Do you feel brave?

I know I do right about now.

But it's not because I've conquered all of my big fears or because I am anywhere close to achieving a bucket list goal.

It is because I keep waking up and showing up.

And that is because my heart is full of love.

A wise mentor once said that it takes great strength to withstand struggle. But it takes even greater strength to hold joy.

As I watch my precious interspecies flock going about their daily lives so chock-full of trust that all of their daily needs will be met in full, I realize I have been strong enough to hold struggle for many, many moons now.

But I am also - at very long last - finally becoming strong enough to hold joy.

And speaking of joy and love, even as I type this, a certain feathery flock "alpha" is singing his most alluring song to the newest electronic (and oh so reflective) flock member, his mama's iPad.

Who are we kidding. It's his iPad. (And I think the laptop is starting to get a tiny bit jealous.)

On a different topic, I am proud to report that a certain red-dotted young lady has managed to destroy yet another fern - this time, one that I literally thought was un-killable. It was called the Macho Fern. It was so enormous that when I first installed it, its fronds covered half her secure outdoor overnight enclosure.

Not anymore.

She took it down in less than a week. And by down, I mean DOWN. Like...all the way down. Like, imagine a pancake. Now imagine the only ingredient in the pancake batter is a bright green Macho Fern.

What can I say. Malti is a pro.

On a happier note, while Malti was busy fern-wrangling, Bruce finally got his turn to stretch his (adorable, yellow-dotted) legs in the no-longer-new yet still much-improved outdoor enclosed day play area.

Thus far, his favorite activity while he is in there is sitting perfectly still under big piles of bamboo leaf litter. It could be a coincidence, but this also happens to be his favorite activity when he is in his regular enclosure.

The one refreshing change is that since there is a whole 10' x 5' area of bamboo leaf litter to burrow into and hide his iPhone-sized, bamboo-colored box turtle body under in the larger day play area, his large shell-less MommyGuard is getting a lot more leg-stretching time while playing "find the box turtle" with him when he takes his turn.

Fun, fun, fun. With only a splash of panic.

So that's our news. How are you?

Are you hanging in there? How is your flock? Our flock sends you mucho mucho cuteness, prayers for even more brave, and love.

Always love.