The Gatherer

Innocent looking, isn’t she?  In her heart, though, there lurks the heart of a gatherer –

Today it was

• 8 long sticks/branches from over the edge of the civilized part of our yard – brought up to collect out in front of the door, just off the porch. I wouldn’t mind if she played with them awhile and then threw them back over the edge, but they’re piled up like trophies of the first morning’s run.
• A heavy plastic rat killer container. This was provided by our bug people. It’s virtually indestructible, they said, and cannot be opened without a lot of work with serious tools. The poison is inside where only something actually crawling inside can eat it, thank goodness. Amber is content to move it from where it lives at the foot of the house in front to the front yard.
• iris rhizomes from plants I cut down from the latest cleaning out of the planters. She gets them out of the bucket they’re in in the garage and brings them out to the yard. Maybe this is a hint that she thinks I should be getting them replanted faster.
• weird bones from I-don’t-know-what-and-don’t-want-to-know.

We take her out first thing to take care of business and then let her out again after breakfast. Mid morning I go out to find out what treasures she’s found. I gather them up (see, I’m a gatherer, too!) and either put them back where they belong or toss them off  ‘the edge of the world’ again.

A new morning ritual.