Our super kitten Shaman now owns the house.  He is everyplace and has completely bonded with Schwartzie, who is part playmate, part mentor and part nursemaid.  Willow finally seems less terrified of Shaman and now eats with the boys.  He plays hard, is affectionate and still fearless except for loud noises, which startle me too.  But he doesn’t run away or hide. He can be a nuisance at bedtime, as he wants to jump on my feet and jump on Willow’s tail in bed.  I often have to put him out and shut the door.

The drought continues unabated. Woody is nervous about watering much – at total necessity if we’re to continue eating now and in winter from the gardens.  He’s worried about the well and the pump.  I’ve finally given in to air conditioning as I can’t work or think in the heat and humidity.  The cats too find it uncomfortable, especially longhair black Schwartzie.  Shaman, no.  He’s too small to be bothered much, but he has been sleeping more in the heat.

Dale and I sent out five submissions of poems this week.  Two poems this week and some revising of the last couple of weeks’ poems.  I have been on antibiotics for an infection, but yesterday morning was the last pill.  Glad to get off.  I have annoying side effects with antibiotics.  Glad to get off.  I’ve began mild exercise again.  I finished THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS, not sure what I’ll read next.

We got no sour cherries this year, after a bountiful harvest last year.  As soon as they began to ripen, the birds attacked and ate them ALL.  An old peach tree has fallen on the red currants during one of our winter storms.  We’re trying to get some red currants in spite of that.  We always have a huge harvest of black currants, but I love the red ones.  Last year, again, huge harvest.

I’m worried about Jay, my chosen daughter Melenie’s husband, who is up in Quebec City for a French intensive at the university there. He’s come down with serious Covid in spite of being fully boosted.  He is quite ill.  Melenie is frantic.  She came back from there just last Sunday.  So far her tests have come back negative.  Today she said he’s begun to feel a bit better.

We are still getting zucchini and lots of patty pans.  Hoping we can outplay the rabbits and chipmunks as the cherry tomatoes are starting soon and peppers and eggplants.  I have to make pesto this coming week and freeze it in small containers. I use it all year in cooking. 

I have a dish I call Zucchini Melange that I make all during the season.  It is never the same twice.  I make it with ground lamb or ground beef, with all zukes and part patty pans, with oregano and basil and sometimes cumin.  With our tomato sauce, the Italian type, or with a jar of our canned tomatoes.  With pesto or without.  Different every time but always good and served with whole wheat pasta.  That’s what we like. For guests, I used the regular pasta.  I’ve been making pasta salads again after a long hiatus, a number of different ones.  All good.