263, It's Just a Number...

 When I was a kid we had an old dog named Smokey. He was brindle colored and had some chow dog in his linage as evidenced by his partially black tongue. Smokey was aggressive and protective of the family and his food. He bit a neighborhood kid running by his food bowl and also the Avon lady when she knocked on the front door selling her wares. 

It was a different time. The old man could be pretty dismissive of some people which included door to door salesmen or women or some neighbors and I don't remember Smokey ever being subjected to the kind of regulations we have now that require reporting, quarantine and in some cases liability. I don't recall what ever happened to Smokey. My brother might but seems there was a bloody injury, out with the old dog, long live the new and I doubt the old man was sensitive to a  rainbow bridge crossing.    

In 1804 Lewis and Clark set out on an expedition to map the western part of the USA. It was one of the most well documented events of American history.  Both leaders kept extensive logs and the men themselves were encouraged to journal their experiences. This was a grueling experience often involving boating upriver against the current and to keep up the exertion the men required 8-10 pounds of proteins a day. They ate their way across the country consuming elk, deer, beaver, horse, birds and by the records they ate 263 dogs bought from the Native Americans. Eating dog is part of our history, our culture, out cuisine. 

It should be noted that Lewis did not eat his own dog, Seaman, and in April 1806 he wrote in his journal:

 “The dog now constitutes a considerable part of our subsistence and with most of the party has become a favorite food; certain I am that it is a healthy strong diet, and from habit it has become by no means disagreeable to me, I prefer it to lean venison or Elk, and it is very far superior to the horse in any state.”

Just as things were different in my childhood things were different from that in Lewis and Clark's days. There was not much effective first aid and at the first sign of illness expedition members were often administered a laxitive called Dr. Rush's Bilious Pills or "Thunderclappers." It was their CONCEPT that this mixture of mercury, calomel and jalap would cause the body to rid it's self of the aliment. My wife was able to retire a couple of years early due to insurance offered by the Affordable Care Act and this treatment was not covered or even an option under that plan. 

Back to the dog, my neighbor has elk in the pasture next door. I have pictured killing, butchering and transporting a carcass to my freezer and I just can't see it happening for me. I have extensive small game hunting experience and have skint squirrels, the occasional rabbit and plucked ducks. I could probably hull a dog out pretty easily so dogmeat, maybe. 

You know there's always those things you would like to ask your parents after they are gone and my mother used to say she hated cooking squirrel because it reminded her of cat. I'd ask her how she knew what cooking cat was like. I guess I'll ask the old man what happened to old Smokey and I'll double check that dog count with Lewis and Clark.             

I Have Good Neighbors, Sorta...

Out here on my little dead end road we are good neighbors. That means everyone kind of keeps to themselves in an unspoken agreement to mind their own business. My next-door neighbor, a hard working young man and his wife are some of those people with a travel trailer who go off to work only returning occasionally to mow the yard, take the boat to the lake and then do it all over again. There's another small house on the property that he seems to rent in a short term manner to women with children. They don't stay long and I don't know much about them other than learning first names to say hello. I can't imagine the rent being much and they seem to move on along, hopefully to bigger and better things. Right now there are two young women, a baby and Roscoe living next door. 

Roscoe is a Feist dog. He's not a full on outside dog and I can kind of imagine him usually in his Alpha male position of on the couch napping at most times. My boat garage abuts his territory and when he hears me doing my old man piddling in this structure he must cause a disturbance in the house that they can only remedy by putting him outdoors when on sighting me he proceeds to, in the words of my late father, "pile a good cussing" on the perceived threat. He also kicks dirt while doing all this barking which was probably a behavior evolved by this breed of dog over a millennium to make themselves look bigger than they were to the animals they were trained to hunt but in modern lay on the couch times it serves to uncover the feral cat landmines in the sandy yard dirt and the tasty candy buried there.           

