Ad and subtract

This is Leah, the cutest cat ever. The idea of getting  a cat
was prompted by the presence of a large herd of mice that live in the cellar and under the garage, attracted by the constant chicken feed buffet available to them. I have ignored them as much as possible, warning the girls to send their guests home before I round the corner of the house.  Nevertheless, there are usually some stragglers headed for cover as I come into view.  The population has grown to proportions quite unacceptable, even to me.  There is no way I will intentionally kill any living thing, so traps or poison were unacceptable.  I asked Lisa, who has chickens, about the problem and she told me she has no problem because she has cats.  Ahah!, I thought.  But then I realized I wouldn't let any cat of mine outside because of the danger out there.  Nevertheless, the idea had been planted, and to make a longish story short, I adopted Leah from the shelter in Calais.  According to sources on the internet, though, cat litter is supposed to drive rodents away, so I've been trying that.  I empty Leah's cat box outside around the foundation of the garage and the house, where the mice live.  I believe it is working.........or possibly it is just wishful thinking and selective observation that keeps me from seeing the little freeloaders.

Then there are the birds.  For a short time I had two parakeets.  They were given to me by an acquaintance who read on my blog that I was considering getting some.  Enter Penny and Joshua.  I got them a month or so ago and loved their presence.   Joshua died a few days ago for some unknown (to me) reason.  I sadly buried him in the garden.  Now Penny is alone, and I plan to get her a companion as soon as I can get to the pet shop in Ellsworth.  Despite the fact that I wanted birds because I thought I wouldn't get emotionally involved with them, I did, in fact, fall in love with them.  Losing Josh was very sad, tears were shed. This is Josh, and Penny is below.

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