You Never Know What You’re Going to Find on a Walk

After a few days of heavy thunderstorms, the sun has finally come out.  Sigyn and I, having contracted a near-fatal case of cabin fever, are going for a walk.

Fisi, back off a little, will you?  No one likes hot hyena-breath down the back of their neck.

Sleipnir’s fetlocks!  Where is that brainless carnivore going now?  Fisi!  Come back here!

What have you got in your mouth, you stupid beast?

Oh, no!  Where did you find a kitten?  Don’t look, Sigyn!

Drop it, Fisi!

Bad hyena!  No biscuit!

(poke, poke, poke.)  I’m sorry love.  I… I think the wee little thing has joined his no-doubt valiant ancestors in Kitty Valhalla.

Or maybe not.  I guess the furry morsel was just a little scared!  Give it a good cuddle, my love, and let it toddle off home.  There are too many felines in our house already.

I don’t see any toddling happening.

Only bonding.

Aw, Sigyn, for Frigga’s sake don’t feed it.

Sigh.  I should have known that this was one battle I wasn’t going to win.

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The Pitter-Patter of a Thousand Tiny Feet

If my aching head is anything to go by, the humans have been having a fun visit with the female’s mother and sister, who were successfully fetched from the Big City to the West.  They’ve done nothing but laugh screech and cackle, talking a thousand miles to the minute, sunup to the wee hours and then repeat.

And eating!  Sleipnir’s fetlocks–the eating!  The human female made bacon rolls and orange sweet rolls; her mother brought a big batch of braised beef and carrots, frozen, along with two long loaves of bread; and they’ve all waddled over to the trough where we had the french toast biscuits.

Today, however, we are trying to accomplish a little peace and quiet and some exercise to offset all the loafing and munching  (and munching on loaves.)  We’ve come out to the local woodland in Lick Creek Park in the hopes of dodging the showers and seeing some blossoms.  It’s been such a cold and rainy spring that there isn’t much in flower.  The birds are singing, though, so that’s something.

Wait!  Sigyn–did you see something move?  Look–right there!  We appear to have stumbled upon some very industrious hymenopterans!

I’ll just magic a video link up there so other people can see, too.

I wonder what they’re going to do with all of that foliaceous confetti?  And I wonder if they could be induced to follow us home and commit snippage on the human female’s landscaping?

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Flowers From My Sweetie (Sigyn Speaks)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I surprised Loki with heart-shaped pancakes and a new tin of horn polish.  And he gave me flowers!

And not some easy-to-come-by bouquet that will just die in two days, either!  No, he took time out of his busy mischief schedule to go for a walk on campus with me, so I could enjoy all the living flowers!

The bed by the Rudder Tower is just filled with lovely, fragrant jonquils (or are they paperwhites?  I can never remember…)

Perfect for dangling!

There were big planters full of pansies by the student center.

I just love their little faces!  Loki is so sweet to wait while I greet each smiling blossom!

Then there were sweet williams and marigolds in with the boxwood in front of the Military Science building!

Two more bright, fragrant flowers!  Best Valentine’s Day EVER!

‘Scuse me while I go smooch Mister Frowny.

: )

Flowers For My Birthday

As I noted yesterday.  It was my birthday a few days ago.  I’m now in the Post-Birthday Slump. Sigh.  Another year older and no closer to ruling Midgard.  The human female’s nasty acetone threat was hurtful too.  I am in desperate need of cheering up.

And since a happy Sigyn never fails to make me smile, we are doing what my beloved likes best, walking and looking for flowers.  No place fancy, just around the block between chilly showers.  It’s not too early for winter annuals.

See?  There’s the smile I needed!  Sherardia is an old friend.

And the burr clover is in bloom too.  What fun!

Of course, it’ll be more fun when it gets around to making burrs.  Watching the human female pick them out of her shoelaces and socks is one of my favorite spring traditions.

Sigyn has found one she really likes.  It’s called “cowboy satchel”—or something like that.

Tiny, delicate white flowers, heart-shaped fruit, sturdy enough to climb—What’s not to love?

