Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Daily Pics #168.
Good morning everyone! I hope you all are feeling well today and having a good day, whether at work or at home. It’s a beautiful day once again. A robin decided to start singing at 3am, I guess he figured why wait an extra half hour for some daylight to arrive? Loons were flying around laughing at 4:30 when I got up this morning. Everyone was early today, Henry (one of the gulls) was here at 5, and so were the blue jays, crows, Woody the squirrel and both Pocket and Skamper the chipmunks. So everyone got fed and I had my coffee, it was so beautiful on the deck this morning. It was still, no air movement at all. And it was warm, actually felt warmer than it was. The wren was singing joyfully, as were many other birds. The trees and bushes out back here seem to be so alive with birds early in the morning like this.
Then excitement strikes. Not the kind I like, however. I’m always careful going in and out the door, to make sure no one comes in with me. Didn’t work this morning and Pocket came in as I went out. It was one of those hair pulling, jump up and down, trying to figure out what to do in one second. Muffin didn’t see him come in, that was good, but I knew that wouldn’t last. I had to leave the door open, which posed two problems, keeping Muffin inside and keeping other critters outside while I gently herded Pocket back outside. Muffin didn’t know what was going on until I got Pocket out of the bedroom and running for the door. Muffin went into action while I leapt for the door, crashing over a chair, but…success. That was too close. That means more coffee is needed while you check out today’s pics…
In the pic above is a flower called “gill-over-the-ground”, though it goes by a lot of common names such as creeping Charlie and a few others. The flowers are quite pretty, but it can be a bit of a nuisance if a person isn’t careful. It’s a good ground cover, but it can take over lawns quite quickly.
This next pic, above, is the golden corydalis. This variety of corydalis prefers a bit more soil to grow successfully then the other variety we have seen, the pale corydalis. These are the only two varieties we have in this area. The top pic shows some columbine, a common wildflower in our area. I hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2020 Steve McLeod.
20/20 Investigations, Inc., Country Estate, Chapter 10.
I go back to Jessica and ask, did you wake up outside again? What are you talking about, she said, I woke up right here. You weren’t there 5 minutes ago, we have been looking all over for you. Meow, meow.=That right, said Muffin, you were gone when we wake up this morning. Meow.=Yes, that true. Jessica just stared, then said, how can that be? I just woke up, right here, I haven’t moved all night. Well, you did move, or were moved by someone who then brought you back, I said. Jessica asked, how could that happen without anyone waking up? Meow, meow?=That good question, how it happen? Well, I said, we could have been given some kind of sleeping gas, just enough to keep us asleep while they took Jessica. Meow.=That make sense. However, how they got her back inside is a trickier problem. I mean, we’re all awake now. At least I hope we are awake.
Muffin comes over and “CHOMP”! AAAAA!!!!! Right on the back of my leg! Why did you do that Muffin? Meow, meow.=To see if you awake, you are. Thanks Muffin. Meow.=Welcome. Mr. Cat, how did you learn to giggle like that? Meow.=Muffin teach me. That figures. I hope you are teaching him some useful things too that will help us solve this case? Meow, meow.=Me trying, he learn fast. Meow!=She trying, I learn fast! Meow, meow.=I just say that. Meow.=Oh, right. Stop sighing you two and concentrate on this case. We come here to a simple case of two missing people, now we have four dead people and strange things happening. I’m hungry, said Jessica, anyone want breakfast? Meow, meow!=Yeah, pancakes! Meow?=Pancakes? Meow, meow.=Pancakes good, you’ll like them. Meow!=Pancakes! Hmm, let’s see, what should I have? You don’t get a choice, said Jessica, the cats want pancakes so that is what we have, plus coffee.
Okay Muffin, you help Jessica with the pancakes and Mr. Cat can come with me back to the library for just a few minutes to get that book I dropped before. Okay, said Jessica, don’t be long. Then she and Muffin went into the kitchen. Once in the library I ask Mr. Cat, do you notice anything different about Jessica this morning? Meow.=Yep, she not seem scared anymore. Exactly, and how did she get back into the living room unless she walked there herself? Meow.=I think of that too, something very strange. Do you know if she has ever walked in her sleep before? Meow.=No, she say that she never do that, I heard her tell that to Anna one day. Hmm, but why would she deliberately do it? Unless she really is behind everything here, but then why would she want me here? It almost looks like she is trying to kill everyone that is close to her in some way. But I just don’t see why she would do that either. Meow.=We in danger then. Well, we have to be careful not to jump to conclusions on this, we need to get some proof about what is going on.
Meow.=We could be ghosts by then. And stop talking about ghosts, there are no ghosts. Meow.=Okay. I need you to do something for me Mr. Cat. I whisper something to him and off he goes. He is only gone a couple minutes and he comes running back to the library. He stops at the door and looks around the room. Meow.=Hmm, must have gone to kitchen for pancakes. Off he goes to the kitchen. Meow?=Where Steve, you see him? No Mr. Cat, he hasn’t come here. Did something happen to him? Meow, meow!=My human, you were supposed to watch him! And she took off like a gray streak to the library with Jessica and Mr. Cat coming quickly behind. Maybe he went to his bedroom, said Jessica and off she went to look. Meow?=Did Jessica leave kitchen without you? Meow, meow.=Yes, but only for couple minutes. Mr. Cat whispers to Muffin. Muffin’s eyes get big and wide, she looks at Mr. Cat with a scared look on her face.
To be continued.
Steve and Muffin.
©2020 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 