Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Hello and happy Thursday! It's a happy day indeed, for more reasons than one. To begin, we have some rhyming to do. We just love participating in the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge, hosted by Angel Sammy and Teddy.

Each week, our hosts offer us a fun photo prompt to guide us on our poetic endeavors. The photo for this week is this lovely one here:

As per usual, I'm going to try to offer an explanation as to how that there image led me to the weird and random poem that I scribbled up. Let's see if I can make this one brief. So, this quaint image made me think of nursery rhymes like "Old Mother Hubbard" and "There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe". Don't ask me why seeing this photo made me think of those nursery rhymes, because I really don't know myself. In addition, that image also brought to my mind the children's book The Mitten by Jan Brett. Again, I don't know why. But, those are indeed the stories that came to my mind when I gazed at that charming photo. So, I simply went with that vibe and ended up with this rhyme here:

On the Line

Old Lady Jill lived on a hill,

Just next door to the town's old watermill.

Every day her pail she would seek,
And with it Jill would take a walk to the creek.

Doing the wash was Jill's favorite chore.
Of this task, never did she bore.
She would hang the clothes out on the line,
Where they would dry with the wind and a bit of time.

But doing the wash was not as simple as that.
It was more than just hanging out to dry her dresses and hat.
There was so much more on the line
Than just her coat and mittens that were the color of wine.

Jill could never wait for her clothes to dry.
Just the thought of it made her feel quite spry.
On one particular day, though,
Her usual plans were torn to and fro.

Jill had washed and hung her laundry,
When suddenly her neighbor appeared with a quandary.
Gertrude was her neighbor's name,
And her cows were anything but tame.

The cows escaped Gertrude's field day after day,
And she could not find a way to make them stay.
Jill really wanted to help Gertrude out,
But, at present, that was not what she wanted to think about.

"Let me contemplate this conundrum for at least a while,"
Jill told Gertrude with a most polite smile.
"You see, I really must go now, Gertrude,"
Jill added, hoping she did not come off as rude.

Gertrude frowned and she still looked quite worried.
"But, Jill, why are you in such a hurry?"
Jill did not think Gertrude would understand.
What Jill found grand, Gertrude might consider bland.

"My clothes are out hanging on the line,"
Was how Jill replied as she looked at the time.
"It won't hurt them to dry a bit more,"
Was what Gertrude said rather than head to the door.

To appease her neighbor, Jill served some tea.
She thought she might have to begin to plea.
Of this little visit Jill wished to be set free.
To go out to her clothes hanging on the line,
That was what for which Jill did pine.

After what seemed like a very long eternity,
Gertrude finally stood when the time she did see.
After hours and hours of talking of cows,
Jill was beginning to feel an ache behind her brows.

But she felt far better when Gertrude was finally gone,
For then out to the clothes on the line she could finally abscond.
She hopped, skipped, and jumped to the line,
And was glad to see that she was just in time.

Just as occurred on each and every day,
Dozens of cute and tiny critters came to her clothes line to play.
Jill did not know from where they did come,
Yet every afternoon to the clothes on the line they did jump.

Jill giggled at the sight of her mittens,
In which now perched two cute and tiny little kittens.
And, look, there was a tiny little fox,
Nestled in her favorite pair of purple socks!

There were kittens and foxes and pups of all kinds,
And even a mouse, and a rabbit, and, oh look, a porcupine!
In Jill's mittens and socks and hats they did climb,
Right up there on that sagging clothes line.
They filled the pockets of her many dresses and coats,
And she was pretty sure in one pocket there was even a goat.

Jill brought her tiny friends biscuits and berries and all sorts of treats,
And it was with excitement that Jill they always did greet.
These cute little pals were nothing but sweet,
All the way from their noses to their tiny little feet.

That day, a little squirrel waved at Jill from her favorite hat,
And then gave her a peck on the cheek just like that.
Jill considered these mysterious little critters her best of friends,
With them, as much time as possible she would spend.

Each and every day Jill looked forward to these guests,
Who, to her, were not even remotely pests.
They simply seemed to enjoy occupying her drying clothes.
Intentional or not, the little critters put on such wonderful shows.

And so, every day Jill would wash and hang up her clothes,
And with a bit of impatience she would wait for her tiny friends to show.
She looked forward to their visit every day, every time.
Jill would always be there for her friends on the line.

***

Of course, we did not forget to give you all your Thimble fix today.

And, of course, Thimble and the rest of us did not forget that today we are lucky enough to participate in Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

We are grateful to live a blessed life, with a safe home in which we can remain cool this summer, with windows out of which to gaze, and with friends like all of you. Every day, we are so thankful for each and every blessing. We know that not all are so lucky, and we purr, woof, and pray for all those in need.

Happy Thursday, friends!

***

Are you all ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins tomorrow? Well, you can't be if we don't share the fill-ins with you! The fill-ins are below. Ellen of 15andmeowing crafted up the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. My favorite scent is _________.

2. I hope to _________ this weekend.

3. _________ is music to my ears.

4. Home is where _________.

We'll see you tomorrow!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Today's summer safety tip for strays, ferals, and other outdoor furbabies revolves around water. Water is, as you certainly know, incredibly important for all life. It's especially important for staying hydrated and cool in the summer heat. That being said, today we have some quite logical albeit important tips for helping strays, ferals, and other outdoor furbabies stay hydrated this summer.

Not only is it important to keep water in a shaded area or shaded shelter, as we mentioned yesterday, but it's also important to keep fresh water available in abundance. Especially in the summer heat, it is not possible to offer too much water. Strays and ferals may very well drink, and need to drink, far more water in the heat. Not to mention, in the heat, water can evaporate very quickly. For these reasons, try to offer extra bowls of water.

Furthermore, try to keep those bowls of water as fresh and clean as possible. Refill them as often as you can, and clean them as needed. Bugs, leaves, and all sorts of other outdoor debris can find their way into water bowls. Sometimes, cats and other animals may be unable to or unwilling to drink from a bowl that has debris floating in it or that is in another way dirty. In some cases, it's also unhealthy and dangerous to drink water this has been contaminated by certain debris. So, do try to keep those bowls and the water inside them fresh and clean.

For extra chill in that water, and perhaps even to give it a bit tad bit more ability to combat evaporation in the heat, you can also try putting ice cubes in the water bowls that are available to strays and ferals. Of course, do keep in mind the furbabies' preferences when doing this. Some animals will not drink from water that has something floating in it, so if this is the case, then refrain from putting ice cubes in at least some water bowls.

All in all, never forgot that fresh, clean water can of course be crucial to comfort and survival in the summer heat. So, offer lots and lots of water for those strays, ferals, and other outdoor furbabies. What's more, keep an eye on those water bowls, and try to ensure that they remain full and free of debris.