FIVE SECOND STORIES

In the neighborhood:

We've had mild days and cool nights and quite a few foggy mornings which is typical of the season. Many sunny afternoons:

 

A LongTail enjoying the Buffet: 

 Nutkin having a sip:

 Gnome Cyril catching some rays:

One day was pleasant enough to work outside after the Zap. I distributed the chopped leaves from Benny's grandson who mows his lawn with a grass catcher and deposits them in a designated spot. We done this for several years so Benny doesn't have to schlep the bagged leaves somewhere. I use them as mulch. I also put away for the season the deck chairs and table and the hammock.

10/17: The Gang of Five Turkey Bros. stopped by the Diner. Two nosed around while the rest headed West along the berm.

Mr. Redbird, Chickadee and Purple Finch having a bite:

The Blue Jay couple enjoy hunting for peanuts together. I'll toss out some nuts towards the Diner, usually in response from the Mr. requesting their addition to the Buffet. He call out to the Mrs. and she will fly up and they will swoop down together and grab one from the grass. Interestingly, they usually fly off in opposite directions. Often, Mr. returns first and will perch on top of the shepherd's crook and waits for her until she swings back to the grass. He'll then drop down and join her.

The afternoon was chill and overcast—GF Birch's leaves are beginning to turn:

Buddy doing what he does best—hanging out and grooming:

 

Early evening with a glowy sky and Benny's beautiful maple:

  

10/18: good rains are promised. Hopefully, they will hold off during the No Kings event at the Capitol late this afternoon. C and her friends will be attending. Early on, the Avians were busy at the Diner:

 

A few sprinkles:

Time for the Budster to come in:

 

Seen in the past couple of days at the Diner: the juncos have returned from their Canadian breeding grounds.

I came across this Tik Tok still of a turtle doing sun yoga:

Seen while out and about: a 1961 Plymouth Valiant: I haven't seen one of these in ages-it was the distinctive trunk that helped ID the vehicle:

 ~

10/19-20-good rain! 2.33" at our house! 

10/19-C slipped, fell and broke her shoulder while attending her book club! Fortunately, 2 retired physicians are part of the group and they drove her to Okemos ER while my good neighbor John drove me there. Poor sweetie! 

10/20:

Retired!!! All done with the zap! Glad to be done and now, no distractions from caring for my Watergirl.

10/21: rain overnight brought another .33". This morning was sunny and windy. Mrs. Redbird having a bite:

 DHS has a new outpost:

A LongTail taking on a locust bean-help yourself-there's plenty and tell your friends!

 

A surprise this morning that made my day—very late blooms on the cosmos:

 

The afternoon began sunny: 

 Halloween is coming soon:

Later in the afternoon, the weather became dramatic as waves of storms rolled across the state. Buddy and I watched live radar to track their path. 'Tis odd now, getting frequent storms after a Summer drought making for very changeable conditions during the course of a day. The first batch crept towards us, making the sky dark in the NW with the sun managing to illuminate yellow trees on the next street over:

Luckily, this group cruised by us to the North and we only got a few gusts of wind from the approaching outflow:
 

And the sun came out:

 Our woodland gnomes:

 LG having a bite:

Within a half hour, another system slid past us, this time coming up from the SW. We got only rain as the strength of the storms hit Lyons/Muir with hail and strong winds. As this group departed, we were treated to a full rainbow:

My Irish side welcomed this as a good sign. Ole curly tail slept through it all—he was a konked-out kitty —who has been puzzled about the change of routine with Mum not providing his daily laptime. Poor lad, hard to communicate the situation to him. Hopefully, he can sense something about her, probably the pain.

~

Fun Vids:

Green lasers freak out geese. Green is the brightest color in the visible spectrum and geese perceive the beam as a tangible physical threat. Green lasers are now being used as a non-lethal deterrent when geese are pesky:

 

AI: When surrealist Dali visits Van Gogh and Monet's world:

 

Banksy's Street Art:

A doc about the Ophelia painting by John Everett Millais and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood:

American neurosis on display in an ad for honey pistachios with the tagline of "the don't hold back snack" oy!:

Not like this guy is obese-perhaps has BDD (body dysmorphia disorder. Might become a MAGA fav as the bear ends up eating a book-probably Catcher in the Rye. 

Man with super long golf driver club:

French bulldog Pavorotti jealous because his mum is talking to someone:

 

Flying fish: restocking a lake from the air: 

 Seattle magician card trick:

 

Animals enjoying humans making noise, sometimes joining in playing, sometimes just groovin' to the beat:

FUBARland:  

NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM/NSPM-7 

10/18/25: No Kings II: an estimated 7 million people across the country came together in the largest public mobilization in American history. Right on!

From  Polish illustrator Pawel Kuczynski:

A hopeful message from Robert Reich:

 

On the other hand, currently there are two comets, Lemmon and Swan that are naked eye objects. Now, many cultures throughout history have associated such events as portents of disaster, war and death. Certainly a double event would scare the crap outta folks in the past. So much to choose from:

-Gaza/Ukraine wars.

-potential death of Roach, Putin, or Xi-any of which will be calamitas for nations/world.

-advent of the death of King Chuck III. 

-collapse of democracy in America. 

-martial law or civil war breaking out in America.