Ok... get ready for it...

BEWARE - VERY LOUD!


I can NOT watch this little guy without laughing and snorting.

P.S. Four months and counting and the critter still makes me laugh.

The Horror...

I've been on jury duty, assigned to a Sacramento criminal trial that will last for several weeks. So far the experience is far less gruesome than it might be, although for my subconcious, the trial experience is a bit grueling. Every single night since the trial began I've had anxious and fretful dreams. Nothing too scary, though when I wake there is a tremendous sense of 'Thank heavens that was just a dream!' For example, a couple of nights ago I was in dreamland, fretting and upset because I thought my friends would forsake me because my job was stunt double for Arnold Swartznegger - the anxiety, nay, the HORROR!

This Week's Special Guest Star is...

Tonight Rum-kitty was meowling outside, but when I opened the back door - so he could come in for a late night snack - that kitty was no where to be seen. Then I saw - a BIG white face looking up at me with eensie piggy eyes gleaming pink. Old Rum-kitty was some distance away, giving me the kitty mews that meant 'MAAAAA! There's a butt fugly pig eating my kitty kibbles!'

MR POSSUM!
BIG head Possum
For once, my camera was only inches away and even if it hadn't been I'd have gotten pictures because I gotta tell you - Possums are DUMB. Mind, nothing personal, but possum thoughts are so slow, I could watch the possum's eyes register my presence and trace the transmission of the message, i.e., I'm not alone out here" go from possum eyes, to possum brain (or lack thereof) to possum feet. When 'dem feets' got the message, the possum turned and skeedaddled.

Ok, actually the possum's skeedaddle was so slow that I easily got a picture of his get-away.

By comparison, when there is a raccoon on my patio, by the time I know they're there, they're GONE. But with possums? I could damn near go take a nap and come back before the critter knows I'm staring at it.

Check out that ratty tail!
I got five camera shots of my possum guest. Geez, I'm SO glad I 'accidently on purpose' spilled kitty food when I took in Rum's feeder for a wash.

Hum... may have to 'accidently on purpose' spill some more kitty food tomorrow night.

Treat for me!

When I came home last night there was a basket arrangement of edible flowers waiting for me on the doorstep! The 'flowers' were cantelope & honeydew melon, grapes, pineapple and strawberries, all in a bright blue & silver basket. The flavorful blossums made my house smell all fruity & sweet! The edible bouquet was a present from, Doris, my niece in Brooklyn and her little boys; WilliamAllen and Marion . You know I love the West Coast, but the tragedy of it is not being on the East Coast to see my Great-nephews and nieces grow up.

Need I even bother to say that I have wolfed down enough fruit to feed a huge flock of Flying Fox Bats - uh... they're fruitivores, don't 'cha know. I thought about Doris and the last time I saw her which was when I was still living exiled in Riverside County. Hopefully I'll meet her boys before they get to high school.

Special note - before I went to bed I took the basket apart so I could get it into the fridge. The fruit was skewered on plastic sticks, which I assumed were stuck into a styrofoam frog or some such thing. Turns out the basket contained an entire head of iceberg lettuce wrapped in kale! In the picture above you can actually see the dark green kale at the base of the arrangement. So unless you count the plastic skewers and bucket, the entire bouquet can be eaten. Doris did her Internet homework, as the company that made the bouquet is based here in Sacramento. It was great getting a treat healthy enough that I could stuff myself without feeling guilty about it. Is my niece Doris thoughtful or what?

Fresno Hen Party - Fall 2007

Hens - Rhonda, Ingrid, Barbara, Nancy, Robbie and Fran
Bwawk, bwawk, bwawk! Which means, it was time for a hen party, so all the Not-Exactly-Spring-Chickens 'crossed the road' to Ingrid's house in Fresno. Talk about a weekend flying by! For that matter, talk about talking - no wonder these get-togethers are called hen parties - we clucked continuously.


Host Ingrid slicing Her Delish Homemade Bread

Best Dressed Wine in Fresno - This Nevada City White Wine is sporting a lovely silk dress that Robbie brought back with her from Shanghai
When hens haven't been together in a long time they have a lot of clucking to do you know. Our chatting, as usual, covered a wide variety of topics - from the serious n' solemn, to the silly n' seditious. A new tradition this year; from now on who ever hosts the party gets possession of our symbolic, brightly painted and carved Russian hens. They're pretty cute; when you get the pendulum swinging the hens all busily peck their platform. Not only do our 'little hens' represent our hen personnas, but they also demonstrate a poultry version of kegal exercises.

Rhonda observes the Symbolic Hens demonstrating 'you-know-what' technique
Our chatting went on deep into the night - but not too late. OK, everyone else stayed up quite late, but as most of my feathers have fallen out, I was the first hen to retire on Saturday night; a hen needs her beauty rest.

 

The following morning we all downed oatmeal and fruit for our breakfast, then realizing we'd hardly budged in 24 hours, we opted for a walk under beautiful blue skies. Ingrid's neighborhood is adorable; lovely homes, beautiful yards, brilliant autumn colors everywhere.

 

Preparing to Walk off our '1st' breakfast (Hobbit Style)

'Tailed' by a Couple of the Neighborhood Kitties
After our lovely walk we had our '2nd Breakfast', Hobbit Style and then before we knew it, the Hen Party was over and we all had to fly off home. Bugger. Fun times never quite last long enough, do they?