Lovely

After the 85 F. temperature yesterday I am loving this cool, cloudy weather.  I stayed home today for a variety of reasons.  I have a lot of sick days saved up.  It's the time of year when teachers who do have a lot of sick days saved up are wearing a bit thin and figure, hey, I got myself here all winter and now I need a day  to catch up on things. Maybe they have a farm that requires a Herculean effort just to keep up with the basics.   My aide was okay with it and here I am.  What a joy to wake up at 8:15 mid-week without a full blown panic.  I had been up at 4 but was able to go back to sleep.  The dogs love it when I stay home.  I don't feel guilty leaving them shut up in the house, listening to them sing their goodbye howls when I say "be good doggies."  I was determined to get all the little bags of rhubarb cooked today.  Some of them were gifts from colleagues, some I purchased from the old lady on the roadside.  Now they are lined up, seven quarts, ready for Eric, my Swedish son, to take home to Maine.  He loves rhubarb and asked me not to add the strawberries like last year.  No problem.  I got the massive load of garbage down the lane after the guys at Holden's Haulers emptied the dumpster.  How I love an empty dumpster.  Our walk up the hill was spectacular.  Buttercups cover the lush green hillside, with patches of pretty little blue flowers here and there.  The piggies saw us coming and trotted over to join us, with a quick stop at their little self-dug pond to roll in the mud.  The followed us up the hill and around the pond.  If we quickened our pace they caught up.  Scarlett and Sue Ellen don't like Tanner.  When they were little she teased them by barking at them and nipping at their chubby back sides.  Not any more.  Tanner is keeping her distance, smart dog.  I was a bit worried when we stopped for Cooper to do his BM and Scarlett took his outstretched tail in her mouth.  She didn't bite down, just slid

her teeth down to the tip, as if to comb it, so delicately.  The only time I am nervous with them is when I don't feed them on time and they are rowdy.  Still, they've never nipped or put their mouths on me.  I had a nice chat with Captain AJ today.  He sounds so happy in the full-time Army.  We talked about the difference between the National Guard and regular Army.  So far he is very impressed with the organization and professionalism of his unit and has nothing but good things to say about his assignment at Fort Sill.    His apartment is all set up and the new furniture has been delivered.  I wish I could make curtains for him.  Maybe I'll fly out there this summer with a little sewing machine and get the job done.