The first few incidents of this behavior his master appeared and reined him in and apologized saying, "I don't know why he's acting like that." Another time, trying to analyze Roscoe's aggression she said, "he must really like you." Since then she no longer mediates and Roscoe's incursions sometimes reach my porch. I take that her declining interest means we are left to develop the relationship on our own. I have begun to fantasize about Roscoe captured in a landing net that hangs in the boat garage. There's actually two nets, a short handled one and one with a longer handle. I think I'm going to need the longer handle one.      

Of course there is that old silver lining that you find in most situations and I am a glass half full kind of guy. As long as I don't get bit, infected and lose a foot there will be declining amounts of cat candy in the yard. If someone asks I'll say, "Yeah, that Roscoe, he a good neighbor."  

 

Making Memes...

Usually mass culture passes me. Take the eighties as an example. I was wearing pointy toe cowboy boots, a black t-shirt with a pack of Winston 100s rolled in the sleeve, had a new Fender P-bass and I was playing music with a guy who was trying to be Chuck Berry or Carl Perkins or Jerry Lee Lewis or maybe just his own self and I missed the big iconic drum sounds, digital guitar processing and scenic fern bars of the decade. The 1980s were not really kind to music or anyone else for that matter and I'm sure Chuck, Carl and Jerry Lee wondered what the heck was going on. 

I'm with it now though. I've learned to make a meme. First I had to learn how to say meme which at first look looks a whole lot like me me which with all the money, money, compliments and publicity this blog generates me is something that's on my mind all the time.  

Every now and then one of the kids takes a photo of yours truly. I make sure to produce them plenty of material and they make a meme out of it. They are pretty funny. Here's some of my work, if you can call it that because intellectual property seems a bit strong. 

I do own a cowbell. If called for I have played it at gigs occasionally. If I didn't play it and you hollered "more cowbell" I'll be fighting back from now on so don't do that. It's so 80s.   

I'll have to finishing writing this later when I stop laughing because I think this one is so funny and Cathy hates dogs. 

I love this guy and any meme made with his face. I did a sample study of what people I know might think of these memes and some one said sinister. I don't know. I feel joy and excitement but have not figured out all the backstory here. 

Gotta love a big backstory.

 There's an English electronic musician that calls himself Aphex Twin. He's a white guy, a big ginger hippie looking dude and this is a computer generation of his face. The album it's from is called Richard D. James which is his real name. I listened to some of the record and I thought at first some kid toy was hidden away under the furniture but music is a process and I have seen some stuff of his I liked.  Old Aphex was born in 1971 and probably started noticing stuff real good in, you guessed it, the 80s.   

What do they say, the best art is stolen? I copped this idea from one of my internet heroes, added a bit to it and I'll call it original. I had a friend once who practiced his guitar stank face in front of a mirror. It was in the 80s. He got to be a pretty good guitar player. His stank face stayed about the same. 

I missed that in the 80s. I'll work on it now.    

    

What's going on where you are...

Pretty quiet here. El Guapo is excited. Maybe he know something I don't.

Things seem pretty quiet in Lake Jackson. I'll post the latest email from Rose, seems she is out of action:

