Return of Blaine the Groundhog

Friday Inspector Leo went ballistic while standing guard at the glass door. Critter ran away when she heard that bark that means business. We looked out and saw a young groundhog in our back yard, just standing there, nose up, testing the wind. Then he went forward three steps and stopped. Nose up, sniffing and gazing. Three more steps. Down the middle of our driveway and across the road (stopping in the middle to, you guessed it, sniff the wind and look around). Then into the neighbors yard and away.

Leo almost had a hear tattack.

Trip to Shadowlands

MOSBY ... 
back from the shadowlands once again. Wednesday she simply stayed under the bed, staring off into the distance, immobile and silent. Did not even want anything to eat. Thursday she came out and slunk to her spot on the ledge of the big front window. Friday she began to eat some beef baby food. Then she began to meow for more. Saturday she came out early yowling for food.

Back to normal.

I am trying ...

...this out on my new I-Pad with a logitech unltrathin keyboard. Works very well so far. I am trying to get back into blogging even though the world seems to have abandoned it. As I have more time I will add more here. A lot to catch up on.

How Leo, the Dog, found a little lost kitten

How Leo, the Dog, and Uncle Clemens found a little lost kitten. A short story for Mulan. Their very best friend. 

Laura was sick, so I bravely said, "Oh, I'll take Leo, the Dog, for his walk for you." That's how the whole affair started. So off through the neighborhood we did go. Past the small copse of trees on the hill overlooking the 421 Strip, when we hear a loud, hugely loud, squawk from deep in the woods. We walk faster. More loud yelps, and I have to admit that this is an animal in deep distress. I do NOT want to, but I can not abandon such an animal, even if it is big and wild and might try to take my arm off in its agony. Or even worse, an animal so seriously injured I might have to decide to put it out of its misery right then and there. Leo could take care of that. He is a fierce killer of varmints. No. Really, he is.

So we go back to where we first heard the noise and peer into the woods. The yells have stopped - its frightened of us now, I think, and we will have to go in and find it.

Suddently the grass between us and the woods parts and out steps a tiny ball of fluff who walks right past Leo, the fearsome varmint killer, right up to my shoe, looks up to me and says, "Well. Pick me up!!" I think that is what she said anyway. It seemed pretty clear in context.

Leo is completely non-plussed and now decides to ignore this embarrassing little critter completely by going into his Noble-Dog-Scanning-the-Horizon pose. I pick the critter up and she is wet and cold. I have a sinking feeling that she is going to be mine by decree of the Universe. Leo and I take her home. Laura will know what to do.

It is only two blocks, but by the time we get home she has warmed up and is reaching up to pat my face with her paw. I know that she is mine.

Now she is occupying my study. When Leo sees her he looks like the sharks in "Finding Nemo." He turns his head away and trys to think of something else. Mosby looks disdainful, Ben simply disgusted. If the little critter gets too close Ben hisses at her. The old girls are neither frightened or hostile, which is good. The Critter, for that is now her name, would like to play with them both. They have other ideas.

And that is the story of how a little 9 week old, 2 lb., girl kitten latched on to me, Mulan. I had nothing to do with it.

Whenever I try to write Critter wants to chase the pen and since I use wet ink fountain pens she tracks ink when she skips across the page. She also likes to walk on my laptop keyboard and climbs all over me. Usually with her claws out. I have learned to put on a thick robe first thing in the morning, before I do my morning writing.

[Since this was written in a letter to Mulan the little critter has grown, still bothers the Ben and Mosby, wants to play with Leo, the Dog, and has moderated using her teeth on me in the morning. She is Trouble Personified, but it is too late to get rid of her. We take her to the vet for a little operation tomorrow.]

Little Mr Miggs and our friend Pain

Most of us are on more or less intimate terms with Pain. I certainly have been several times in my life, especially the time when I was eight and my brain swelled a bit larger than my skull. They say that one can not remember pain. This is not true.

But little Mr Miggs does not seem to be even on a first name basis with Pain. The last time I was at the Mellow Mushroom with him and his family he went under the fireplace in the middle of the room. It sets on a huge slab of stone about four inches thick resting on four legs. The interior makes a neat little hut for an adventuresome kid who likes small dark places.

Unfortunately as Miggs came out from under it he stood up too soon and cracked his head hard on the four inch slab. I could hear the "thunk" all the way at our table above the usual Mellow Mushroom hubbub. But no scream. No tears.

He did frown deeply. Then he solemnly walked down the length of our long table and gave his mother a hug for about five seconds, all without making a sound. Then he sat down in his chair and began to play a game on his iPad, still with a little frown on his face.

And that, for Mr Miggs, is what for any of his little friends would have been extreme pain with five alarm meltdown.

A very special picture for little Mr Miggs....

... this is me with my brother's grand niece (and consequently mine, I assume) in the place way to our south. The Old One took it especially for Miggs.

That's me pretending I am Santa Clause's younger and thinner brother with little Angela. Several suggestions were made, totally unprompted, that she would be the perfect girl for Miggs. Really. And with no threat of mayhem, battleaxes, evil laughs, or plans for world domination.





Angela figures that if she has all her male relatives wrapped around her little finger that will do.

NB: not a fountain pen in my pocket.

Another hot prospective girlfriend for Mr Miggs...

... this one is cute, young, loves toy car wrecks, and has a "take-over-the-world" laugh that is perfect.

No no. Don't thank me.

somehow I think I am going to get the same response as the last one.

The females in my life are getting a little bossy ...

... The other day Carmen brought home a children's book called Little Goblins Ten. As soon as I walked in she shoved it into my hands and demanded that I read it to her. Being a sorta New Age kinda guy I immediately said "Of course,dear." And I read the first verse.

Over in the forest
Where the trees hide the sun
Lived a big mommy monster
And her little monster one.
"Scare!" said the mommy;
"I scare," said the one.
So he scared and he scampered
Where the trees hide the sun.

I thought I'd done a great job, capturing the true pathos of being a monster AND a single mom off where the trees hide the sun. But no. That wasn't good enough. "No, you have to make your voice sound like ..." followed by very specific instructions on how to read it. She wasn't much impressed by my next effort either.

A few day earlier we had had Maire with Maeraed and Miggs (or Katara and Aang as they were for the evening) down for their trick or treating. After we had gone around the neighborhood holding everyone up for treats we came back and Maeraed helped me give out candy to the children coming to our house.

I was giving out some candy to a cute little witch, fumbled a bit, and when I turned back inside Maeraed said "Well, you blew that one." I suggested she do it herself. So she did. She gave out the candy to the next group of kids and turned back to me "That's how it's done! No mess, no bother."

Oh.

Sine qua non ....

... for you Latins.

This morning Carmen thought of a funny punchline for my last post on that other blog without really even thinking about it.

Awestruck I blurted "Thank god I married a woman with a sense of humor."

Then I began to think about it ....