Pets and other mixed blessings

 Here's the current reading 

He also wonders to what extent pets really are good for our health, an interesting and provocative question.

My own experience of fifty years of sharing my home with multiple animals, all rescues one way or another, is that I loved them a great deal. I wondered how I'd manage after Duncan, my last cat, died in old age. 

Then I found that I experienced great relief from the incessant worry about aging and frail pets. The financial burden was very real. 

Most of all, I found my own company was enough, surprisingly. When single people with pets say they live alone, they don't. You're alone when you have no animals nor people. 

I'm surprised to realize that worry, as the only human in the house, without a partner to share the responsibility and cost, had overtaken pleasure in the company of my aging frail pets. Live and learn.  

So that's where I am.  We do have a confused and confusing relationship with animals, and I don't claim all the wisdom, just observation of my own experience.  

The age of the human is a factor. After eighty, things are different, at least for me. Back in my seventies, no problem, but later, not so much.  Right now I'm happy to have a puppy next door, kitties across the street. 

The owners of same were over yesterday to admire my flower garden and I'm going to be given another clump of daisies from a prolific bed of them across the street. 

More like these, which I have out front. I'll put them outside the back fence to proliferate at will.

So that's me. Still cool enough to walk today. My hip appreciates that, much less owie when I get out walking.

On the home front, more demands, sigh. I still have to replace the water heater at the condo to satisfy HOA needs. And now I'm getting reminders that I have to get the chimney and dryer vents inspected and cleaned at the townhouse I live in.  Also proof of insurance, which I did right away, that was easy.

These are all safety issues, but arghgh, another expensive summer, what with hearing aids. Good thing my idea of vacation is sitting reading on the deck.  I haven't used the fireplace in years, but getting it sealed is more expensive than getting it inspected when they notice it's due.

Last summer it was fridges, two, one for each property, oh well.  Summertime, and the livin's expensive, tra-la.

Update on the ficus: she's been repotted in a much bigger, terracotta, pot, pruned a bit and is in excellent hands. I don't have the strength to do what her new custodians have done for her, so it's all good. And she's now in a place with soaring ceilings and overhead light, so she'll probably get taller. I feel rewarded. 

Next time I'm there I'll get a picture if they'll let me. Photos have been banned thanks to the antics of right wing book banners trying to doxx library staff. But they might let me do a sneaky snap. 

Happy day, everyone, life's a banquet. Off to walk now and stitch while listening to Herzog, later.

And a request: bloggers who routinely get my comments. In the last few days almost all are vanishing, probably into spam. I often ask about this, and some people are very obliging in checking their spam and rescuing comments. Please check! Otherwise it's not a functioning dialog. Anyway, just sayin'.