AT THIS POINT IN TIME I WOULD LIKE TO SAY GOD WORKS IN VERY WEIRD WAYS. I HAVE BECOME SICK AND THERE FOR MY DISPATCH SUPERVISOR HAS KICKED ME OUT OF THE PD. I AM NOW REPORTING FROM THE SEA CENTER. THE WIND IS STARTING TO KICK UP AND IM NOT SURE HOW FAST BUT WE ARE STILL ABLE TO MOVE AROUND. BY THE WAY THE SICKNESS IS A 101 FEVER AND LOTS OF CONGESTION SORE THROAT AND COUGH. MY SUPER SUPPERVISOR SAID I COULD NOT STAY AND INFECT EVERYONE ELSE. KINDA WEIRD THATS ALL THAT I WOULD GET SICK RIGHT NOW AND HAVE TO LEAVE MY POST. I FELT TERRIBLE ABOUT IT BUT THEY DO HAVE IT COVERED AND THERE IS A LOT TO BE DONE HERE WITH JUAN. BY THE WAY ITS PRETTY FUNNY TO WATCH HIM RUNNING AROUND WITH MY TRUSTIE DICKIE RING ON. WE HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE RAIN KINDA LIKE A SPRAY BOTTLE THAT IS BEING SPRAYED EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. NOT EVEN ENOUGH TO PUT INTO A RAIN GUAGE. IM STILL A LITTLE SCARED BUT I THINK WE WILL BE OK. I HOPE WE ARE DODGING A BULLET. I THINK IVE PRAYED MORE TODAY THAN IN MY WHOLE LIFE. KINDA LIKE A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING. ANY WAY THERE IS NOT MUCH MORE TO REPORT JUST NOW ONE OF THE BOARDS THAT IS ON A WINDOW AT THE SEA CENTER BLEW OFF. SO MUCH FOR MARINE BIOLOGIST ENGINERING. NOW THERE IS STARTING TO BE MORE RAIN AND THE SKY IS A FUNNKY YELLOW IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE TORNADO WEATHER. THE WIND IS STILL AT A PRETTY GOOD CLIP AND IT IS NOW DIFFICULT TO OPEN DOORS WITH OUT THEM BEING BLOWN OUT OF YOUR HAND IN A BIG GUST. ALL THE ANIMALS ARE DOING FINE. 2 OF THE CATS ARE ACTING LIKE IT IS THE END OF THE WORLDAND HIDING IN ANY LITTLE NOOK OR CORRNER THEY CAN FIND AND THE BABY CAT (STUMMPY) IS RUNNING AROUND CHASING SHADDOWS AND WATCHING THE WEATHER HAVING A GOOD TIME. TRIGGER THE DOG IS CRING ANY TIME WE LEAVE HIM ALONE AND BEING A COMPLETE DRAMA QUEEN. YOU WOULD THINK WW III HAS COME AND RAINED DOWN ON HIM. THE BIRDS ARE A GENERAL PAIN. WE HAVE THEM IN THE SAME ROOM WHERE WE WILL BE SLEEPING AND THEY DONT SHUT UP. JUST ANOTHER DAY IN THE RAMIREZ ZOO. I AM VERY GLAD TO KNOW THAT YOUARE PRAYING FOR US AND IN FACT IT IS A GREAT COMFORT TO ME. HOPEFULY THE POWER DOES NOT GO OUT AND I CAN KEEP REPORTING AND HEARING FROM YOU ALL. WE LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND THANKS FOR THE DONATIONS IN ADVANCE(LOLAL)

MUCH LOVE
ROSE, JUAN, TRIGGER, MARMALAID, SPOTZILLA,STUMPY, SKY CAPTIN, STORM, & THE FISHES

Waiting on the Rain...

Seems that my crepe myrtle is always a late bloomer. Now I guess high winds and hard rain will beat these already fading blooms down. I like the color here, not too dark, not too pink, kind of like how I eat my steak.

I guess I am thinking of meat, I do have a chicken and a small chuck roast on the grill.

Got one accidental page from the hospital today, thought might have some action up there, but they said sorry, go away.

Speaking of action and sorry, well you never know when you might have to get busy so might as well take a big ugly nap. El Guapo knows something is up, he is staying home today. With legs that short It does not take much of a rain to drown you.

I might try to keep some pictures coming today if Gustav produces anything interesting. Right now looks like those black love bugs are thick outside, maybe driven ahead of the wind. I went to Huntington this morning, several law enforcement agencies had a command post set up at the corner of Main and 69, a blue 8X8 shade cover that they might have to chase down the street before the day is out. Definitely not something that would fall under the category, shelter from the storm.

