Okie Dokie, Dokie Hokie

Between the flooding of the past 10 years, and this spring the carnage of the tent caterpillars, some spots along my walk are looking pretty dismal. The willows in this photograph have been drowned, and behind them many of the poplars are leafless.

When you take a drive, for miles and miles there are so many bare trees that it looks like Armageddon has taken place.

This morning a visit from my youngest niece is written into the calendar. She’s recently finished her training as a dog groomer and has set up a business called Okie Dokie Dogs.  (If you are in the Kuroki area, where she lives, and have a hound that needs spiffing up, you’ll find Okie Dokie Dogs on Facebook.) Like her mother and sister, Danielle is crazy about dogs (and cats), so this is the perfect vocation for her.

SadieSue Doodle has clumps of hair behind her ears; I’ve tried to brush them out, but to no effect. They need to be clipped out, and getting the canine coiled spring into a vehicle or even a travel crate could be nearly impossible. So we get a home visit. It pays to have family “in high places,” right?

At 10 o’clock I will text her. Right now I imagine my girl is still asleep; she probably was on her feet till one or two this morning, serving at a local bar/restaurant. As far as I can tell, all that girl does is work. Unlike her auntie. Maybe I’ll hold off on that text till 11.