9/14-First overnight this season to dip into the 40's-46° here.
9/16-Saw a black squirrel over at Johnny's, the first in several years. We have seen them occasionally but they haven't established a foothold in this part of Lansing unlike MSU and Downtown.
I finally got the lawn mowed today being the dry day bracked by rain. I hunkered down and got 'er done in one go, when I usually take 2-3 days. It was a beautiful day, with temps only reaching 69° with rain promised in the evening. After we got back from our celebration late lunch while C had her soak, Buddy chilled with me on the couch:
The big scamp, who likes to go roll around in the drive and hang out, has expanded his presence: in the middle of the street🙀Dude!
At the Diner, the bath has been popular:
Harry
Nutkin
Mr. Redbird-wasssuppp??
Inter-species relations
It's a curious thing, the relationship between MamaC and Buddy. We've seen times where she will come very close, usually when he's on the deck or in this case, in one of his castle keeps:
Now, Mama is a veteran, having survived for several years bringing her kids over to raise under our shed. The latest occurance was this past week-Bud was in the North Keep, surveilling the Diner and Back 40. C saw her come up to the North end of the deck, next to the lavender planter. They looked at each other for a bit. In all instances, his Lordship has conducted his duties with professional, calm confidence. She always wanders off to graze. My theory is that this is part of her own security strategy: by approaching Bud, she is testing him to see how he reacts to her. Is he going to be a threat while she is eating? Or is he just a tiger who lives with the apes who will not hassle her? Unlike the squirrelies, who can be quite combative amongst themselves and others-it's just how they roll. No, the tiger is cool at the moment.
9/19-Rain day. During a lull, Bud went out for a quick patrol. Unusually, he rested on the garage-side step.
I let him in, gave him a towel job, a snack and he joined me on the couch to groom. Outside, the avians flocked to the Diner-many of the Raucous Caucus were there:
Folks had to wait in line for a booth to open. I spotted up on the Eastern branches of GF Birch, Mr. Redbird and Mr. Purple Finch having a chat. Mr. Redbird appears to still be recovering from his recent molt:
RB: Man! I hate rainy days. Always brings a crowd and it's usually the RC's (sparrows, not Roman Catholics).
PF: Right?! Well, at least there's plenty to drink and eat in the 'hood. Damn those apes for messing up the climate. Never used to be all these extended extremes of heat/cold, wet/drought. Sure, we'd have a spike now and then but the weather was fairly consistent. Now...
RB: OUUUFFFFF!!! (a sudden burst of rain and wind caused both to briefly flutter then settle back to their perches) Oh, I'll be glad to have my feathers back. I look like shit. You look like you are just about done.
PF: I'm getting there, mate, thanks for asking.
RB: Back to your comment-yeah, man-I know. It's such a mixed bag with the apes. Here in our 'hood, the apes are cool. Many have Diners that are consistently open every day which is really nice during the snow times. Some have additional offerings like these folks who live here. It's a nice spot-good place to bring up the kids, few hawks. Gotta keep an eye out for that tiger especially if you are a ground-feeder. He's done some birth control on those RC's. But to pull back out of this Eden, you discover that it's the apes as a whole that is the problem.
PF: Oh yes (excitedly) in inter-species chat groups-the stories they tell! Selfish and greedy bad apes!
RB: Have you ever watched them have sex?
PF: (laughs, blushing as he is prone to do so) Of course! It's so damn funny!
RB: And the noises they make O-M-G!
PF: You've heard that the ape disease of gambling had taken hold with some in the avian community?
RB: NO!
PF: So I have heard and it began with our witnessing their "private interludes".
RB: What do they bet on and what do they bet with?
PF: Usually seeds of some kind. The rarer forms have more value.
Now, the bets center on a choice of several popular activities as well as when (day, night, nooner) and how often:
-from behind (our way)
-from in front (uhhh hard to do while balancing on a branch)
-mutual genital (NO WEIRD-we don't do that!)
-poophole (gross!)
RB: (nearly falling off the branch, fanning himself. His feathers have taken on a brighter glow, even in the mist) Hokey smoke! So, this is done in avian betting clubs? Do other species join in? Gender based?
PF: All of the above
RB: Wow, just wow. Learn something new everyday.
PF: I know! Hey, booths have opened up! He takes off and hollers over his shoulder-how's the wife?
RB takes off as well. Fine, he answers. Yours?
PF: Good!
They settle into their booths. The food is ready and they begin to dig in. Another shower begins but they don't mind-the food is good and filling on a chilly, wet early Fall afternoon.
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In Memoriam: Peter Max October 19, 1937 – September 14, 2026 noted artist of the 1960's with his pop and psychedelic artwork that "expressed the blissed-out exuberance of the countercultural 1960s" (NYT). Certainly, The Beatles' animated short Yellow Submarine points to his influence and style. His work (and Warhol's) certainly led me to my interest in silk screen printmaking.
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New wild cat species discovered in Bolivia: Meet Mr. Tilcayo:
This new species Leopardus tilcayo is the first new living cat species named in over 100 years. I weighs only about 3 pounds and measure 18" long-smaller than an average house cat. Unlike someone we know, lol.
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MADads: Big Canvas Art Prints is hawking their newest line: you can have an image of your favorite dog, sitting on the can taking a dump while on its Iphone. Oy.
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Really bad AI imagery: In a AI generated vid concerning archaeology, the camera pans across a desk with college textbooks. One read "Archaeology: Theery and Practice". Gawd-they didn't program the vocab intensively enough nor did they proof.
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FUBARland:
From The Canadian Resistance Army:
Nothing like the pipes and drums to get the Celtic blood up. Bastards!
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