The Panther Band has marching practice scheduled tonight, to quote the director, "hurricane or no hurricane." When it rains during marching practice old superstitions with ancient meanings swirl about the band. It usually signifies the band director has done something bad.

Some Times it Feels Good on the Edge...

What's not in this picture is the fact that the boat is underway at full speed. What is in the the picture is El Guapo and a couple of warning signs that say things like, wear a life jacket, stay inside railing and must possess at least moderate intelligence to ride this craft safely.
Another instance of total disregard for warnings. I think that sign says "Warning, No Feeding Fish."


Look closely at El Guapos back. You can see the healing wounds of his latest adventure. Seems that when we went to Austin a couple of weekends ago something grabbed him right behind the neck and gave him a good shake. The result was a sore shoulder and numerous bite marks. These injuries were described by a health care professional who lives here with me as "bit all to be damned."

I think he was about dead when we got home. He slept on the couch 24 hours, I washed his wounds daily and made him take physical therapy. Two weeks later he is glad to go fishing. Good thing his insurance is good. If he was self pay he would never be able to afford my services which totaled $39,000. I guess after surviving all that I might stand and look over the edge also.

We caught 16 catfish. Maybe a little under average size but fun still, seems like we have not been too mad at the fish for July and August. Lots of these little birds perched on small stickups in the area we were fishing. They were waiting for schooling fish to break the top to get in on the bigs eat the littles action. We saw one flurry of schooling action, looked like hybrids or white bass, but a slight chop was making it hard for birds and big fish to spot the shad schooling near the surface.

Here's a First...

Wait a minute, shouldn't that deer be on the other side of the fence?
Hey, off my lawn, stay away from the tomato cages!
No animals in that barn, not equipped.

Hey guys, I'm out here, let me back in.

Got home from work the other day to find Cathy stalking a deer in the yard camera in hand. She sure was acting strange, may be slipped out of the game fence and now has a fawn on the other side somewhere.

I have seen her once since these pictures were taken. Standing in the drive one evening I hear the sound of hooves pounding down the black top. There went the deer with Buford and Brenda's border collie/cow dog mixes in chase. Trailing this action at a safe distance was El Guapo.

I called to El Guapo, "Come here, quit chasing the deer." He obediently came to my side. I could see from the look on his face he was readying the story he would tell his dog buddies. "The man called me. I had to come, I mean he feeds me, built the dog house, scrubs my belly till it's plumb pink. I owe him everything."

That look on his face was relief. Relief from the tired thirsty work of deer chasing on a hot summer afternoon.

Now Ear This...

You gotta keep jumping to make an interesting Internet buzz these days. Used to just a few naked pictures of yourself and you were set back in the early days. Now folks want more, lotta noise out there, gotta get your message through.

This week, I think the hot thing is ears. Ears can say and do a lot.

These ears say, "Oh, sorry, I did not know you were sitting here."








Hauling ear can be a big chore.












Do nothing ear, all nice and shiney, just like a big old hiney.

A busy ear, phone, sunglasses, jewelry, before long ear fatigue will set in. Mamas warn us about stuff like this.

We don't listen, but we do use our ears.

Cold and wet...

Bunch of rain here. I hate that because the bottoms where we duck hunted this weekend will be flooded and hard to hunt. Ducks will be able to get anywhere instead of just being confined to the slough like they were with the water level banks. Oh well, some places in the world have near not enough water.

Any way the cold. Makes you want to snuggle. Here is an old snuggle picture looks like it was made on Christmas day 2004. These two guys have been missing in action for some time. I think the big white dog disappeared about the time the Micheal Vick thing broke. Always knew he was kind of shady and that other guy has been long gone. Any way I am guessing that's about 150+ pounds of dog snuggled up together there.

