Today marks three years since the tornado began its sweep through our emotions and the painful process of Mom's leaving us began. I didn't know then what message was being given to me when that little tree snapped like it did, but now I do: "Something's coming."

NP: silent house, but for the dribble of water in the aquarium behind me

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If you're wondering why you don't receive notifies like you used to, it's because -- well, don't make me explain, just sign up again:

This pair of geese gets up and waddles off when I walk past them, on the road. They were there yesterday too. I'm hoping they'll nest here and get used to seeing me, and not be in such a big hurry to put distance between me and them. I should be so lucky.

Further on down the road the creek is teeming with muskrats. Once the dog had plunged into the water on the other side of the road to go swimming after some ducks, I stood still for a minute and that's all it took for about three different muskrats to come swimming up to take a look at me.

They really do look like land rats, don't they. Look at that tail.

After supper I told Everett about the muskrats and suggested he come with me for a sunset walk and maybe he'd get a chance to see them too. He did, but I was almost sorry. He likes to re-tell the dialogue of his favourite movies and TV shows, and it is hard to get him to shut up. Finally I said, "You'll scare the muskrats away" and he piped down for a few minutes.

We saw several, and also an American Bittern, commonly called a "slough pump" around here, standing in the ditch until we came up alongside it. I only got a photo of it in flight; not a good one. We listened to a pair of great horned owls calling back and forth to each other in the trees, and a pack of coyotes yipping a little further away. The frogs are not quite as noisy as they were a week ago, when I could barely hear myself think as I walked down the road.

On the way back we came upon Scott's nephew leaning over a culvert with a net, hoping to catch minnows. But all he'd seen so far were leeches, he said.

I left Everett with him and carried on my merry and much quieter away. Just across from our driveway I stopped and took this photograph, looking south.

We were out for supper in Watson last night and drove home cross-country, seeing flock after flock of sandhill cranes standing in the stubblefields. Those are some huge birds! They must stand four or five feet tall. What a treat to see.

And finally, some of the contents of Scott's wallet after it got washed on Saturday: