I don’t want to build a Catio. But let me back up a few steps first. A few months ago, I told you about our new cat Pepper. She is the cutest little gray kitten. We think she might be part Russian Blue. She’s a tiny little thing, and while she has been getting her series of shots, we’ve kept her behind the scenes, so she hasn’t been out roaming the nursery the way Precious does. But now with her vaccinations and surgery completed and recovered from, she is free to wander at will.

I kind of thought we’d open the office door and she would rocket out, eager to explore the land that she is now the queen of. But instead she kind of peeked out the door and was like, “Nah, I like it here in the office.” And she just sort of turned around and went back inside. Each morning when I come in, I open the door wide and try to coax her out, and she looks out, starts to walk forward, and then changes her mind. She has made a couple of forays across the storehouse, but especially this week, she has seemed more content to stay in the office.

And here I was hoping for a little huntress. Someone to guard the place when we’re all gone at night and tell the little critters that like to eat seeds and fertilizer that they need to find a new home. But no, I think we have an office cat. Which leads me back to the title. I don’t want to build a Catio. Pepper’s penchant for staying put has given some people the idea of creating a sort of playhouse for her in the offices that has a view out to the storehouse. Then Pepper could people-watch in comfort, getting attention without having to put out any effort. No, the effort would be on my part, building her this new habitat. We’ll see. Hopefully in the coming months, she’ll get a little bigger and a little braver and will take on the outside world.

Of course, this past Saturday may have scared her a bit. We didn’t get a count, because kids don’t stand still, but we’re pretty sure there were more than 250 kids hunting eggs at this year’s Easter Egg Hunt! And, wow, do they find them fast. We hid more than 6,000 eggs, and I’m pretty sure that by the time ten minutes had passed most of the eggs were found. Thanks to everyone who came out to participate, the Easter Egg Hunt is one of our favorite annual traditions. Mark your calendars for the 2026 hunt: Saturday, April 4th at 10 am sharp. I wonder how many eggs we’ll hide next year!

We’ve got a whole year to stuff more eggs. Now it’s time to finish up our spring garden seminars with Savory Herb Gardening this Saturday at 10 am. We’ll talk about the basics for getting an herb garden started, and then we’ll take a look at the wide variety of herbs that you can grow yourself. Fresh picked herbs are always best, and it doesn’t get any fresher than growing your own!

And while this will be the last of our seminars for the spring season, we’ve still got lots of fun to kick off May. On Saturday the 3rd, we’ll have Yoga in the Garden, with special guest teacher Sid McNairy. A former football coach who started his coaching career at Purdue University and now an international best-selling author, Sid has written several books on yoga and meditation that have helped thousands find balance and inner calm. Also on May 3rd, Spellbound Sourdough will be here with tasty baked goods and Mi Cafecito will have their delicious coffee beverages ready to fuel your day.

Don’t forget that Mother’s Day is right around the corner. You know we are the place for helping mom add something to her garden, but if you want to create an experience together, get your tickets for the Mother’s Day Flower Arrangement Make-and-Take, led by florist extraordinaire Jo – you’ll spend some time together and take home a beautiful bouquet. That sounds like a win-win to me! And who knows, by then Pepper may be brave enough to make an appearance or she’ll be in her brand new Catio.