Here is what this dog house looks like today. That's El Guapo all by himself in there, about 9+ pounds of dog. I know one thing for sure he is

a heck of a lot cheaper to feed that those other two. I buy the cheapest sack of dog food weighing 5 pounds and it lasts a month. Of course there is a hidden cost, because he sits right beside me at the dinner table in a special little high chair and eats the same thing I eat. I am careful to make sure he gets the proper size portions. I read some where you should not eat a piece of meat bigger than a deck of cards. El Guapo seems to be real pleased with a meat this size.

On the fish again...

Me and Cathy went to the lake yesterday and had one of the best days so far. Fishing late in the afternoon was slow last weekend. I think the best time is mid morning to mid afternoon strangely enough. Maybe the cool July weather has something to do with it. During a typical July we would not have been able to sit comfortably through the afternoon like we did yesterday.

Final count was 26 cats, a mix of channels and blues. Cathy had the biggest blue weighed in at 4.4 pounds. This was a new area to us, heading up river in the lake. Seems like the usual late summer pattern is to find the cats down river.












There were a lot of throw backs, believe it or not, but this was not the smallest cat we caught.





It poured rain on us on and off through the aafternoon. Everything we have got a good washing including El Guapo, who had the misfortune of jumping in the truck, not knowing what he had volunteered for.


One weird thing. Two of the best blue cats were each missing a left eye, with the socket completely healed over. What's the odds, catching two like this, the same day, same fisherman (Cathy) and being two of the biggest fish?




Some of these fish aare swimming in our bellies, some are sleeping in the deep freeze.

El Guapo missed and where did the big white dog go...

Got home from work yesterday. Went in sat around a few minutes and me and Cathy decide to go to the lake. Did a little crappie fishing, give the cats a rest, two keepers, a cat and a drum were all we managed.

Getting ready to go I noticed El Guapo was nowhere around. He is usually right there in my business helping with whatever business there is. We called, check to make sure he was not sleeping in the house and headed on to the lake.

We get back, Mary is home from work, now driving self and I ask if she has seen him. She opens the door to look and we see his head pop up from the backseat of my car. Some how he must have jumped up in my car without notice when I got home from work. he seems none the worse for wear for being in a shut up car several hours. Probably found food scraps to make a meal.

Fans of the big white dog may have noticed no mention of him since late winter. That was about the time of the last sighting. If you remember he always kept his own schedule. May be when the weather cools I will mount a search. I would hate to have to drag him from a cool spot.

There's a Birthday...

Strains of Happy Birthday played by tubas float in the air. Somebody stepped in cake. It had not been on the floor long because El Guapo would have eaten it. Another year older. You know whose Birthday? It's Katie's. She turns 24 today.

I hope all get a chance to wish her a happy birthday, you can post it here. She might be too busy to read it up there in Chicago, where there is probably still snow to shovel, fights to be broken up in the Cubs dugout, and that long backasswards commute by train that she makes from the city to the suburbs each day for work.

Happy Birthday Katie!

Memorial Day on the Lake...

Although it was not real bright and sunny it was nice to be on the lake and have a holiday. Started out good with girls on a tube.

















But then El Guapo threw the boat into a hard left turn and we felt the

foot of the outboard barely strike an unseen object. I could feel a different vibration in the motor. The prop was broken.






This boat came with an aluminum prop. They are not as durable as a stainless steel which is the better prop of choice for a lake like Rayburn. Don't worry folks, this is nothing that $300-$400 can't fix. We will be back in action soon.













It might have been a blessing in disguise. When I removed the prop this is what I found, a big tangle on mono fishing line. This would have eventually worked it's way up the shaft and caused the foot to take on water, damaging the gears located there. Cathy will try to locate a prop, stainless steel while I am at work tomorrow.




















We just limped back to the boat ramp at a slow speed and fished around there. There is usually a pretty good bream spot, but as we launched I noticed two small boys coming from that direction on foot with a nice little stringer of pan fish so fishing was slow there. Cathy had a tomato horn worn plucked from her plants and she punished him by catching 3 small catfish and one bream with him for bait.

Just Sitting Here Looking...

