The critters with whom we share our lives

It's a sad day today. Manx, the livelier of the two budgies, died this morning. We knew he was sick. I took him to the vet on Thursday and got the bad news. We've kept him as happy and comfortable as we could and he continued to be pretty feisty until the end. Last night he was out of the cage on Richard's hand which is a big accomplishment. He was also eating millet with his regular gusto so I think he had a good last meal.

He was all puffed up this morning and got to the point where he was losing his balance on the perch and made his way down to the bottom of the cage and lay down. I called the vet and when I picked him up to put him in the carrier he was still breathing. I talked softy to him, which I like to believe helped him stay calm, and by the time I got him to the vet's he was dead.

We will miss him. He was the one who kept up the running budgie commentary during the day and had the repertoire of strange little noises that made us laugh. The house is very quiet now. Perhaps Angus, the remaining budgie will start making some noises. Who knows. We find budgie chatter so cheerful and have enjoyed the way it has filled the house for the last 11 months.

I don't think we'll be getting another bird for a while. We'll concentrate on the flock of two we have. It's sad when a pet dies but they provide us with so much entertainment and laughter and really demand very little in return. I hope Manx had a good life with us albeit a short one.

Very Different This Year

Here we are in the second week of Advent and this year the Christmas Season will be different in many ways. It will be the first Christmas without Richard's mom and the second Christmas without my mum. Even though neither of them was able to come to Christmas dinner for the last couple of years, we set aside time to see them on Christmas Day. Usually we have planned Christmas well in advance but this year it will be very casual. We're having one friend over and perhaps David and perhaps Bill depending on when he is going out to the coast. It will be very quiet.

The lead up to Christmas has always been a time of great anticipation, probably because I've always been exhausted at this point in the year and have felt that if I could just hang on until the holidays, I could rejuvenate. I watch myself calmly living the days this year and I'm very grateful that I feel none of the desperation that usually accompanies the season. I'm not exhausted from teaching. I get enough sleep and my days are filled with interesting things to do.

I have one more coat of wax to put on the last of the Christmas commissions so I'm well ahead of the game there instead of putting finishing touches on boxes on Christmas Eve. I have no gifts bought for Richard yet but I have a couple of ideas. Christmas will be small this year since we have only 3 people besides each other with whom we exchange gifts.

The singing schedule is busy as it is every year and that is what makes the season fun. This year in our house, Christmas will be a quiet time to look back and enjoy all the gifts we have throughout the year. Mum used to say that she didn't like Christmas because all of her usual activities came to a halt. Perhaps I will feel that way one day but this year I'm grateful that so many of the days have been like Christmas Day, pleasant cozy and quiet. I know it's nearing Christmas because the Christmas cactus that refused to bloom for so many years has many blooms on it.

The bunny that frequents our yard has turned white even though there is very little snow. He (she?) nibbles at the bits of grass that are still green and sometimes snuggles up to the woodpile where it's more sheltered. I saw the cat from across the street in our yard today and wondered if it would scare the bunny off but the bunny remained in the yard for much of the afternoon. I always like to look out my window and see him there.

Another way I know Christmas is coming is that it's dark out at 5 pm, although this year I can go out in the sun every day if I want to and I don't have to drive to work in the dark and come home in the dark. So many changes. most of them good.