The day is fine and the boat is resting on dry land

In a small town near to the (even smaller) town where Adam, Jenny, and Lily live, they have a two-fer store. The store is not onlly a hardware story, but also a pharmacy. You can pick up drill bits with your Drixoral.

We've had a stretch of beautiful fall weather. Yesterday, Adam and Jennie removed our boat from the water and brought it to a marina near their home. The folks at the marina will winterize, shrink-wrap, and store the boat for the winter.

The daytime temperatures have been pleasant. Nights are long and cool. We have a thermometer (not one of these) that lets us measure the water temp. A number of 70 or 55 or whatever isn't much help, however. The relative water temperature is set on a scale of:

Nice
Refreshing
Cool
Cold
Mighty cold
Ice
Too much ice for sauna

Happy 7^th Birthday, Lily.

Free skunk, just in time for the holidays

About 8:00 the other morning, I saw a skunk shuffling across our back deck. The skunk, a large one and probably a female, went to the edge of the deck, onto the ground, and back under the desk. Fortunately, Marley, Sandra, and I were inside and inside we stayed. We've cleaned skunk spray from two dogs two times each; that's been plenty.

We researched a few ideas to help us remove the skunk. Trapping was often mentioned, but I can't see how that can be a good idea. We have a Havahart^® trap. So, then, we catch the skunk in a cage. How is that any better than a skunk under the deck?

Our next idea came from the Sunday newspaper. We have closed all but a small part of the end of the deck and put ammonia-soaked rags at the exit/entrance point. The idea is that the skunk will go out because it needs to find food, but won't come back because of the ammonia smell. We put flour at the entrance to see if we could see footprints. So far, the flour is smooth and the air is fresh.

On the other side of the galaxy, meanwhile, people have gathered in Ohio in support of skunks.

[My father had a pet skunk during the early days of the camp, but that's a story for another day.]

With the spinach scare continuing, we now know the revealed wisdom of the past.

Harriet Carter's magazines are classics in the genre of "Boss, how about if we selling these?" and the boss says, "Good idea." For example, wouldn't it be nice to snuggle under a giant kitten head. And, if you want to let your cat outside, but not really, here's a cat tunnel.

In Boston, baseball is serious stuff, almost as serious as political posturing. A Boston city councillor wants to take down the Citgo sign that shines like a gentle moon over Fenway park. In a speech to the United Nations, Hugo Chavez, president and looney without portfolio, referred to George W. Bush as the devil. Citgo is owned by the Venezualan national oil company. So, Councilor Jerry McDermott said that the Citgo sign must come down. The war on terrorism and evilness begins at home.

When the spirit is low, humor is a great comforter. There's no more reliable source of humor than the Looney Tunes cartoons of old, particularly those produced by Chuck Jones. Here's one such cartoon.

Peach clouds in the western skies

The air is changing from mild to cool with unthreatening clouds tumbling in from the north and west. As the air clears, the colors of red and orange and yellow and purple and green are all the more vivid.

Our friend, Connie, long-time laborer for peace, has returned from the hospital with new vigor for healing herself physically and, most importantly, spiritually. Connie has cheered on family, friend, and Friends, including my mother, for a long time.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again.

- Sojourner Truth

Connie's experience shows that we can start the journey anew, whenever we're so inspired.