-
マザー牧場 (Mother Farm)
Today we took a day off from everything and went on an adventure to Mother’s Bokujo, a farm-theme attraction about a half hour north of us. It exceeded my expectations. For those who like wholesome fun, it’s a great day out. I thought it was nicely designed so that the experience was light and energetic…
-
Happy half-birthday, kittens!
Six months ago, Three gave birth to Maura, Futatsuyama, Isabella Bird, and Fritter. These days, they look more like cats than kittens, but they still play like kids. Today they got a lunchtime treat. Maura waited til everyone else rushed for the first bowl, then he sauntered over as I sat down the second bowl.…
-
Happy at harvest
I didn’t take any photos today. The view from Hatanaka’s rice fields was beautiful and it always makes me happy to see the Hiratsuka valley nestled into the mountains. The images are etched in my mind: the red torii in the distance; the mined-flat top of the mountain to the west; the nearby trees and…
-
Licking Hour
Ah, the kittens continue to be adorable as they approach their half year birthday. Today I came outside and they came running over to sit near me. They were doing their own things, but everyone had something in common, licking.
-
We have electricity
Zan decided in the morning that she wanted to return to her house; living here as a refugee with her two cats was really stressful for all of them. After yoga, we helped her pack her belongings into the kei-truck and drove her down the road to her almost perfectly fine (slightly crushed and still…
-
Typhoon #15
Wow, that was incredible. The biggest typhoon I’ve ever experienced. We went to bed last night knowing there’d be high winds and rain, so had battened down the hatches and let the cats inside for the night. They were nervous. First asleep in a pile near the door, as the wind picked up they began…
-
Ashes to ocean
We interred most of Mom’s ashes in a pretty pottery urn inside a vault in shared plot with Dad’s at the cemetery in Ephrata, but we took a small portion to scatter. Is it grim that we saved some of Dad’s ashes all these years, just for this moment? On a hot sunny day, we…
-
Fran Hill, 1940 – 2019
In Loving Memory Frances Elizabeth (Burroughs) Hill, 79, of Ephrata, PA, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 8, 2019, at Maple Farm Nursing Center. Fran was born on February 6, 1940, and graduated from Merchantville High School in 1957. She earned her R.N. from Presbyterian School of Nursing in Philadelphia in 1960. She married Phillip…
-
Kittens!
I have never seen such tiny and determined beings. They came out one at a time, with very little fuss from Three. She licked their cauls off and they went right to work suckling. It is so different than her last experience – these little ones were definitely healthy and ready to be born. Maura…
-
Wedding party
Jeannie McQuillin married Tim Enright today. I have a second father-in-law and a whole new set of relatives. Tod walked his mother down the aisle and later danced with her at the reception. It was a joyful evening for everyone – with lots of food and drink, a DJ who played a wide range of…
Archives