Three treatments down. One cat gone

Val has completed three radiation treatments, and the most she can find to say about the experience so far is that it's "weird": machines clunk, three beams radiate each for one minute, the staff are friendly and forthcoming with info about what they're doing...Thirteen more sessions to go.

On Friday, Chester was taken by Gracie to live at her grandparents' farm south of Winnipeg. By all accounts, he is settling in well. Gracie sent along a couple of video reports over the weekend: Chester was loved by all the cousins and he was beginning to show curiosity about heading downstairs from his 'safe' room and investigating outside. We are sad to have let him go, but his preference for outdoor living is much better suited to a farm setting than our urban home, especially as the summer approaches. As Susan R told me, it's like sending your kid off to university or college: You miss them immensely, but know it's necessary for them to leave home. That  helps me understand my mixed-up feelings of relief and sadness.

It's a rainy Monday morning, and I'm glad I cleaned up my front flower beds a bit on Sunday with a light raking that got rid of all the fall detritus lying like an abandoned building site (road grit and grime all over everything) on top of my perennials. A few brave things had the tiny tips of their noses already poking up through the ground. Here's hoping spring actually gets here one of these days!