My Wild Critters

This pretty girl was acting an awful lot like a pet this past week. We had a cool rainy weekend, all weekend long a week ago. And thinking that it was safe, I had been putting the food for the deer in the back yard under the Italian Prune tree. But of course the bowl ended up completely soaked, and I had to throw it out, and unfortunately that was all I had at the time.
So not finding the food in the back yard where she expected it, she came around to the front porch to where it normally is in the winter; but the cupboard was bare.....

She literally came right up on to the porch. I apologized to her, and promised I would get some the next day. So I went to bed, and the next morning I went to let Tom Cat out while I was getting ready for work. I was unlocking the door and heard noise, and when I opened the door it was in time to watch her scrambling down the steps!
It had been raining all night, so I"m thinking it might have been a combination of her getting out of the rain, and waiting for food that lead to her being there. I left work a little early just to make sure I got to the Farmer's Co-Op on time ♥

I got a different brand of food for the deer, because I went to the Co-Op in town rather than out in Ferndale. And she liked it just fine, but she wasn't the only one.......

As most know, I love squirrels and these two were too cute. They camp out right in the bowl and then were chasing each other around the porch.

                     

Conan O'Brien In Chicago

A week ago, the Conan O'Brien show was on the road in Chicago, and this clip is of Jack McBrayer  from "30 Rock" and Triumph the Insult Dog at a locally infamous spot called Weiner Circle. As Conan explains, it's well known not just for the hot-dogs, but the insulting staff. It does have quite a bit of bleeping, but it is also pretty funny. This humor is not for everyone, so fair-warning....

Father's Day

Big John

I was thinking about Dad this week, not because of Father's Day specifically.
At work I have a dry erase board by my desk where we do a question of the day kind of thing, but mostly it's movie trivia. And in honor of Gene Wilder having his 79th birthday the day before, I put up a quote from Silver Streak.
Gene was born the same year as dad, and I have a very vivid memory from going to see that movie in the theater. Sitting next to Dad and him laughing so loud when Gene gets thrown off the train and saying his line "Son of a *!%#?". And I remember thinking that it didn't feel like the fact that I was sitting next to him that he sounded like he was laughing louder than anyone else there, it seemed like he really was laughing the loudest. His smile like you see him above, and that laugh are how I remember him best. And maybe not everyone appreciates it (it's not very ladylike), but I inherited his laugh. And his love of a good movie now that I think of it.

I don't remember exactly what year it was, but someone very smart at the Pike's Place Market in Seattle came up with a marketing idea to help pay for a new floor, by selling ceramic tiles that the public could purchase, and have made with someone's name on it. My brother Mark and I bought a tile for Dad for Father's Day that year. And the next time he came out to visit we went to the market and found his tile. He took a picture of it framed by his own tennis-shoe clad feet.

It goes without saying that I miss him. Thank you for everything Dad ♥

I'm Still Here (again)

The Duplex - June 12 2012

Just a quick post that I'm still alive, just very busy at work, and not a lot of extra time this week. Like just about everyone else around here, I'm waiting for summer to arrive, because it sure ain't here yet! I saw two different negative statistics for Washington state in the last week and a half on NBC Nightly News. We are the only state in the lower 48 that currently is not experiencing above average temperatures and we have the highest gas prices of the entire nation. Not a nice way to stand out.