29 posts tagged “a diary of sorts”
Only this time it isn't a buggie he caught, it's a mousie.
Not more than twenty minutes ago, Batcat came prancing into the study from the basement. It looked like he was carrying a big, linty dustbunny in his mouth. "What do you have there, Batcat?" I asked. He just kept prancing by, heading towards the stairs. A moment later, the obvious computed and I uttered the obligatory "Eeek, a mouse!"
Papa Miao and I acted quickly. I hurriedly thrust a box into his hands and told him to head up the front stairs, while I slipped on a pair of sandals and followed Batcat up the back stairs. I had already made my first mistake. The box was a small book box, certainly not ideal for trapping a mouse. Even less ideal, we were to discover, because the top flaps couldn't close completely.
Upstairs, Batcat kept his hold on the mousie in his mouth. He dropped it once or twice, only to play with it and pick it up again. At one point, the mousie disappeared and we began searching under the bed and rugs, until I saw the dark little shape hidden in Batcat's belly floof. I suppose the poor mousie thought that the closer it was to danger, the farther it was from harm.
Finally Papa Miao managed to get Batcat to let the mousie go, almost right into the box. I tossed a hand towel over the top, hoping to prevent the mousie from escaping through the large gap. Papa Miao released the mousie into our backyard, as far away from our house as possible. Perhaps it is even now nursing its wounds, or making its way back to the Miao House.
While we were outside, Batcat sat in the back window mewing at us. When we returned to the house, all the Miao Brothers were milling around, their noses twitching and their ears swiveling.
I've learned a few lessons from this little incident. One, we ought to have a shoebox ready at all times in the event of a mouse-sighting. Two, we ought to post mini-posters around the Miao House warning: DANGER FOR MICE: KEEP OUT. Third, Batcat has a big appetite, and it's not just for bugs.
Unicorn has babies!
I was walking by Unicorn's oak grove this evening, craning my neck to look into the trees as usual when I saw the most amazing bit of unicorn magic. Unicorn seemed to be in two places at once - poking his head out of a hole in the branch while scampering up the outside. Then I saw that the magical little unicorns were baby-sized, and Unicorn himself (or herself, as I guess is probably the case) was watching them from a perch near the trunk.
The little unicorns frolicked about on the high branches, occasionally pausing to watch me watching them. I stayed until my neck was sore from watching.
I don't have any good pictures of them. :(
This evening, I was taking my earrings off when suddenly one of them slipped from my fingers and fell beneath my desk. It's one of those small diamondy post earrings that can be worn as a second pair of with pretty much any other silver earrings. I got down on my hands and knees with a flashlight and searched for nearly five minutes, to no avail. The floor is carpeted (and I haven't vacuumed since... well, a while ago...*), but there really aren't many places an earring could hide.
The only clue to its disappearance was a very guilty-looking creepy crawlie who was scampering away from the scene. It was approximately the same size as my missing earring. It combined the traits of a millipede and a silverfish, and carried itself with a worm-like demeanor and several pairs of legs. Its coloring was faintly reminiscent of a Batcat paw.
Either the creepy crawlie hid my earring with impressive speed, or my earring turned into a creepy crawlie in order to escape from its life of servitude.
I haven't lost an earring in ages. At least these post earrings are inexpensive and easily replaceable.
*I will be delaying vacuuming indefinitely as a result of this incident.
I was out jogging this afternoon, and on my way back guess who I saw scampering between the trees?
He was in his old tree grove. He's lost his hibernation plumpness, but he looks healthy. I saw him tunnel in and out of what must have been his wintertime sleepy spot - a hole high up in an oak tree. No photos this time, sorry.
Tomorrow's weather forecast begins pleasantly enough, but...
High near 37. Breezy, with a northeast wind between 11 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.
I love winter. I love snow. But quite frankly, I've had enough for this year.
These photos are from a big snow shower we had on Easter weekend. It's almost all melted by now.
Someone here on vox inspired me to read the Dark Is Rising series. I read the first one when I was little, but inexplicably I never continued on. I finished Over Sea, Under Stone last week, and I've already begun the next book, The Dark Is Rising. I'm enjoying it so far, although I don't have as much reading time as I would like. Now that I've gotten over my cold, I don't have any excuse not to study. But here I am blogging away at 10am, when I should have my books open reviewing...
I rambled on at greater length about the book on my new book blog (The Book Mews) that I made a few weeks ago in an effort to keep The Miao Chronicles as floofy as possible.
I actually finished reading All Creatures Great and Small a week ago, but I'm only just posting about it. I've read several Herriot stories in the past, but always individually (as children's books or magazine articles). This is my second non-fiction book of the year (the other being Sir Rudolph Bing's memoirs). It is 499 pages long, but it felt much shorter because Herriot is such an excellent storyteller. The references to veterinary history were fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting in the Yorkshire Dales, perhaps because Herriot's own love of the region and its people was palpable on the pages. Some of the stories were sad and brought tears to my eyes, but they were nonetheless a pleasure to read. Herriot's compassion to his animal patients was equaled by his sensitivity to people. The story of his courtship with his future wife was humorous and sweet - though he passed over the wedding so quickly I almost missed it. My favorite story arch was probably of the pampered Pekingese Tricki Woo and his person Mrs. Pumphrey.
It was a delightful, uplifting book and I look forward to reading the next books in the series.
I've dropped my ipod (the big one, not the shuffle) three times within the last twenty minutes. Each time I lean over to do anything, it slips right out of my sweater pocket and hits the floor with a dull thud. At least it's not a loud crack. I always keep my ipod in a cushy gel-like case, otherwise the poor thing would never have lasted this long.
The sad thing is, whenever I wear this sweater, the iPod falls out of my pocket. Repeatedly. And I never learn.
Prince Tantra can't abide such carelessness. Someone who drops their iPod every two minutes is bound to drop their kitty at least as often, or commit the most unforgivable of crimes - to stand up with a kitty still napping innocently on their lap.
Last night, I finished The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman. My reaction upon reading was, how on earth could I have forgotten the third book (The Amber Spyglass) back home? Argh. I can see it on the shelf in my mind, just waiting for me to pick it up. If I'm nice enough, maybe Papa Miao will send it to me.
It was sad, so sad I cried at least three times at the end of the book. Papa Miao tells me that the third book is even sadder...
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