My Gardening Partner

I have a partner who helps with my flower gardening--besides Hiromi, I mean. Her name is Phoebe. She stays nearby while I work, and observes what I'm doing. I try not to alarm her by moving suddenly or threateningly toward her. She sits on the fence, leaving it only to swoop down on a flying insect, snatching it out of midair. Then she returns to her vigil on the fence.

Phoebe seems to know that she's welcome in my garden. Better yet, with no prompting from me, she quietly eliminates creatures that aren't so welcome there.

That leaves just Phoebe and me, working together in companionable silence.