Good morning everyone on this cloudy but nice afternoon!  It’s been one of those week’s.  And the week just started yesterday.  That’s not good.  Actually last Monday started much the same way.  Only different.  I won’t get into that one, I’m still trying to forget it.  And it’s not easy.  Especially when I keep thinking about it.  So we’ll skip that one and not think about it anymore.  Which likely won’t happen.  Sigh.  Yesterday is still fresh on my mind.  And body.  So that makes it even harder to forget.  Even though I really would like to forget it but how can I forget it when I keep thinking about it which makes it even harder to forget it but I can’t stop thinking about it because every time I move or don’t move or get up or lay down or sit down or walk around or don’t walk around or think or don’t think I still can’t forget it since when I do any of these things or laugh or sneeze or cough I still can’t forget it because all these things make me remember it so it is impossible to forget it and if I can’t forget it than how am I supposed to forget it and, and…forget it.  Sigh.  I’m doing a bit of rearranging and sorting and tossing stuff because I live in a very small apartment and I have a lot of stuff.  And I mean a lot.  Which in my last apartment didn’t look like a lot because my last place was much bigger than this one so now it not only looks like a lot it is a lot even though it isn’t.  I think.  Sometimes anyway.  But I want to be able to walk around the apartment without tripping over things or kicking things or always having to move things in order to do other things and, and…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It’s okay.  I’m fine.  I’m calm.  But in order to get more order there first must come more disorder.  That’ where yesterday comes along.  There is more stuff lying around in places it should not be and therefore for someone like me that means danger.  And it happened.  I kicked something, accidentally, and then tripped over this item leading to a loud yell and crash.  Poor Muffin.  She does not like loud noise.  Especially when it is unexpected.  Which it usually is.  Of course I landed on the item I kicked over and then went headlong onto another item which is solid wood and came finally against the fridge then landing on the floor.  This produced blackness and total numbing and as the numbness left the pain kicked in which was extremely painful causing another yelp from this old guy.  Actually, more than once.  I am still feeling it today.  Therefore I am moving around very slowly today.  Much more slowly than normal slow.  But on the lighter side to this, hmm, there must be a lighter side somewhere.  Sigh.  Later, while laying on my bed, I could just imagine how that would have looked.  Arms flying in every direction.  Legs up over my head.  Head smacking against fridge.  And the look on my face.  Too bad I couldn’t see it.  But I could imagine it.  That would have been priceless.  And it got me laughing about it over and over.  Which unfortunately made things hurt worse.  But it did give a good laugh.  I enjoy a good laugh.  Even when it doesn’t seem like it is funny.  Which it wasn’t.  Sigh.  I’m back.

Had to leave briefly, Patches was knocking at the door, wanted a peanut.  Patches is one of my squirrel friends.  There are presently five female and one male squirrel, that are adults.  Than there are four young ones.  I have only named two of the little critters.  Since the other two are twins, hard to tell apart unless I see them together.  But there is Tiger and Whitey.  Whitey has a white tail, at least half of it.  Tiger is just that, a tough little critter who isn’t afraid to attack even the adult squirrels.  He chased two of them one morning.  Then arrived Chipper.  She is the top squirrel right now.  But Tiger, being the overconfident critter he is, decided to attack Chipper.  He started with his menacing chatter.  Chipper looked over at him briefly while eating her peanut.  She then chattered a warning back to Tiger.  Then Tiger jumped on Chipper.  Poor little Tiger.  Never saw him again the rest of the day.  Chipper returned in a short time, still with her peanut, and continued eating.  Tiger has avoided Chipper ever since.  Then there is Mama Chip.  She is #2 squirrel.  Tiger tried the same approach.  Poor Tiger.  The two rolled around a bit on the deck.  Then Tiger ran off as fast as he could.  Mama Chip returned to quietly eat her peanut.  Tiger has learned valuable lessons.  Whitey is getting friendlier.  I like him, that white tail makes him look so cute.  Today he crawled all over me, even went inside my pocket twice to get a peanut.  He did try to chatter at me once, like he was going to attack me.  I warned him that would not be wise and told him to be quiet.  He did get quiet and took off with a peanut.  Hopefully I can get a photo of that one soon.  He gets shy around cameras.  Sigh.  Hmm, this is getting long, better stop.  And I didn’t even finish.  Sigh.  Enjoy your week and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.

