The economy has kept Bessie and the Heffers

away from the coffee truck lately. The first time I called them that I nearly was trampled by them. They only let their dearest friends use that term endearingly to them. That's what they are and they now have allowed me to call them that. But I warn you, don't you go calling them that or they will bolt at you as though they were bulls!
I will never forget the first time I met Bessie at the coffee truck with the girls, gossipping over the hay and chewing the cud. I saw Bessie from the rear and said to myself there goes a rear about the same size as mine and I better get jogging. She always reminds me to workout. She has a reason to be that size, I don't. But quickly we became friends and many little stories of the trip to the city and the trip to the cousins and how the girls went to the Copa and were hanging out and got tripped up in the city from those city slicker Bulls.
Now they have sobered up and are older and the economy keeps them close to home these days, but they still find a way to have a good time, if a sober time. They have been building skills and working out and teaching the little ones the lessons from some of the mistakes they made at the coffee truck and in the city. They have been tending to the little ones with gentleness and courtesy, because now they see where the city slicker lifestyle can carry a cow or two.

At lunch the other day,

I saw a big bunny dragging her babies to midday prayer. I was very surprised that bunnies pray so I took a bite of my magic mushroom to follow them and I had to grab my jacket, because I was cold. I ran as fast as I could to their little gathering under the stairs behind the building. I saw her and I ran and stumbled in the door and the sound of the clap of my thighs as I fell to the ground made all of the bunnies stop praying and look at me. I was very embarrassed, not just because of the slap of the sound of my thighs but also because I had interrupted such a solemn moment. Ma Bunny hopped over to help me up. It hit me later that I should have been afraid because I was much smaller than she was at that moment and if she wanted to she could have done me some harm. But she seemed to know that I came in peace.
I tried to be respectful of their prayer time but it was very hard because the gathering place was decorated with items that they had that seemed to remind them of God's amazing provision for them. I wanted to write down what I saw, but I had forgotten my pen and by the time they had said amen, It was time for me to go back to work from lunch so I ate my mushroom and ran as fast as I could to my machine.

The other day I caught

a glimpse of the finch family in a game of leaf polo on the bushes. Their parents are very creative at keeping the little ones active in these lean times. They made use of the same bushes where the circus had just pulled up the webs from and they were romping and playing with the baby finches with glee. These are the good old days for them. What a huge difference between them and the Robin family where Pop Robin was just counting the minutes to the robinlings departure so that he could have his wife back. He has her back now and in his glory.

I never saw a happier bird

than Poprobin, when he came back from this trip to the city.
I told you before that they had gone to New York to visit some family and hopefully find mates for the robinlings.
He got rid of the whole kit and kaboodle and when I got to work, he was singing on the tallest tree at the job. I have never seen him do anything but sulk, since the robinlings had hatched. Now he has Mrs. Robin to himself again and he is singing for joy. Joy, that he "thinks" he has her all to himself again. I didn't see her since they have returned.

The Spider Circus

Wrapped everything up and took their bush trampolenes home with them. The finch children were disappointed that the season of the circus was so short for them. Momma, I wish that the spiders would leave the trampolenes up all year long, they said. Momma and poppa explained to them that the rain and the other elements would not allow the webs to stay taut enough to jump on and that once the spiders had their savings banks full, they could take down the circus and rest for the rest of the year. Except for an occasional fresh fly or two when they got sick of the frozen food. The seasonal changes are always good for great instruction to the babies on some natural subject or another. Papa finch took the opportunity to teach a very long lesson on the saving and conservation principles. I don't have room to put all that he said.

The pompous rose bushes

have shed some of their beauteous petals to the wind and to the chill. They are humbled by the weather and though they still stand erect, there are fewer petals on them. They have lost none of their beauty, just a little bit of their pomposity.
The peonies are dancing in the breeze, while the roses are weeping at the cold.