Burt is My Muse: The House that these wonderful people built

Sonja and Mike have built a wonderful home here on the Cape, and while they are sorry to leave the land, they are pretty darned excited about getting back to the West Coast.

We, on the West Coast, are super happy to have them home.

I came to this place in the fall of 2002 for a refuge, a respite and a great deal of healing while I started trudging along the road of recovery. These guys were gracious enough to let me stay with them for over four months in the pre-dawn days of my sobriety. A gift that can never be repaid - and though they have never asked me to - I was thankful when an opportunity came up for me to at least be of some service to them while they uprooted from one Coast to the other.

So, for a week I helped them out the best I could. I wasn't in super form, having just left the Walk I was still bodily exhausted, but they put me to some use, running errands and helping out with cooking meals while they worked tirelessly getting everything ready to go.

It's hard enough to pack up a house - but the work takes on a life of it's own when you have kids - they have 6 of them - of varying ages and skill sets. Their kids are critters, kids none-the-less. Let's introduce them, shall we?

Here's Sheluin - sweetheart herder dog

Kaia - sweetheart Labrador dog

Bramble - Mr. Outdoors - super capable, easy-going feline

Freeway - one of my favorite cats in the known Universe - Freeway is ultra-shy and doesn't like her picture taken, much like her mom - so i really don't have a picture of her - here's a photo of her back end. But she is a wee black cat, with white paws and a tiny, tiny mew. But she is her own woman and quite powerful in her own catness. I love her. We bonded back in 02 and I will always be grateful of her gentleness with me.

Inca - a 48 year old Amazon Parrot. 48. She is a rescue parrot, and Sonja has done a remarkable job of nursing her back to relative health. I will say that Sonja is a staunch opponent of caged birds, or in keeping birds as pets. I heartily agree. Birds are not domesticated creatures and the fact that we have tirelessly tried to make them as such is abhorrent to me. Birds belong in flight, in freedom, period.

Luke - another rescue - Luke is a cockatoo - and though I can't remember how old he is - let's call him a toddler, 'cause that's pretty much where he's at. He's very sweet, but a bit of a problem child - Again, you have to give thanks to the patience of both Sonja and Mike for taking on these birds. Birds are incredibly difficult to keep in the home; particularly exotics such as these. Luke was born in a cage, sadly, and was found at a Flea Market. Inca was stolen from her home in the Amazon and survived the heinous trip into the U.S. nearly 50 years ago. These birds are delicate in the sense that you can't just throw a bunch of seed and newspaper down and call it good. They need an incredible amount of attention and a very particular diet if they are to survive. When I first met Luke, he was squawking so loud I could hear him from the street. He was enjoying himself from a perch way up in a tree on their yard, having climbed up there (mostly) on his own. Sadly, Luke can't fly anymore...but he gets out regularly!!

And for fun...I have chosen this towel as a representative of Sonja, who hates having her picture taken. She is always carrying a towel around (kids)...so...this'll do.

So - that's the family (and, I'm sorry I don't have a picture of Mike...I don't know how that happened!) It's huge. And in a week's time they'll all be loading up into a car and a truck and making the 3000 mile journey out to California. I'm driving the U-Haul.

Anyway, before we get to that little adventure, here some pictures from her garden.