The old minstrel song dating to 1843 is a favorite quote around here.

So, git outa de way for old Dan Tucker,
He's come too late to git his supper.
Supper's over and breakfast cookin',
Old Dan Tucker sittin' and lookin'

I think it was first used when the kids were little. You know how sometimes in the big free for all of family life there is always someone whose actions seem to fit this description. Someone not quite caught up in the event of the moment, a little removed, but still there, just thinking their own thoughts. Most lately this little verse has been used to describe El Guapo, he seems to be sittin' and lookin' most of the time.

I feel a little like Dan Tucker myself, waiting on my temporary license to arrive from the state board so I can get started to work and schedule my exam.

All the rain made a lake trip a wash out yesterday. Those short fat cats that don't make the size have a few days to grow.

I dreamed last night I was playing the tuba onstage at the old Lufkin High Auditorium. I played one number and then a girl asked me not to play anymore because she had to leave and would not be there to hear it. I said, "It does not matter if you are here to hear it or not, I'm playing it." A true artist for sure. Then as I sat at my music stand a draft passed through causing my music to blow off the stand. I looked around and there was a big bag of clothes pins at the edge of the stage, just for such situations, and I pinned my music to the stand. Then I was roused from a very deep sleep by the elbows of my wife. The elbows did the trick because the alarm was not.

I got up, took Mary to school and now I am back to being Old Dan Tucker.

I usually do this to people...

Disclaimer, this is not on my butt.

Looks like El Guapo got dog bit today. I treated it just like I would a wound in the hospital, except I would have had on gloves Somehow it just did not seem necessary with a dog. Anyway you always make a picture to start out so you can document any changes.

Cleaned it real good with soap and water. No peroxide, that just kills all the good stuff the body puts out to heal itself. Those bubbles with peroxide, that's just the O2 from all the red blood cells you have just destroyed escaping.

The reason we all survived childhood with our mothers putting alcohol and peroxide on us is because we were young and strong. Throw in some vascular problems, a little renal insufficiency, you can create some real problems for yourself in your golden years.

El Guapo Come to Town...

I get home shortly afte lunch time yesterday. A message on the phone, it's my neighbor. She says, "your little dog, we call him Spot, is at my dads shop, you can come get him or I will bring him home."

Her dad's shop is Bobby Jones Air Conditioning. By my estimate that's at least 7 miles from the house. Talk about momentary facts of the world as we know it reorganization, I think how did this little dog get there? I grab the phone and call the shop. Bobby happens to be the guy I bought this old house I live in from. I get a female, not Bobby's daughter Robby, who is on her way home, and this person fills in some facts. Looks like Robby's son Zack about 16-17 or so has set out on a bike to the shop and El Guapo followed. He has entertained the shop and all are impressed at the distance this little dog has covered. They call him Spot for the spot you can see in the picture.

Any way Robby soon pulls up, she has a pretty new sporty ride of some type, El Guapo travels in style, and they hand him out the window. As I grab him out the car window I can feel from his muscle tone how tired he is. He takes a big nap. I thank them. El Guapo sleeps away the afternoon, he is tuckered out.

After a while, Bobby Jones himself, the owner of the shop shows up next door (big past time, watching the neighbors) and looks like there is some type of repairs going on to that house. Bobby is handy repairing stuff, I have hired him a few times myself. El Guapo stirs from his nap at the sound of the voices carrying across the field. He heads over there to see Bobby again.

This is what I suspect. Bobby Jones can often be seen at Pete's Place, see the link on the side bar, Bobby has an ad for his shop under the acrylic table tops at Pete's and he took El Guapo to lunch at Pete's. That is why El Guapo headed down soon as he heard Bobby's voice, he thought they were going to supper.

I left for the TKD colored belt testing and they were back by the time I got home.

Dogs...

For the big white dog fans. Here he is. He has only spent about 7 days at home this year. He is missing his collar and is nice, fat and sassy. Not like he has been roughing it or anything. Gotta love that face. That's El Guapo in the background trying to be a big dog too.















