothie!

Cat Sagas, Part Deux

My elation at discovering that Boudreaux was okay was short-lived. I woke up this morning to the sound of dogs barking again, and, by the time I made it out the back door, I discovered the largest of the hounds standing over the body of my cat, Judas. She, unfortunately, was dead.

So, at 7:30 am, I was once again digging a hole. The ground was fairly soft, but I need to put some more dirt on top of the grave to keep the varmints from digging her up. To say that I am sad is an understatement. This cat has been with me for about ten years. My daughter brought Judas to me from Austin. Dorothy had moved into a new apartment and couldn't keep her.

Judas was a one-person cat. She hated every other cat in the house and rarely let any of them get within three feet of her. When the weather turned warm, she would go outside and not come back inside until the temperature cooled significantly. I think that's what caused the problem--I couldn't get her to come inside to eat. I had to put food out for her, which, I think, encouraged the dogs to visit the property.

Judas was part of a litter of kittens that a wandering stray cat had when my daughter was living in an apartment with four guys. They named the mother cat "Mary" and named the kittens after the Disciples--Judas got her name because she was the only black cat in the bunch. Dorothy and the guys didn't care about the cat's sex; they named them randomly. So that's how I ended up with a cat named "Judas." Not a name I would have chosen.

When I got home from teaching today, I called the police department. I let them know about the dogs, that one of them, at least, had killed my cat. We do have leash laws here, I found out, but we don't really have any way to enforce them. We don't have a dog catcher or pound, so abandoned or wandering animals can't be taken anywhere, even if the police do catch them. I asked the officer what the solution was, and he told me that the officer can "dispose" of the animal if he/she considers the animal vicious. If the animal attacks the officer, the officer can shoot it. I think that's what he meant by "dispose." I'm not in favor of killing animals--any animals--unless they pose an immediate danger. These dogs are vicious to cats. Does that count? Anyway, the morning shift is supposed to keep an eye on my property. I am going to try to keep the cats in tonight. They've been in most of the day, anyway, because of the rain. I think I'll go count, now. If they are all here, I'm locking the door.

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Oh, and, as an aside, I'm now the proud owner of a bouncing baby riding lawnmower! Alas, I can't use it because the ground is saturated. I probably won't be able to cut the grass until Tuesday. I hope I can figure out how it works by then!