12 September, 2020 - Deer & Octupi

 Dear, Mom -

Today is Saturday and outside of checking on Birgit to make sure everything is okay, I really couldn’t do anything due to our ‘stay at home’ orders because of the thick smoke. Holly and I stayed inside all day. I took Elsa the dog for a half an hour walk this morning and let her run just a bit. The ash in the air was actually visible, so I didn’t want her to breathe it for too long. Poor pup. She has been so bored all day. Her favorite time of day is around 5 pm when Paula has her go over for biscuits. Paula is next door and she and Birgit both love Elsa. Paula has always had bigger dogs and Birgit has a bigger than usual Swedish poodle, but compared to Elsa, she is still quite small. So, Paula gets her big dog love from Elsa. It’s fine by us. Their house is like a second home to her, so if we ever need to leave her some where while we go away, it’s the next best place to being home.

Holly talked to her folks, Doug and Betsy, down in San Antonio, Texas today. They have a house that is in a neighborhood that has herds of deer in the back yard. They actively feed and water them. In San Antonio, it is so hot and humid that is is really fortunate for the deer that they are looked after. The bed down there and have little fawns. There is one doe that just waits outside the window for Doug to come out and feed her. Apparently, the does do not like the bucks to come around and bully them a bit from getting any of the chow that’s out. I’d love to live in a place where we have wildlife in the back yard. Well, maybe not bears and cougars, but deer would be great. Maybe some day I will be able to live in a place with some acreage and animals. I’d like a couple of horses, a couple of donkeys, some goats, chickens for eggs, some barn cats, and more domesticated dogs and cats. I will keep dreaming because you never know what might happen.

A frosted rose

The roses are starting to wrap it up for the year. So pretty.

Holly and I watched a really great documentary about a man who befriends an octopus off the coast of South Africa. He documents its life and earns its trust over the course of a year. I’ve never seen such a beaufitful movie about a creature of the sea as this one. Octupi are extremely smart and actually really beautiful animals. Humans just don’t understand most animals as much as they think they do. I think they have just as many emotions as we do. And I think they have a capacity for empathy and understanding. It’s not their faults they cannot speak our language to tell us. It is evident in their eyes. I love animals. I think that is definitely a trait that dad passed on to me and for that I am very thankful.

I love you lots, mom. I’m so sorry that I am not able to come visit right now, but I will as soon as I possibly can. I think about you all the time, so know that you are with me throughout the day.

🥰✨❤️All My Love to You, Your Daughter, —-Sally❤️✨🥰