Letters from Ascension Hermitage and Sanctuary

OK everyone, here I am with my pillow and air conditioning, so I can relax and give the needs/wants list some thought!  Wish List . Sonny asked me to let you know that the horses really need/want a new salt lick on a rope. The horses do have a mineral salt block, but they love the one on a rope . . . Sonny even asked Sister Mary to take a picture so you can see how little of the old one is left.  This is the link address for the salt, I think - being a cat, I'm not always sure how these computer things work:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KAD811Ccoliid=I116YBFBB2LXVK&colid=1FB5Z27CS0ZPN&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it But on to other practical needs and wishes: 1. laundry detergent 2. white copy paper 3. HP black ink cartridges #61 4. paper towels 5. $$ for our electric bill - with the temperature into the high 90s and 100s we are really needing our air conditioners. Thanks for remembering us when you shop! As you all know by now, Sister Mary lo...

I am very glad to report that three, or maybe four, wren nestlings are doing well! Both parents feed the babies, and they are extremely busy these days. The wrens are not at all happy when multiple beagles run past their flower pot nest, so we are trying to keep doggie outdoor playtime to a minimum. Fortunately, since the weather is quite hot, the beagles are content to be in the air conditioned house On a sad note today, our kitty Anastasia left us for the Rainbow Bridge - not a great surprise since she was about 18 years old, but she ate supper last night, and I didn't expect to find her gone this morning. Over the years, Anastasia had served as foster mom to several kittens, especially Pye and Weej, two black kittens whom we saved from being thrown into the Manokin River. Farewell Anastasia - we'll see you again at the Bridge! And for a puzzle, Noelle  on the edge of the cabinet where she likes to nap!

Warm and windy day here, with the sun in and out of the clouds. The Rose of Sharon bushes/trees are in full bloom to the delight of bees and hummingbirds! . . . and yes there is a puzzle! Rose of Sharon  This afternoon, Bubbles who is notoriously camera shy, let me take her picture. Bubbles was so afraid when she came to Sanctuary House that no one could touch her - today she is gentle and friendly . . . and working hard to learn to trust! She is my current spirit dog - the one who rescues me as I rescued her.

An amazingly colorful Monday morning . . . all of the daylilies are now in bloom! We hope this brightens your day as it does ours! And yes, the puzzle for today is another double daylily:  daylily And our "wild" daylilies are still blooming too! Not to be outdown in beauty, our two young Wyandottes - Henrietta to the left and Betty below - asked me to take their photos too!

Happy Sunday morning! Sonny and Willow went out to graze in spite of the hot weather. The hummingbird garden and surrounding areas are full of dragonflies today . . . and with the advent of the dragonflies the mosquito population will drop to an all time low! No surprises here - the  dragonfly  is today's puzzle. Have fun and stay cool!

It would be hard to know who is the oldest Sanctuary House resident . . . maybe Anastasia the orange kitty, or Buddy or Chrissi the beagles. Buddy and Anastasia have lived at Sanctuary House for many, many years. Chrissi came a few years ago, when her person went into a nursing home. All three of our very senior members sleep most of the day, but when it's time for treats or dinner they are wide awake!   The youngest members of Sanctuary House are not so difficult to know. At first beagle Thea was the youngest . . . but she was soon displaced by others: kitten Louie; Chincoteague pony Willow Bay; and then the little flock of ducks and chickens. And now there is another youngest: Possum . . . but Possum is not an opossum as you might imagine from his name. Want to discover who Possum is? . . . just work the puzzle!    Possum

This is Gus writing today about our weekly Wish and Need List. As you can see, we received a wonderful gift of an air conditioner from our friends, the Eanets. Since our weather has been very hot and humid, we all are feeling much better with our air conditioner!  Thank you, thank you for making us more comfortable. Plus, they also sent us a bag of toys . . . with the cool air and toys we have been running and playing! Sister Mary and I checked our store of supplies and here are the things we most need this week: paper towels, canned cat food, Clorox or Lysol wipes, Swiffer wet mop pads, salt on a rope (for the horses, of course), and laundry detergent (our favorite is Arm and Hammer pods). You can see our complete list at  Wish List . . . the list even has toys and treats (yep, we need those too!) Thanks for keeping us in mind as you shop. The puzzle today is of  Evans  ready to pounce because he loves playing on an air-cooled summer day!

