The view from my window is now entirely green, except for the patches of sky not obscured by leaves. Today, those were alternately blue and gray and white as the clouds drifted by. Right now, there is just a hint of pink from the last rays of the sun. If I stand up, I can see the part of the sky where a dark filigree of foliage is etched against the gold of sunset. We (at least those of us who live in the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere) have reached that quarter of the year when evening light lingers, and in the fading day, bird calls mingle with cricket chirps. These have always been my favorite evenings, when the pace of the world seems slowed and twilight hangs in the air as the stars gradually emerge. It is a time for unhurried walks and for the slow savoring of cool drinks whose flavors complement the soft fragrances which drift on the softer air.
The last cat has developed the odd habit of skirting the edges of rooms as she walks though the house, as though she suspected something of lying in wait on the far side. She has been spending more time in my room, too. Sometimes she will lie on the back of the couch and watch me putzing about with Sluggo. She has yet to come and examine his keyboard, though. Last night she even napped here for a while. I think that she has begun to realize that the whole house in now hers, and that the other cat won't be coming back to reclaim dominance. I still doubt that she will ever become a lap cat, though. I suspect that her acquaintance with humans came too late in her life for her to ever fully adjust to our presence.
The color has drained from the fields and woodlands now, leaving only the deepening blue of a sky rough with clouds to roof a world of shadowy shapes. Dark hours remain before the waning moon rises. I have a mixture of iced herbal and caffeinated teas sweetened with apple and black cherry juices waiting for me. I think I'll go out into the back yard and see how it goes with the scent of jasmine while I watch the clouds reveal and conceal patches of starry night.
