Today is a good day because a homeless parolee fellow I have kind of adopted saw my porch light was on at 2 Am and stopped by for a chat, a prayer and meal. Thank the Good Lord he's now off Methamphetamines, looking wonderful and possibly getting a bus ticket to go back home to the midwest.

I met him and a friend of his one night while brushing my dog in my yard at 3 am. (I'm up late a lot from chronic pain. When I can't sleep, I take the dog outside to look at the stars. ) His friend is back in jail and since he violated his parole (stole some beer), he'll most likely bo back to prison for 3 to 6 years or maybe even Life cuz of the 3 strikes law. That made me very sad. But.. I was happy that the other fellow, J. is doing so much better.

I made him some hot buttered biscuits and coffee and loaded him up with the things folks in his position often need - clove oil, plasters (band-aids), clean socks and t-shirt, fresh razor, soap, shampoo, batteries and so on. We had a lovely visit.

J. is a big reader and both he and my husband like Dean Koontz novels. Every time he comes by, we give him a new one. Tonite he was optimistic enough to take 2 books which is good. it means he probably has things a little bit better and has a place to stay some nights.

J is always trying to give me things of value he finds (not steals mind you, finds, usually in the trash). last time he gave me a set of 4 cordial glasses he dug out of the trash and cleaned up. They turned out to be antiques but not of any value. Still, they're lovely. Someone probably tossed them because they broke a couple. I have told him time and time again that the thing of most value he gives me is his friendship, his prayers and his recovery from substance abuse.

If any of you are the praying type, please pray for J. He finsihed his parole a week ago and is free to leave the State. He's clean and sober now for a month and what he needs most is to find a way back home to his family. In the meantime, i'll keep making him coffee and biscuits!

It is indeed a good day.

Oh, and my Maximillan sunflowers have started to bloom. I have a huge stand of them growing by the side of my house. they are native to the american plains and if supprted properly will grow to 25 feet. Ours are about 22 feet high this year and the tops are starting to bloom. They are a branching variety so soon I will have a riote of sunflowers! The blooms are about the size of a silver dollar. I mostly grow them for the birds who feed on the seed. The flowers are high enough off the ground to provide them safe haven from prowling pussycats. They get to eat and hang out in the branches. I get a lovely privacy screen in return.

it's also a good day because Inky the feral cat who lives under my house came through his surgery well. He may have cancer. He has had a recurring nasty cyst under his ear by his eye. The biopsy comes back in a day or so. If it is cancer, we will just let him go about his life until it re-occurs and then make a decision about whether or not to put him to sleep. He refuses to live indoors and we have an epileptic dog whose medications cost us $150 a month. that and we have an 11 year old siamese cat with breast cancer. One cannot save all the feral kitties I'm afraid. Lord knows I've tried. let's alll hope that Inky is just prone to silly cysts and not cancer. he's a sweet boy and I like him.