From her high perch, she has a good, close-up look at the fuzzy purple henbit blossoms.

I will admit to liking this one as well.  Purple is a most fitting color for royalty, they say.

As well, the flowers look like little sock puppets, all proclaiming, “Hail, Loki!  Ruler-to-be of all Midgard!”

And, since I have magic at my disposal, I can actually make them do it.

What have you found now, my love?

“It’s a dandelion!  You can make wishes on them!”

Really?  How quaint!  And what are you going to wish for?

“That you have a wonderful year ahead!”

I tell you, mortals, this woman is too good for me.

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A Walk Around the Block

The sun is out today, even though it’s cold.  Sigyn, would you like to take advantage of the weather and go for a walk around the block(s)?

House, house, park, house… Wait–what’s all that jumble up ahead?

Sleipnir’s fetlocks!  More construction!  No one seems to finish anything before starting some new project.  Sigyn wants to poke around a bit–she says there are often “interesting weeds” growing among the bits of building material and construction equipment where the soil has been disturbed.

Find anything yet, my love?  Any good winter annuals popping up among the BPOD?*

Looks like no interesting plants today, but she has managed to catch a dragonfly.

Well done, beloved!  They are fierce and fast fliers.  Your reflexes must be extraordinary!

Fenrir’s fleacollar!  Where did this mutt come from?  Don’t pet it, Sigyn!  You don’t know where it’s been–or if it’s friendly!

Very well.  Perhaps it is friendly.  But if you misbehave, beast, know that I will arm myself with whatever is handy.  Such as this circular saw.

Sigh.  Sigyn will pet anything, and all animals love her.  But I’ve swapped the saw for a blaster, so it’d better behave.

Ew!  Sigyn!  Do you have to let it do that??  Don’t let it lick your face!  I might want to kiss that later!

Sigh.

This is why a) our walks take so long, and b) I know how to get muddy pawprints off red velvet.

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*Big Piles Of Dirt

A Very Colorful Fall Walk, Part III: ‘Tis The Season For Poofiness

If there’s anything Sigyn likes more than colorful things, it’s fuzzy things.  Today, we seem destined to run into both.

These little asters may look daisyish and harmless now,

but when they’re done blooming, the fluffy fruiting heads will spread these plants all over the neighborhood.  It’s a full-time job trying to keep them out of lawns and gardens.

This  bluestem grass has much the same dispersal strategy.

I’ll have to make sure some floofs find their way into the human female’s hair and socks.

By Fenrir’s Woolly Winter Underwear!  What have we here?!

Ah, I see now.  It’s one of those weather-prognosticating lepidopterans.  Supposely, one can tell how severe the winter is going to be by the proportion of black to rusty brown in their coats.

Judging by this nearly-all-black one, we can expect a damp and chilly winter with…

…a ninety percent chance of snuggles.

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A Very Colorful Fall Walk, Part II: Sigyn’s Other Favorite Color

By now, I assume everyone in Midgard knows that Sigyn’s favorite color is red.  It’s bright and cheerful, just like she is.  Thus, her love of holly berries and sumac is easily explained.

She also has a soft spot yard deep and a mile long for anything yellow.  Good thing for her that there’s a lot of it round about these days.

The winged elms are usually the first thing to turn around here.  Their color has been variously described as number two pencil, Kodak film box, schoolbus, or macaroni and cheese…

They stand out among the green as if they were lit up from within.

The goldenrod is decidedly more lemony in hue.

They’re usually tall and wand-y, very hard to climb, so this bent-over one is a treat to sit in.  Sigyn thinks the flowers look like little stars.  And she’s not wrong!

Usually, the greenbriar is tangled up in the trees like so much botanical barbed wire.  You don’t see it until it has hold of you, and then—ouch!

Today, though, it’s announcing its presence in an unmistakable way.

And now Sigyn’s REALLY happy, because she’s found a couple of greenbriar leaves with both of her favorite colors!

Of course you can bring them home with us!   You bring the pretty leaves to admire, and I’ll bring the prickly stem to…hide in the human female’s sofa.

This is what I call a successful walk!

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