Forwarding this message from the Episcopal Bishop of Texas - I agree with him 100%: Bishop Andy Doyle's Statement on Separating Children from Parents at the Border   [ en espanol ] "Families are the bedrock of American society, and our government has the discretion to ensure that young children are not separated from their mothers and fathers and exposed to irreparable harm and trauma. Separating babies from their mothers is not only unconscionable, it is immoral. Superior orders will not be an ethical defense for the legacy of pain being inflicted upon these children or the violence to families being woven into the fabric of our future. These actions do irreparable harm, are not proportional to the crime, betray our covenant with God in both the Old and New Testaments, subvert American family values, and are patently inhumane. Our government leaders have the ability to uphold our laws, protect our borders, and ensure that families are not separated. ...

Such a hot day! With the temperature climbing toward 100, Zed decided to chill in his hammock. And what about the horses? Well of course, the horses love to be sprayed with cool water, but Cindy took a picture of Titan with his favorite treat - just complete the puzzle to see how Titan cools down on a hot day. Titan

On this very hot June morning our beloved Liberty - better known as Bertie - left us for the Rainbow Bridge. Bertie came to Sanctuary House years ago a few weeks after July 4th as a very small kitten with a badly broken leg. A woman from the local humane society brought him, explaining that they didn't have time to care for an injured kitten. . . the vet had asked them to use shredded paper in his litter box, and that was just too much trouble. We always celebrated Liberty's birthday on July 4th. Happily, Bertie's leg healed - he became a fast runner and agile climber and jumper. All of the other cats loved Bertie, and no question about it - so did I. In 2017, when I wrote The ABCs of Sanctuary House , Bertie was the cat who illustrated the letter B. And a short poem about him appeared in Following the Path of Life: Companions on the Way , published in 2015: Liberty, the freedom cat, Born on July 4 th – What a blessing to us all. "Run free," I whispe...

Unfotunately, WAMU has decided to cancel Hot Jazz Saturday Night - this is an educational and fun program that has been part of WAMU for 38 years . . . supposedly they want to offer more "news" instead of anything related to music. Thousands of listeners do not want the program dropped and have started a petition to encourage the station to keep it . . . if you believe in the goodness of music and history, please consider signing the petition.  Thanks! Save Hot Jazz Saturday Night

 Today was the perfect day for introducing Willow Bay, the Chincoteague pony, to the pasture! Cindy walked her around first and then let her run on her own. Sonny stayed out in the pasture with her - Titan and Imagine watched from their stalls. Hope you enjoy the Willow Bay puzzle! Willow Bay puzzle

Good morning on a bright and sunny day! Imagine and Sonny checked out the grass for dessert after breakfast, and Thea and Annie Oakley took their toys to play outside. . . . the other doggies are back inside for a morning nap - cooler and no bugs inside! The hummingbird feeding station is now a popular spot morning, noon, and evenings - click on the puzzle to see our mini garden. hummingbird feeding station

We're certainly in "turtle travel season" so be careful to watch for these guys!

Oh, joy! Finally our mulberries are ripe - blue jays, ducks, and chickens are glad of this Spring feast. Our red and yellow daylilies are now in bloom, providing a splash of bright color on a rainy, gray day. And today the chickens told me their names: Betty and Henrietta "Hennie" the Wyandottes; Rory and Orie, the Ameraucanas; and Blanche and Little Red, the Amber Links. Blanche and Little Red now join the others in the yard and Rory even tried to chase the much larger ducks! Blanche and Little Red More tomorrow - hope you enjoy the puzzle! Mulberries

Although wild orange daylilies are beginning to bloom in roadside ditches, the first in our yard appeared this morning! All of our daylily plants are full of buds and the zinnias are not far behind. And the hummingbirds who summer here have definitely found our feeders! daylily puzzle Hope you have a sunny day!

 Our chicks, including these two Ameraucana pullets are thrilled to have a sunny day and so many bugs after a week of rain! In addition to these two girls, our little flock includes two silver-laced Wyandottes and two Amber Links. The Amber Links are still quite small and have not yet ventured out of the coop. chicken puzzle Enjoy our chicken puzzle and have a great day!

Without a doubt, one of my favorite birds is the wren . . . I hope momma wren who discovered  this plant hanging just outside the Sanctuary House door knows what she is doing. Maybe she thinks that the comings and goings of the very vocal beagles will keep predators away. She just started this little nest yesterday. . . want to see what's inside the nest? Just click on the nest puzzle! nest puzzle God watches over the sparrows, so I know He also watches over the wrens . . . but yes, I'll try to keep an eye on her too in the rain and wind, and when the beagles play!