Squirrely Shirley & The Nuts

After day after day of leaving me voice mails my mom finally got me on the phone this afternoon about 5.

Mom wanted my favorite ex-sister-in-law's email address so she could thank her for a real nice DVD the ex-sister-in-law had sent me and them. The DVD had videos of my grand-nephew, mom and dad's great grand-kid, Spencer Jack. Spencer Jack may be the cutest kid on the planet.

When I got off the phone I walked out to the living room zone and looked out the patio doors to see my pet squirrel, ironically named Shirley, nibbling on the fresh growth popping out on the trees.

Ironically named Shirley, I say, because I'd just gotten off the phone with my mom who also is a Shirley. Squirrely Shirley is still out there doing her balancing act on the thin limbs. She is quite an acrobat. I leave Shirley nuts out on the patio. Shirley likes nuts.

My mom reminded me today that I'm coming to Phoenix to load up on citrus, and that I better hurry because the lemon season is nearing its end.

My aerobic therapy was the Tandy Hills again today. Signs of spring are starting to sprout. In about a month or so Texas becomes very colorful, with wildflowers sprouting out all over the place. It's my favorite time of the year here, wildflowers, wild weather, warmer temperatures.

And then summer hits. But, actually, I've learned to like summer too. I don't let 100 degree or more days stop me from having fun outside. For the most part. It can get vexing when too many 100 degree days in a row make the swimming pool's water feel like a bath tub. That I don't like.

One thing I know for 100% certain, this summer I am staying in Texas. I will not be spending a frigid month in the cold north, like I did last summer. I've still not totally recovered from that. Although I always have to remind myself, even though it was traumatic, it did fix a long-standing problem that had me vexed. But, I actually could have fixed that without leaving Texas. All I had to do was not answer my phone....