FAMILY NEWS

It is hot, so I am staying inside. Usually it cools off in the late afternoon, after we have a thunderstorm.

I visited Lolo's grave early today, and they are 80 percent finished (putting benches and a little more flooring and decorations still to come). We went early because the murderous ex mayor is being buried nearby. When we tried to get to Lolo's grave, the roadway was decorated with flower wreaths that people had sent his family...most of the flowers on the wreaths were dead, (from the heat), I thought was appropriate.

Yesterday afternoon, Joy was holding a vacation type bible school for Ruby's youth group. She did this last week, so I thought that it was done, but apparently not. Happy happy singing as usual. She also visited her sister's grave in Manila a few days ago. Chano has hired a "supervisor" for the farm, so she is not spending a lot of time up there anymore. Long story. I figure we'll be bankrupt in a year.

The bad news: our half grown kitten Gimpy has died. The good news: the guest room is now clean. He was three legged cat who had a congenital malformation of no hip or leg in the back, which made him incontinent all over the place. He lost a fight with George, our killer Lab.

Sigh. He was sweet, and I hate losing kittens. However, there is a new kitten I rescued after he fell into the ditch nearby, and the mother cat is nursing him now. The bad news about her: She appears to be pregnant. I suspect one of the feral black cats is pregnant too, but they don't come close enough for me to check. I put food in the storage room for them to eat, and they are no problem except that once in awhile I have to clean out a half eaten mouse or bird.

the dogs are fine, but our killer Labrador George has discovered I will let him sleep in our room at night. That means no cats in the room...so our pregnant cats will have to find a closet elsewhere to deliver their kittens in.

such an exciting life I live here....