(no subject)

I know, I know. I'm generally up OMFG early. But these days I'm up especially OMFG early. May whoever devised daylight savings time spend their next thousand lives surrounded by cats and babies. GAH! Merlin jumped up on the bed somewhere around 1:15, walked flatfooted up my leg, stood on my chest and started his rusty chainsaw purr (Siamese). Jerked me right out of my much needed REM sleep.

He then settled down next to me and purred as loudly as he could for the next hour. This is not the comforting, *sleepy* purr. This is the *get up, dammit* passive-aggressive purr. Then Freya joined in the fun by jumping onto my chest and starting to purr. HER purrs are usually accompanied by frenzies of licking my chin or next to my nose and then flinging herself about in an attempt to be petted. Odhinn's contribution was to settle himself across my knees and become a dead weight...who knew that a 5 lb. kitten could actually weigh 55 lbs?

I finally gave in at 2:15, and dragged my grumpy ass out of bed. Almost an hour earlier than I'd planned. I hate the switchover from daylight savings to standard. By the time the cats finally settle into it, it'll be time to change back to DST. I'm not sure a thousand lives is enough punishment....

mourning the loss of a tree...

Well, Dutch Elm disease has claimed another beautiful old tree on my block. The city cut most of the branches yesterday, and the rest was taken out today. *sigh* I wish they didn't have to...but the tree was killing itself slowly.

It's been spreading fast. This is the second tree in two years. I suspect that most of the elms on this block will be gone within the next few years.

The graceful old elm--
Dying...attacked by beetles.
Now cut down and gone.