This morning started with the sky doing a sensuous veil-dance with the layered clouds- teasing me with the promise of sunshine. I got up around 6:30- sleeping in with three hungry 'alarm clocks' is almost impossible-to greet the day. Hey, it was 2 hours later than M-F rising time, though. I got the puppers fed and let them out to do what pups need to do in the morning.
After letting the Furkiddos back in, I headed for the shower with Hannah trying to climb in my skin because, just then, a new round of thunderstorms started rolling in. Hannah Ruth (Rotti-X) hates storms. She quivers like a fur-covered earthquake and pants like gigantic bellows which Paul Bunyan, himself, could use to stoke a farrier's fire. And she clings to me as if made of Velcro. I try to be sympathetic, but too much will send an animal into displaying this behavior even more frequently. So it's a fine line of "poor baby- it's alright" and "go away, you're fine".
The weather lady on T.V. started to announce a tornado just 15 miles away. OK...time to get dressed, get on 'real shoes', stuff the kitties in the carrier, put the cellphone in pocket, turn up the volume on the T.V. and get us into the closet or hall. When you live in a mobile home with no place to run or a ditch to jump into- this is the best that can be done. The house is a 2002, so newer tie-downs and wind resistance are built into it. But no house, 'real' or manufactured, will survive a direct hit. If the storm comes from the SW, then we get into the master closet. If, like today, the storm is coming in from the NW, then it's the hallway. The bathrooms have either glass shower-doors or is next to the large appliances. Exactly where you don't want to be in case of a roll-over.
The wind started howling and the trees we do have, were bending. I had opened all the shades to watch the sky for rotation through the sideways sheets of rain. I glanced out the kitchen window and saw a sight that just made me laugh. Neither torrential rain or gale force wind could keep a hummingbird male from trying to sip from the feeder. I say "try" because the feeder was a rockin' and the hummer was shooting past the holes with each attempted sip. He finally took refuge under the porch and landed on a garden-art stake. One shaped just like him and he landed on its 'beak' and remained there for about 25 minutes. That's him in the pic above. I took it through the window, as I didn't want to scare him back into the storm. Poor baby boy. He works hard for the 'honey'. (Actually, sugar, but honey fit better there. Honey is not to be used in feeders.).
All hands, paws and beaks are accounted for, Captain. All the pups are lounging on the bed, asleep. Not-so-little paws doing dream-weaving- maybe chasing big, bad storms away. Now it's just another Spring day in Texas. Sun's out and the birds and butterflies are doing their winged things. And I'm about to do my thing: clay. I need to make pots and platters for a sale in July. A blessed day to all who stop by.
The "Smoochie" has been through the refiners fire. I am pleased with the results. He/she will be packaged in the gable box with holes punched at the top. I'm trying for the just-home-from-the-pet-store look.
I have a thing about the packaging presentation of a product. Sometimes my ideas work and sometimes the word "flop-a-rama" describes my attempts. These boxes are extremely inexpensive when purchased in 100 lots. A major plus is that they come folded. I am running out of room to stuff pottery, bubble wrap, mailer boxes, tote boxes to carry to sales, outside sale shelving, and the general wrapping supplies. Whew!
