Dear Cyndy,

Thank you for your letter. I'm embarrassed to admit it,
but I spent almost all of a beautiful sunny summer day
sitting at my computer on the sun porch drafting a letter
which was very much on my mind, but which I understand 
I must not send. The letter is addressed to one
Aaron J. Atkinson, a young wet-behind-the-ears junior
partner of the prestigious Canadian law firm Fasken
Martenau. My sister nominated him in her will to be the 
successor executor for her Canadian assets, her primary 
nominee being Aaron's father who died in 2004. Margrit's 
lawyer, the notorious Ute Wigley-Mueller has notified Aaron 
of his nomination. Aaron has asked to see the will and the 
codicil. He's been on vacation and hasn't written me or 
telephoned me. If he's like other lawyers, he'll want the 
executor's fee which is at least $3500, and because he's 
in Toronto, and not admitted to the Virginia bar, he'll 
hire an Abingdon lawyer, and they'll try to squeeze money 
out of the estate, which has only $15000 in assets, 
and debts of $18647 all of which I have paid. So they'll 
try to get the money out of me. It's a cat and mouse game. 
I've been uncertain whether I should take the initiative 
and try to dissuade Aaron, or whether I should wait to 
educate him until he approaches me. He needs my consent-
cooperation to probate the will, which I'll withhold. 
If he then tries to persuade the judge over my objections, 
I'll have another lawsuit on my hands. As if I didn't 
have enough already. Incidentally, so far nothing from
Nantucket, and so far as I know, their time is up.

The hummingbirds are wonderful. I've put up one hummingbird
feeder in front of the kitchen window, and another outside
the porch where I work. At times there are two or three
birds at each site, flying fast and nimbly as they do.
Sometimes they hover in front of the plate glass windows,
I suspect because they see themselves reflected, narcissists
like the rest of us. The butterflies also like the cane
sugar syrup that I mix up for the hummingbirds. Frittilaries,
with iridescnet white spots on their hind wings are the 
most frequent visitors. But Margaret is worried, she thinks
I'm giving the butterflies and the hummingbirds diabetes
by feeding them too much sugar, or vitamin deficiencies
because there are no natural juices in my nectar. She may
be right. But in less than 48 hours, before we leave
for Belmont, the feeders will have disappeared, and the
butterflies, the hummingbirds, the indigo buntings, the
cardinals, mackingbirds, mourning doves, tufted titmice
and phoebes will be off welfare, fending for themselves.

Stay well, give my best to Ned. More from Belmont.

Jochen