The Lion, The Skunk, and The Surgeons

Today, as you might be aware, is Halloween.

This year I went as a lion…again…but this was a much more elaborate version. Zoe was sick of being a cat (we were so sad about her pouting) so this year she also got a new costume: a polecat (aka skunk).

Once we got dressed we headed off to our favorite neighborhood house where we often get treats but this time was different – as we were prepared to play tricks if no treats were offered.

Fortunately for them, our friends lived up to the challenge and we got a biscuit each. Next year we will have to remember to bring a bag so we can get more than one treat each.

Dad continued to talk to them for awhile after we got our reward which turned out to be fine by us since there were some fantastic smells in the bushes outside their house – kinda another treat for our kind. Unfortunately, we didn’t catch anything except the wonderful odors.

We returned home to find that Mom had returned home while we were away which made us so excited! And she was so excited to see us coming home in all of our splendor!

After welcoming her home we doffed our attire and the Zozymes were mixed up and dinner served the requisite 15 minutes later (Zoe did NOT let Dad forget to check the time when 14 minutes had elapsed).

We shut down the lights, as in theory we won’t have trick or treaters. So , here in the woods, we donate candy to the town center (a store) and everyone drives there to trick or treat. Just in case, we turned off all of our lights in the front of our house, as we gave all of our bags of candy to the event in the “center” of town.

Shortly thereafter, there was a rapping on the door. Our parents, in a panic, looked around the house for any candy to give the prospective tricksters. My parent’s are a bit behind the times, and we had already seen who was coming so we were at the front door wagging our tails anticipating more treats!

When the door was opened…TA DA! The Surgeons had arrived…with treats for us – this night is getting better by the minute!!

As it turns out, they weren’t interested in handful of candies like the kids in Menlo Park last year*, but a little something to fill their wine glasses with…which just so happened we were prepared for!

Happy Halloween to all, and to all a good night!!!!

The Tempest

Last year in MP was a little different then our experience here in Carlisle. I’d take a picture of what is going on tonight on our street but it would pretty much just be a smear of darkness – even though it is nearly a full moon! 😄

*https://montanamomentstrn.wordpress.com/2022/11/08/the-street-on-10-31-22/

Wisteria Hysteria

On Friday, our parents left us alone after lunch to finally get their MA drivers licenses after many failed attempts for a variety of bureaucratic reasons. In fact, mom’s work calendar had the time blocked off with the title: RMV try #57. People got a good laugh out of that one!

In an effort to keep me from shopping in the “grain” cabinet (couscous, freekah, farroh, etc.), they placed this metal chair in front of the lazy-susan door.

Frustrated, by their cleverness, I searched the house for other things to get into. I thought about tearing up the puzzle that Dad had been working on but decided instead to finish it for him.

With that done, I found myself with yet more time to kill and napping didn’t seem quite right at this time of day…when left alone. So I wandered downstairs and saw all the plants that were recently brought inside as the temperatures outside are predicted to get below what they can tolerate. I looked through them and decided the the wisteria seedlings looked good for swallowing.

When my parents returned home less than 3 hours after they left, they found three different spots where someone had thrown up – all on our dog beds (I’ll spare you the pictures). After discovering the missing plants were likely from the wisteria pot, they quickly looked on-line to find out if they should be concerned for my health. Turns out wisteria is the most dangerous of the plants that were brought in – especially the seeds and seed pods. Luckily, I only ate the leaves and really didn’t even chew them – just swallowed them whole. Mom called the poison control people and they asked if we were sure it was indeed wisteria that I had eaten. Dad pulled a sprig out of the mess that mom had cleaned up, and after cleaning it off took a picture for our iPhone plant ID app. Sure enough, Chinese Wisteria, was the identified leaves. The poison control people also asked if it could have been Zoe who ate them, but I was looking sheepish enough they were pretty sure they know who had done it (more evidence below)…

Turns out, vomiting, and other GI symptoms were the most likely consequences of my actions. Therefore, they were told to make sure I didn’t become dehydrated and to keep an eye on me (and Zoe, to be safe) over the next few days – which they have and I have been perfectly fine …even readily eating my dinner!

The upshot of this experience was that the plants were moved to the guest room for the winter and the door closed so I (or Zoe) can’t eat any more of them.

After our dinner, mom started working on the human evening repast. In order to be efficient, the chair was moved back into the breakfast nook, leaving the lazy-susan unattended. After dinner when my parents were on the couch, I gave them both a knowing look and headed into the kitchen. I opened the cabinet and took out the packet of farro and carried it into the living room and dropped it directly in front of them. I think they got the point that the whole hysteria of the last few hours was their fault, and could have been averted had they not put the chair in my way!

The Tempest

The Joy of Eating

Yesterday, while our parents were Zooming and doing whatever The Scribe does during the day when he is avoiding his real job of being my scribe, I ventured into the room where all the cookbooks are kept and brought my favorite into the family room. As soon as I had settled in for a good read, Zoe came and took it away from me and just started chewing on the cover! So immature…

…but she does like to eat!

The Tempest

Freekeh’ Out

Our grandmother (FarMor) from Michigan recently visited us for a week or so. We had a number of adventures with her including a couple day road trips around the area (maybe more on those adventures if I can keep The Scribe engaged and motivated to write up my stories…which I’ve had a hard time doing lately – something about a writing funk).

Anyhow, this Tuesday, she packed up her bag and got into our car – without us – and was driven off to the airport for her return flight to DTW. Apparently the reason we were left behind is that the road (including a stint in a tunnel) to Logan airport can be harrowing and our backseat (and attempts to get in the front seat) commentary would be a distraction.

When they left, we both got a Kong with a Greenie chew treat stuffed into it…this ALWAYS gets us super-amped. In fact, we wish we were left alone more often so we could get more of these tasty morsels!

But after they were gone and we realized we had some additional time with no “adult supervision” we got busy.

Among the things we found to bring into the living room were:

1. A three pack of Dos Equis – the other three beers having be used in some recent rotisserie chicken dinner cooking by our parents
2. The Joy of Cooking – not the source of the above meal recipes but since I was thinking food…well why not.
3. A bag of grains from the kitchen…maybe inspired by something I read in the cookbook (?). No one is really sure how I even got that corner cabinet open…or why I picked Freekeh and not couscous…
4. The handle of a Whole Food bag of my Mom’s work prep “stuff” given FarMor was downstairs – incidentally, the bag had a flaw in its construction resulting in it kinda being ripped apart when I removed the handle. NOTE: The WF bag handles with their thick double (or more) layered paper are good, but the stores that make the handles out of that rope like stuff are my favorite.

A few hours later, maybe more, maybe less – who knows how much time passed as we were having so much fun – our Father returned to find our handiwork. He just shook his head and commenced picking up and putting away everything we had brought out while he was away. Part of this included vacuuming up the grain but little did he know that there were bits and pieces hiding here and there for our new cleaners to find the following day.

The Tempest