My birthday gift to myself this year... I am buying the bat house and pole to mount it.  With the neighboring house selling (and from what I understand they will be moving in July) I have a window of opportunity to put it in without a neighbor having much to say thanks to the transition period.

I may have also bought a few halloween themed items.  I got a little taste of code orange at At Home and I want MORE!

Literally. every. day.

I finally heard back.  It seems a message setting the time and address never got to me?  Long story short - yep, he's adopted now too.

I'm getting tired of seeing posts from rescues saying they're desperate for adopters. #disbelieve I've now had tears over two dogs and two cats - none of which did I even get to meet.

I'm just going to sit here in the AC (car read 96 degrees while we stopped at the farmer's market today), cry a little, and feel sh*tty.  I might need a mojito.

 Avery got the first ripe cherry tomato yesterday.  There are a few more that are a day or two away from perfection, a couple of fistfuls worth of green ones growing, and a ton of blooms.  Avery insisted on gathering seeds from the yellow cherry tomatoes she was eating this evening (purchased last week at the farmer's market) -- she and her dad planted them in the pot where a previous planting didn't make it.  The peppers are still only about 8" high - expectations remain very low there.  Two strawberries are ripening and the mint continues to go gang busters.  Same for the weeds, they're having a hell of a good time out there and it's too friggin hot for me to want to go weed.

Another day another disappointment on critters... I spotted a blind senior gal that checked a lot of the boxes for me.  A conversation had ensued... and now tonight word comes that the foster mom has decided to keep her.  Great news for the kittie and foster mom, sadness for me.  Still nothing from the folks I was to meet with over the weekend either.

I have been in communications with a foster-based group that has a cat that I am drawn to... I had filled out their application and after being asked if I could come to meet him tonight I had bought a few basic supplies because I didn't want to be completely unprepared if things went swimmingly.  After all, it won't break me, and even if I never adopt I can always make a donation somewhere, right?

I indicated we could do it Thursday morning.  When I didn't hear anything by noonish I followed up with an email asking a few questions to see what their expectations were, see how much he weighed, what he is presently eating, etc... radio silence.

I had decided it was a good nudge to take Friday afternoon off to use a few hours that are use or loose.  I decided to hit At Home (code orange!) and could easily head the rest of the way there.  I even decided to go to a cat cafe type place in the burgh.  Since I didn't hear back, I didn't get to meet that cat, but we did do the rest of the things I had planned.  No perfect match identified at the cafe, which is prb good since they have no clue regarding dogs for any of them.

I wrapped up the two projects I was leading earlier this week, so for once I feel like I can breathe.  Not feeling the need to get online after kiddo is in bed -- or this weekend for that matter -- feels weird, but good.  Gotta relax before the next dumpster fire gets lit.

I talked with the foster family that had the puppy.  Long story short, my heart is broken, I cried a lot and had a hard time sending the message - but I waved meeting him.  It just isn't the right time to consider a puppy.  His name popping back up on adoption sites has me sad again.  I did get more photos of him.  He is just gorgeous.

Shortly after my last dog-related post I spotted, of all things, a puppy available.  Because I am absolutely insane I put in an application.  I knew that the listing was associated with a post that indicated they were looking for the owner.  The listing disappeared as quickly and quietly as it appeared on the rescue site, so I presumed the owner was found or an adoption happened.

I continued looking around and started to fall for a kittie.  But you know, any relationship on the internet is misleading.  I had reached out to learn more about the cat, I am to talk to them today.

So, surprise -- the rescue with the puppy contacted me today!  Sounds like I am second choice to another family (not butt hurt about that.)  Now my brain isn't sure what to do.  I guess I meet and see how we all feel about one another, right?  If my prayers have been that God leads me to the right option for our family I need to follow through and let Him tell me, right?

PSA:  If you have a tension headache up the back of your neck, don't go to 2 hours of physical therapy for your shoulder.  Frell me sideways with a chainsaw.  I thought back spasms sucked, neck spasms are way worse.

The good news is that I had gone a month and a half without troubling pain -- and this should fade.  If it doesn't lighten up over night I think I need to call the chiropractor to make sure I didn't jack myself out of alignment somehow.

