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Not a good week. Had to put down my darling little rescue cat, with whom I had only two years. Inflammatory bowel disease is a bummer. She also had PTSD, which stressed her immune system. Best cat ever.

However, I also have a relationship with a wild bird, off-and-on during the winter when the tree outside my window loses its leaves, and all summer every day when the tree is in its full leafy glory. I watched this particular black phoebe win his hawking post when the lek (courtship and dominance contest which led to his becoming the local “alpha”) was held last summer. The prime insect-hunting position he won is on a cinderblock wall directly outside my window, that being also where the lek (12-20 local phoebes participated) occurred. Such an honor to accidentally get to see it all. He is also adorable, is outside my window most of the day during the summer, and he visits me at least once every evening to say good night.

I’m a cat-dog-bird person who can’t do dogs anymore because I’m 84 and my cane or walker are both a hindrance to puppy walking. Think I’ll quit while I’m behind on the kitties also, having lost my big persian to asthma (well, she was 14 yrs old!) also two years ago. I’m hoping the little phoebe guy will be careful because we have cannibal crows over here, and they love to raid small bird nests. Also we have some quite feral kitties who live on the grounds of this senior residence, and they would love to snack on a tiny bird (black phoebes are very small birds). Naughty owners who should keep kitties inside! Good luck to all kitty lovers everywhere.