Life in a Nutshell

It's going to be a somewhat crazy day today, so here are my brief rundowns.

• This has been the coldest May in our area in the past 10 years. Crimping my planting style.
• This has been the wettest May in our area in the past 5 years. I don't mind the rain as much as the cold. Plus, it keeps me from watering and has restored our reservoir levels to almost normal (it was a dry winter). And, it keeps me from feeling so bad about the amount of mud on my floors.
• Maddie has to go to the vet today. I checked her ears last night, and one ear was fine and the other ear was pink, inflamed, and had tons of gunkiness inside. Normally, I'd just clean it out myself and keep an eye on her, but with the three-day holiday weekend and the fact that it was already pink, I called the vet. Luckily, I discovered all this at 5:05pm last night, so the vet was still there and gave her an appointment for 9am this morning.
• Four big bunches of freshly picked basil from your neighbor is awesome. Finding out that her farm will sell me the extra basil (yay for being a neighbor!) for $5 a lb is fabulous. We're going to have a basil pesto-making extravaganza at some point this summer.
• I get to see a really really cute 1-year old (and her equally cute mom) tomorrow morning.
  
• My carrots have not yet sprouted. It's been 8 days. It could take as many as 20. Come on carrots. I'm hoping the rains have not pelted them to death.
• I walked outside to the babies' chicken coop yesterday afternoon, and KFC was waiting for me on top of the coop. I have NO idea how she got out. Poor little thing was DRENCHED and cold. I plopped her back in with her sisters and she was much happier. I think she may (since she is the tiniest) have been able to squeeze through a dip in the ground. Normally, I don't go out there in the afternoons. I'm really glad I did yesterday.
• It could take two more weeks for me to find out if I move on to the next step for the most amazing job ever. I'm not holding my breath, but I hope I hope I hope.
• Our friend came over yesterday (he works at the most fabulous sweet shop/patisserie in town) and gave us a tres leches cake, made with real rum. Why? Oh just because. While not assisting the removal of the junk in my trunk, with something this good, it's hard to care significantly.
  
• The brat cat (aka Frankie) decided to cough up a furball while ON THE LADDER the other day. Beneath the ladder is our couch. Much cleaning as a result, and I could have made fur mittens out of that darn cat.
• My chickens (the red birds) like oats. But they have to be soaked first in warm water thankyouverymuch. Darn picky little feathered fuzzballs.
• And finally, my mystery plant in the yard, which I kept alive and then later diagnosed what it was, has bloomed. I present to you, my gorgeous peony: