Merlin’s favorite times of the year are the fall and spring, simply because that’s when windows can be open and he can watch (and smell) the birds and squirrels that he’d like to be outside chasing. Here, he peers intently at the back yard through the open window right next to my desk earlier this week. Merlin is the one who disappeared for a couple of days after an escape through a screen about two years ago. He doesn’t seem to eager to leave the comforts of home behind after that adventure.

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Search for sexual pleasure can slowly destroy genuine intimacy
Listening to our own inner voice can be the toughest thing we do
She had issues that scared me, but I felt loved and understood
Women, you perpetuate this by reproducing with these lewd jerks
Hiding anger was a survival skill, so you might not know I’m angry
Despite intentions, ‘net neutrality’ gives online control to politicians
Who’s the hero of Chick-fil-A wars? Rachel set an example for all of us