Stanley has competition

Last summer, as I sat in my yard next to my pond,

I was often joined by a little baby squirrel.

He'd stretch himself out across the rocks, 

slurping lazily at the water.

He had red in his coat,

and a wiry tail.

I called him Bradley,

and claimed him as my very own.

As the summer went on, 

I watched Bradley grow into a fine young squirrel,

until--one day--I saw a Bradley-esque figure,

crushed in the road at the end of my driveway.

I began to notice he didn't come around anymore...

and concluded my Bradley had met a sad end.

I'm a pragmatist, so I got over it pretty quick.

Then there was yesterday, in which Stanley came to call.

He creeped me out, if you want to know the truth.

But this morning as I sat in my cozy chair, 

talking things over with the Lord,

I heard a commotion out by the window

and went to investigate.

"Stanley." I thought;

but no:

This little guy was tiny,

with red in his coat and a wiry tail.

He looked at me and aloud I cried--

Bradley?! Bradley Jr.?

And then he nose dived into the bush,

in what has to be the most hilarious thing I've seen all week.

Move over Stanley;

Bradley Jr. is on the scene.

He can't seem to get enough...

My new friend Stanley spent the afternoon 

hopping onto the frame of the window

looking inside as if to say:

Whatcha' doin' in there?

Weirdest thing, ever.

I do have a friend!

A large amount of my friends have gone away,

leaving me to sit in cottage quietude for the summer.

And so, when this guy decided he would insist on joining me,

[no matter how many times I banged on the window to send him away]

I named him Stanley, and I said:
oh, OK.

Sweet Friends...

...pick me strawberries from their garden.

Cottage Days of Summer

I call it:

My outdoor office.

To celebrate a dear one

Last evening, I gathered with my Penn State Music Ed family

to celebrate this dear lady,

upon the occasion of her retirement.

 We laughed with her--because she taught us laughter is important;

 and we shared warm thoughts--

because she taught us sincerity and generosity of heart too.

We remembered with her

 and we commemorated her,

for who she is and for how much we love her.

My life would look much different in both thought and deed 

if she were not in it, and I am grateful 

to call her my advisor, my mentor, and my friend.

Happy Retirement Dr. R.--you have earned a good one!

Yet another good-bye for the summer

This dear friend is heading out 

to do some heavy work in Philly for the summer

 [think drug addicts and prostitutes, 

not fending off bugs with her personal citronella...]

 and so this week there was a party in her honor, 

in order to say good-bye.

Speaking of heavy work, 

I had a fight of my own, 

 with this smoky grill,

 which eventually I won

[to the nourishment of all].

 And while others fought to remain in the yard

despite impending gloom and droom,

 eventually the rain won out

 and we were sent to the porch

 and indoors,

which for Katy was just fine.

We're going to miss her,

and we made sure she knows it.