Well, here it is.  The big day has come and gone.  What was it?  My birthday.  June 23rd.  It rained.  Quite a bit.  But it did dry up a bit in the afternoon.  So I went outside and sat on the steps with peanuts in hand, well, okay, they were in a cup.  And I waited.  And waited.  Hmm, no chipmunks.  No squirrels.  Dull day.  But finally Skamper showed up. He is one of the chipmunks, the smallest of the group.  Poor little critter, gets chased by all the other chipmunks.  And squirrels.  But he doesn’t give up and he is definitely the bravest of the group.  He was rustling around in the cup looking for the right peanuts, I was talking to him as usual and said it was my birthday.  He stopped looking through the peanuts, looked up at me, then crawled up my shirt and touched his little nose on my chin, then back down to the peanuts, quickly grabbed two of them and he was off once again.  Amazing little critters.  Sometimes I think they understand what I say.  Okay, I know they don’t.  But it’s interesting anyway.  Was it just a coincidence?  Perhaps.  But I doubt it.  Sometimes big blessings come in small packages.  But we usually ignore the small packages, so we miss the big blessings.  Speaking of big.  I think Sir George is getting bigger.  There are now 4 friends that come with Sir George.  But he is definitely the biggest of the 5.  And he gets first pick at the food.  He is waiting on the roof when I go out to feed him normally between 4:30 and 5AM.  But, alas, the days are now getting shorter.  The countdown to that terribly long and cold season of the year has begun.  I try not to think about it though.  Right now it’s nice and hot.  And sunny.  My kind of weather.  It was a day like this that dad and I decided to go do some fishing.  There was this nice lake, easy to get to but we had never tried fishing there before.  So off we went.

Nice and early, the sun was shining, no wind, just perfect.  We got the boat into the water, which was easy, all downhill.  Coming back wasn’t quite so easy.  Anyway, we started off.  Did you bring our lunch?, asked dad.  Naturally, said I.  I don’t see it, said dad.  Oh, oops, left it by the car, I said.  BONEHEAD!  Glad dad is enjoying himself already.  We hadn’t gone far so headed back and I climbed the hill, retrieved our lunch and came back.  Off we went.  Hey, where’s my tackle box?, asked dad.  You said you would look after that, said I.  Great, still in the car, he mumbled.  Back we went.  I climbed the hill back to the car.  Even though dad forgot his tackle box, he figured I should be the one to go get it.  Sigh.  Back down the hill and into the boat.  We have everything now, said I.  Good, said dad.  Off we went.  Hey, where’s my rod?, asked dad.  Not again.  You set it down while we launched the boat, said I, guess you left it lying on the rock.  BONEHEAD!  Hey, it wasn’t my fault.  Really.  Back up the hill, which dad decided I should climb since I was now experienced at it.  Right.  Okay, let’s check everything.  All here.  Finally we are off again.  Let’s try this spot, said dad.  Sounds good to me, I answered.  Looks deep here, I said, looking over the side of the boat.  Don’t do that, yelled dad.  That startled me and I sat up quickly which for some reason really rocked the boat.  Poor dad.  He never did like rocking boats.  He gets dizzy so easily.  BONEHEAD!  Guess he’s okay this time, since he is enjoying himself.  I made a nice cast.  Well, it would have been nice, but the hook got caught on dad’s shirt.  AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!, yelled dad.  Just got your shirt, I said, you ruined my cast.  Could have gotten stuck in my arm, he said.  At least it only ripped the shirt a little, said I.  Dad was looking at this hole in his shirt.  That’s small?, he asked, I can practically put my hand through the hole.  Dad did like to exaggerate at times.  Hey, look at that, I said, pointing to a spot on shore.  Well, well, said dad, might have to do some exploring around there.  On shore was a nice log cabin, somewhat fallen into disrepair, but still standing nonetheless.  Dad was standing at this point so I decided to stand also, to get a better look at things.  Now this was not a large boat, just a small aluminum type, and I sort of lost my balance.  Didn’t fall overboard, or any such thing, but, poor dad.  That rocking boat while he was standing didn’t go well with him.  Thought he was going to jump into the water.  Be careful, I said.  Dad sat down and looked at me.  BONEHEAD, he said.  Good, he’s okay.  We’ll fish for a while first and then come back and explore the place, said dad.  Sigh, okay, but how am I supposed to concentrate on fishing with an old place waiting to be explored!  Oh well.  It is such a beautiful day.  Squirrels are arguing outside.  Guess that means they want peanuts.  Sir George should be here soon for his supper too.  Hope you all have a wonderful week and God bless!

Steve and Muffin (who has been sleeping most of the day.  She does not like hot weather.)