Bewitched in the Woods

Blackberry bushes are encroaching on my newly built fence. I will handle that soon enough--I have a plan and money to carry out the plan. My concern has always been, how far back I should cut the bastards--also fuck Luther Burbank for introducing Himilayan Blackberry to the Seattle area. According to neighbors, prior to my purchase of the home, there had been a homeless encampment on the county land adjacent to my property. The sticker bushes cover all that land now, and are on the lower 3/4 acres of my land. This means no homeless encampment--or so I thought. It also means rats, field mice, possums, coyotes, and raccoons. I have seen all since moving in. No rats close by, but I know they are here. As a bonus, raptor sightings are not infrequent--a bald eagle was in my yard a week or so ago, and it isn't uncommon for a Cooper's Hawk to seek prey on my property.

Willow coaxed me out of bed last night at 1:00 a.m. I got her out into the yard to do her business--a yard well illuminated thanks to the installation of motion sensitive solar lights--and she ran out like a greyhound chasing a rabbit. I heard someone singing-a drunk in a midnight choir as it were--and the cacophony was coming from the county green space to the Southeast--but close enough that I could hear words. After doing her business, Willow bee-lined to the southeast portion of the fence--barked only twice (thank God) in the direction of the noise. I'm thinking a moat six feet wide and 10 feet deep around the perimeter to keep anyone from encroaching on the property should do the trick. Given the number of times the lower section of this house was supposedly broken into the last time there was an encampment, I am relieved, if not glad, she will be in South Hadley in 17 days.

Entry 2 9:36 p.m.

Abby is having a pizza party with a lot of kids here. All good kids, some drama kids, some from high school. I suspect one of them, Emma, is more than a friend. This is a Twilight hate watch party, but also a goodbye party, even if not labeled as such. Abby has a large network of friends, and a tight night group of friends, and other than Max, I know none of them. I don't really know Max, except that they were in YTN together for years and years.That they aren't stealing my booze or smoking pot is hard for me to grok, given my behavior at that age. But, they could give a rip about any of that stuff, and I am glad.

Addie, the house/dog sitter came today to meet Willow. She is going to be great. I took her around the house, which I had cleaned before she arrived, and had her walk Willow up the street so Willow would remember her. It is just miraculous.

This morning I got up early and went to Lowes, where I purchased cedar mulch to spread along the front
of the fence where the handyman had laid down weed block and the meager rations of bark we had on hand when he was here. I know have to go buy bricks to make a border along that section of fence. 

My knee hurts. I waited to work out until this evening, having been rather preoccupied with shopping, yard work, sitter introductions et cetera. When I weighed myself earlier I was at 172.8, so, the trend is encouraging.

I must sleep, rehab tomorrow.