I love it when ordinary objects become toys. This is even more desirable when doing something mundane like cleaning up. I love gardening...pushing my bare hands into cool damp dirt, digging, even weeding isn't so bad...but getting rid of the remnants of last fall...NOT fun. However, I remembered that I bought a new hose nozzle last winter and decided to try it for cleaning the patio bricks.
I never expected to use the words "nozzle" and "stellar" in the same sentence but...this new nozzle IS stellar! It's like a high powered fire-person's hose! I had a terrific time shooting the leaves off the patio. The flying leaves really should have been my first clue, but, alas, they weren't. I had placed the garden angel on the patio to clean her dirty little face. Well....when the jet stream of water hit her, she flew down the patio like a bat outta hell! It was great. (I admit, I am very easily entertained.)
But the show wasn't quite over. After cleaning up the patio and planting my first annuals, I let Tai outside. She loves being outside with her little animal friends, especially the squirrels...but not in a Disney sort of way. They blink, she stalks. They run, she chases. She thinks she's one of them; today she discovered that she is not. Squirrels can run up brick walls. Cats that think they are squirrels can only run half-way up brick walls. Then they freeze, about 12 feet from the ground, on the brick wall. I had no idea my cat could climb a wall. But what I learned is that I must really like the little rascal because instead of grabbing the camera, I started yelling "Help! Help! She's climbing the wall!" I never panicked like that when Sara broke her collarbone or when Aron broke his wrist. I was calm and collected and knew just what to do with my children. And now this silly cat, that I most often regard as a pest had me frantic. I admit she has some qualities I admire...she's cute but not prissy and she's daring. If only she'd learn to vacuum up after herself.......