Another critter has been on my mind for a while now.  Last year I was a big advocate that "if you were thinking about a pet the pandemic was a great time to do it".  Having just lost Dani last year and Avery being as young as she is, I wasn't ready.  Maybe Avery is still too young and it is better to wait.  Maybe that's what the universe is trying to tell me - instead, I have to admit instead it is making me feel unworthy.

The first dog I reached out to learn more about was met with a "sorry, already adopted" message.  Ok, that's good news.  The second and third I filled out an adoption application and reached out concurrently indicating that I filled out the application to be respectful and to demonstrate I was serious, but that I had a few questions about the dog and the rescue.  Neither answered until I messaged again.  The second was effectively another "already adopted" message and the third really hurt my feelings (even after I looked into the rescue further online and saw that the person running it seems to be nasty with and judgmental of everyone that applies).  The response, if you care, was indicating that my training methods were "out of date" and that hence they wouldn't be proceeding with my application.  As I responded to them - it has been 12 years since I welcomed a new pet into my house.  Ultimately, you shouldn't be working rescue if you're not willing to have a dialog with people.  If you had talked with me you would have seen that I was open to recommendations and maybe you would have had a different view.  The extra crappy thing is - this dog was spot on to what I was looking for in several ways.

It's been a few weeks.  I've been thinking.  Avery wants a cat - I mean, as much as any almost 4 year old has a clue what they want.  I have had allergy issues in the past and I've never lived with a cat.  I can't deal with things being knocked over and walking on the counters etc, so maybe it isn't an option at all, but I admit I have looked around and pondered if I could live with a cat.  Bigger question - can Saffy live with a cat?  I know Dani couldn't have.  How I determine if Saffy would be okay with it is beyond me.

I'm not trying to rush and I do believe in finding the right pet.  So this past weekend I thought Avery and I would stop after swim practice at a local rescue that has both dogs and cats to meet a few that piqued my interest, to see how they interacted with Avery (and vice versa), and to talk to them a bit.  Adoring rescue groups I went with a few things to donate.  Note that their website was updated to indicate as of June 1 their hours are 9am-3pm Sat and Sunday.  It also indicates that the adoption process is to 1 come visit the facility, 2 complete an application, ... etc.

Yeah, that didn't go well.  A woman outside of the dog building indicated they were too busy and wouldn't have anything suitable for a young child anyhow.  Uh, ok.  Sinking feeling.  The woman bringing things into the cat building was more accommodating and at least allowed us in to see a few of the cats in their cages.  She was also willing to have a dialog with me, but the whole thing just left me a bit in the dumps about the whole thing.

I may need/want for the local shelter to have a Siberian and apply.  They expect you to note which dog you're applying for and the best family will be selected.  I have a funny feeling everyone will say 'no kids' on a Siberian, so maybe the decision is made for me.

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Ok, on to something less depressing... the swing set is here - being put together as I type.  I can't wait to see her face.

I snagged another basil plant.  I need to get it into a pot.  Maybe I'll just leave it inside on the counter.  Two of the from seed tomato plants look like they are going to go for it.  Given that it is June they are pretty far behind for all the bigger they are, so we'll see how it goes.  The pepper plants aren't dead, but they haven't changed size much either.

The baby mourning doves have left, but I think one of the parents is fixing up the nest.  The internet tells me they have 2-3 broods a year, so I suspect they intend to stick around and didn't mind me gawking at them.

The would-be in-law came yesterday to work on the back yard.  He's had a lot on his plate this year, so I greatly appreciate the support.  It's nice to have someone who does landscaping professionally in the family.  My discontentment with the situation out there has been greatly reduced.  We still have to figure out what to do with the sharp drop off to the fence, but getting a border in with rubber mulch for the swing set and top soil with seed in around that makes it look NOT a mud pit.

I heard something that gave me great anxiety a week ago.  I haven't been talking with most anyone about it, hoping my anxiety on the scenario would pass naturally, but it still has my hackles up and fills me with questions that are none of my business.  It really shouldn't end up effecting me one way or the other... gotta let it slide out of my brain.  Don't get me wrong, I am glad that I was given this information.