Happy Birthday, Corey!

Ut-oh. I've never done a birthday post for someone who wasn't an official member of the family, or our dog. What could it mean? Well, today is Corey's birthday; I'm breaking my rule because he's 22 today I say I say I say he's TWENTY-TWO YEARS OLD and that, son, is not very old for all the things that boy can do.

Just picked up ukelele, then guitar, and he's already good at it, durn him.

Anyone who cleans and organizes my spice cabinet out of pity and a desire to introduce order to chaos has my undying gratitude. I try to keep it nice. But tonight I put a spice mix on the Unmixed  Spices shelf. I did that. You're going to have to come back and set me straight again. Soon, please.

But organizing cabinets is only one of his virtues. He has a romantic streak a mile wide, and he loves to surprise Phoebe, loves to keep her guessing. He showed up as a complete surprise once to take her to a formal dance at Bowdoin. She'd been planning to go with a bunch of friends, so she had a dress all picked out, but...sigh. He took a bus from Boston to Maine and texted her that afternoon, asking her to look out her dorm room window.

SQUEE!! Phoebe about keeled over. Needless to say, so did I when I got this from Phoebs.

CUTE or WHAT

He's teaching her to dance, the old-fashioned way. This is a Promenade. It's OK that there's no music, and we're on turf on Front Street. Just work with me here.

When he comes to visit there are pies, cookies, bars, arrghh. And they're all so good. We're helpless. He bakes. Lord, he bakes.

Liam adores him, and it's no wonder. Corey and Phoebe have always included him in whatever they do, never once treating him like a pesky little brother. 

 Saying goodbye after Corey's first visit to Indigo Hill.

July, 2013

Somebody's done a whole lot of growing since then!

January, 2017--Liam's taller than his honorary bro.

Also from 2017's visit, my favorite of a zillion favorite photos of Corey and Phoebe. He's caught her a New Year's bullfrog!

This gifted fellow has brought so much joy to our lives, in so many unexpected ways. He's like a bloomin' onion! peeling back the layers, to find yet another wonderful thing he can do.

Who could forget the lady bobcat Corey caught on trailcam a couple Julys ago? Probably James' mama!!

To be followed by Corey's latest unexpected gift: placing a longterm trailcam on our sanctuary. This is only the first of what I'm sure will be many howlers. Gack. I holler and whoop when he downloads his photos. As you have seen (remember the Owl on the Dingus?) He's got the camera running out there, and we're going to wait until he visits again to look at what he gets. This was from the test placement. Turned out to be a good spot!!

Derp?

Happy birthday, Corey Christopher Husic. You are a gift in every way. Thank you for gracing our lives!!

photo by Kris Macomber, atop the tower at Sweet Auburn.

And now, Phoebe's favorite fiddle tune: Maggie Mead, in a morning hoedown in our kitchen. What joy! What a boy.

Bill: I'm sorry about the legs. If it helps, I think it's cute. I like to watch Carmelita bounce as you strum. Had to get Corey's socks in there, Chet Baker looking for fiddlecrumbs too.

xoxoxox Co hurry back we miss you all the time! Love, Mai