I know this isn’t necessarily a “springy” picture, but it is a good representation of what my evenings are like these days. I’m not sure why, but FenFen and Copernicus have decided they need to vie for my attention at night. In the picture, Copernicus is laying on my outstretched legs, head away from me and FenFen is snuggled up at my side, head on Copernicus’s back. Much to FenFen’s joy, Copernicus will even allow Fen to lick him from time to time. It is an odd set up, but evidently it works for them, even if it doesn’t exactly work for me when I’m trying to read.
We did have an absolutely beautiful day here in the Midwest where I live. The temperature was more like May than March. I’m not complaining. We’ve had a few days like that and it’s given me an opportunity to clean out the flower beds.
On a brand new spring note . . . a pair of red tailed hawks have built a nest in the large sycamore tree in front of my house. I’ve lived here for over fifteen years and this is a first. About three weeks ago, on one of those unseasonably warm days, I was out in the front yard, getting ready to pick up sticks and thought I heard a rustling sound in the tree. I looked up and thought, “Holy shit, that’s the largest squirrel nest I’ve ever seen.” About that time, I heard a loud screech and looked up to see it wasn’t a squirrel, but a hawk. It’s been interesting watching them. The nest has gotten more substantial over the past two weeks. I wish I could see them better but they are up too high. I could climb on the roof but with my fear of heights, that’s not wise. I’m excited to have them but admittedly disturbed when I see one of them fly overhead with some small mammal dangling from their talons. That’s a definite squishy ick feeling.
On the book writing front, Pushing Up Roses, the 6th installment in the Reaping Covetous series came back from line editing last week. I’ve been reading through the edits and it will go out again in another couple of weeks. Then it still has to go for proofreading so it’ll be another couple of months until it is published and available. Book 7, Reaping Consequences (the final book) is also done but hasn’t gone out for editing yet. I’m currently working on a book that has nothing to do with the series and it will probably be called, Perfectly Imperfect Pixie. I’m about half way through writing it but it isn’t schedule for editing until July so that one’s a loooong way out. I’ve got other stories milling about in my head to start on once I’m done with the pixie book (that’s what I keep calling it in my head, and in my computer).
Work is still crazy busy. I looked at the schedule the other day and noted I’m about 2 months booked out for surgery which just sounds insane to me. This May, I will have been a veterinarian for twenty years and I’ve never seen the schedule like it’s been the past couple of years. And it only seems to be getting worse. Our new veterinarian starts in June and we’ve already gotten him on the schedule to start making appointments for. Again, that just sounds crazy to me. But reality seems to be getting nuttier and nuttier. I’ve heard that ostriches don’t really stick their heads in the sand. Whether they do or not, currently, I don’t think it’s all that bad of a plan.
That’s about it for now. If I can ever get a better photo of the hawks, I’ll post it. My phone only zooms so far and most of the picture is sycamore tree with a tiny bird head somewhere in the middle. Not that they sycamore tree isn’t pretty and all . . . but I’d like more of the hawk.
Until the next time: Newton, Copernicus, FenFen and I wish you well. Hopefully spring comes on swift wings that have staying power.
MJ May
veterinarian and fiction writer 