The Patron Saint of Animals was busy today

We had quite a bit of excitement today at Dogcorner Cottage. Sunday is the day we take our trash to the Transfer Station. I decided to go along with T for the ride. We were ready to go, and Merry requested to go out on the screened front piazza while we were out on our errands. T let her out and left the door to the house open a crack so Merry could get into the house while we were gone. Suddenly, I heard a commotion, and knew something was going on out on the porch. I looked and saw that Merry was chasing a chipmunk around the porch. Suddenly, she was IN the house, in the front hall with the hapless chipmunk in her mouth! I went after her and caught her in the dining room. My hope was to take her outside, gripping her tightly as I have done before when she has caught mice in the house. I usually can shake her(Raspberry as well) and get her to drop the captured animal. This time, she dropped it in the dining room and off the chipmunk ran. I managed to secure Merry back on the piazza, mad as a hatter I might add, and the chase was on to capture the chipmunk. It went from room to room, the way our house is designed, you can walk all around in a circle and it did. Once, it went to the closed back storm door, but I couldn't get it open in time. We would lose it, then it would run again. I got a large scarf hoping we could throw it over it(we needed a butterfly net) and the chase was on. It finally ran under a piece of furniture in the dining room and we blocked the doorways the best we could, not all have doors. T got a yardstick to try to coax it out so I could toss the cloth over it. No luck. She shone a light under and it was tucked up off the floor. Suddenly it shot out and escaped through one of the door blockades. On we went to the next room, the one with the back door. It went towards the door, but we had closed it when we got it in the dining room, so it was still on the run. It came towards me, but suddenly darted into the bottom opening of a cat basket bed. I threw the scarf over the opening, T picked up the bed and took it outside. A terrified, but all in one piece chipmunk darted out. There will be a wild tale relived in that burrow tonight. Needless to say, we were exhausted and relieved. Merry was very mad!

All through the escapade I had to keep telling myself not to bend or do any tricky moves with my new hip. I did find myself on bended knee at the basket opening, yes, the operated leg, but my new hip stood up to the task and I'm fine.

Thank you St. Francis.

For the Record, 
This day came in with sun and clouds and heavy humidity.

All hands begging for PEACE and Gun Reform Laws