And how about this guy? I made this picture, Cathy made up a lost dog poster because he had on a brand new designer John Deere Tractor collar and we started to get in the car to head down to Huntington to post notice at the post office, the Dairy Queen and the store, but as we got it the car a loud whistle rang out and he took off toward a house across the Farm Road from the church about 200 yards from us.

Turns out he was a new arrival to the man that rides the horse around the neighborhood. His name is Hairy. Hairy had a little trouble learning to stay at his house, but I think he has it figured out now.

Had a weekend off...

First whole weekend off since school started. Wish the weather had been a little better, would have gone to the lake, but a little wind stirring in the trees and temps seeming like they might not get out of the 40s made me decide that it could possibly feel like the 30s on the water. Also the boat ramp we have been using was closed due to high water last time we tried to go so I spent a bit of time on the mower bagging a few leaves and dumping them in flower beds around the house.

Afternoon me and Cathy went for a hike on the 4-C trail in Davy Crockett National forest. Here is the trail:











I think those camo coveralls have been her favorite get up this winter. She had been wearing Morgan's but at a post hunting season sale she bought her own. They were a little long in the leg, but Mo's had got a little short in the leg for him so they traded. Both feel like they got the better deal.

A different bridge here, check the sand river bottom in the background, swept clean by recent high water. We met a swamp ape and had him take the picture.











Saw several hunters. One was set up on the trail, we were on a long straight stretch and could see a log in the distance that looked like a good seat, but a guy with a rifle poked his head up about 70 yars away and so we turned around and went back. I thought hunting season was over. One group of two we saw walking on the road as we left had a rifle with a bipod set up, I guess you can hunt hogs or varmits year round. No one wearing hunter orange. I would have if I had known those guys were around.

Back home I took a picture of Mary and El Guapo being cute.











Also the big white dog graced us with his presence. Have not seen much of him since Christmas. He was just as fat and slick as could be. He must be living else where, but has not completely forgotton us.

The cousins visit...

Don't jump to conclusions. We have not taken up the hobby of drowning small animals.

Here is the group what has come to be known around here as the cousins. Left to right is our little dog El Guapo, with Katie and Travis's brood from Austin, Udie and Killer. They are taking a bath together, getting their tummies scrubbed till they are plumb pink.

As you can see, El Guapo looks somewhat distracted from his usual pasttime of standing around trying not to stink. Udie of the laser eyes expected more bubbles. Killer, he just expects. 

It comes to this...

Some won't be surprised. They saw it coming. After all at least two pictures of toilets and one of a urinal, at least by my count, can be found on these pages. Then there are those that emailed and asked for this.

Yes it is a picture of excretment. You know, poop. Oline poop. Look like any blogs you may have read?

So I make an excuse that I post this doo for academic reasons. Does anyone know what this crap is? I mean what kind of animal. It has recently begun appearing in my squirrel feeder. That is why you see the sunflower seeds and shells mixed in. Something is getting up there and defecating while it eats. Kind of fibery saucer shaped pellets.

I feed squirrels, big fat bushy tails with names like Speedy, Sparkey, Spunkey, Squeeky and Shirley. Big old doves that have got so fat that they can't get off the ground fast anymore and El Guapo has to run past pretending he does not see them to give them a chance for escape come to dine. Red redbirds and blue Bluejays and those cute little whatever they ares all eat here.

Then one night I surprised a big Coon at the feeder. He looked at me like "who are you?" Another night when I had my drawers in a wad over a test and I went outside in the wee hours for scream therapy there was that big possum that rolled out of the seed sack itself right by the door. The dogs did not even bark he was such a familiar customer.

So it is one of these last two characters I suspect of fouling the feast. They are recent arrivals and the squirrels and birds have been around a while with no bad manners.

So if you know your stool, drop me a line, what is this crap?