Critters and a bunch of cash.....

The question of the day ? Name three events that you have experienced in the past 48 hours.

First, whilst sweeping up the deck I found a dead mouse. Although we detest them with a passion when they are inside the house, I feel sad when I see a dead-un outside the house. We suspect this was the fat little critter we saw a week ago peeking into our kitchen, not seeing us until we were almost on top of him. Anyway I gave him a decent burial in the backyard, which leads me to...

Second, as I was digging a hole for said mouse, I heard a rustling sound in the bamboo. I carried on digging as it was probably a bird. But then out from the undergrowth came this large black and white creature. I jumped a mile in the air as initially I thought it was ElsieSkunk, but no it was a huge raccoon. He was grumpy about being disturbed and definitely not afraid of us. He lumbered off into the neighbour's garden.

And third, I got a call late last week. Lost Property from the BlogTrain called. Noone claimed the money I handed in several weeks ago, so now it is mine to keep. I must admit I never thought I'd see that again, so it was a bit of a pleasant surprise. I waltzed along to the office after work. After showing my id, I am now thirty dollars richer. As I was walking away, the man behind me went up to the counter and said, "My name is Jerry and I'm here to report that I've lost some cash...." and we all laughed.

A local Lantern Festival

  

  

  

And the house came down...

Well this is the house that was due for demolition and sure enough, this afternoon, along came the bulldozer. I felt very sad watching this. It must have so many memories for its previous owners. A few people came along to take videos and pictures of this scene.



Only the front wall remains, and as I look out the window at this minute, not even that is standing.





And here's a depiction of the house when it was standing. It was a charming place, why did they have to knock it down? Ok I know the answer. A lot of crisp green ones in someone's bank account.

We didn't grow sunflowers this year but these were in a nearby garden. I am always amazed at how high these flowers grow.

We were observed during our evening walk last night.

This is the house I identified a couple of weeks back as being up for imminent destruction. Rather strangely, a truck arrived today and dumped all this housing garbage on the front lawn. Maybe they are knocking down more than one house and using one as a dumping ground. Anyway the days are numbered for this once fine home. Watch this space.

In the park last night, there was this couch, next to it a mattress, just a few metres away, an abandoned bike. Apart from the fact that the couch looks a little worse for wear, you could almost imagine someone sitting there, all we are missing is a TV on showing "Desperate Housewives."

Lost thirty dollars ?.... look no further.

About a month ago, as I was approaching the blogstation on my way home from work, I saw some paper on the ground. On closer inspection, I saw it was three ten dollar bills. There were lots of people around me, all scurrying for the train. I picked up the money and glanced around. Noone was looking around to see if they had lost anything. There were the usual newspapers vendors (well not vendors as they are giving the papers away) and ironically, a couple of panhandlers standing nearby. I put the money in my purse and carried on.

I felt uncomfortable. The money burnt a hole in my pocket. It wasn't something I had earned. I didn't actually need it. I was in a bit of a hurry so went straight home. I examined the bills. One was almost ripped in half, but still usable, and another had what looked like a dried ketchup stain on it. Next day I approached a blog train attendant and explained what happened. He said "Don't give me the money. If you do, I'll be the one who gets to keep it if noone claims it." Well that was honest of him. He gave directions to the Lost Property Office. After work that day I went along to the office and gave in the money and precise details of where I found it. The woman behind the counter wasn't quite sure how to fill in the form, which didn't inspire me with confidence, but it only took a few minutes and I walked out of there.

I seriously doubt whether I'll see the money again, but that's ok, it was the right thing for me to do. I just hope a transit employee doesn't take the money. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised, or maybe I just will never know. Good luck to whoever has that thirty dollars.

So much for me ranting about the cooler weather the other day. Its been as hot as all get out the whole weekend.



ElsieS has been visiting each night. I slept through it last night, but Gregoire complained that she left an odorous calling card.

I felt a bit weird posting the picture of the woman in the park. I was half expecting to read about a body being found the next day, but no, she was just sleeping.

I have been doing the litter route each week, nothing outstanding has shown up. I only go just round the houses in the immediate vicinity because my bag fills up and I need to haul it home. Most of the garbage consists of plastic bags, junk food wrappers and transit tickets. Sometimes you'll see a beer can, but the deposit to be redeemed on those, means you won't see many on the street. Thats a good thing. I hear that in Ireland they have deposits on plastic bags, resulting in a 90% decrease in the use of plastic bags. Talking of bags, I found a site that is monitoring progress round the world on reusable bags.

Life goes on in suburbia...

We've been talking to some neighbours who live near the blogstation. One of them had just chased a drug dealer away from the street corner. Dealers are a constant presence in the area, although usually down the street rather than outside our house, but we do occasionally see addicts staggering along our laneway.

In talking to pirate neighbour down the street ("pirate" because he has such a menacing appearance with a shaved head and one eye but is the nicest guy you'd ever expect to meet), there is a sign for the dealers - a pair of boots is hung outside the drop house. So now I'm on the look out. Its funny because in the past I have picked up old shoes left outside houses in our area, thinking they were garbage, maybe I inadvertently messed up a drug exchange.

Just now I was walking back from the store along by the blogtrain. I stopped for a few minutes to sit in the park, and noticed a woman lying in the corner on the grass. Her purse was open in disarray beside her and her shoes were some distance away. She was lying with her face planted in the ground. I went closer to see if she was breathing and after a few moments confirmed that she was. I noticed the soles of her feet were very dirty. I couldn't see her face. Drug addict ? Maybe. Maybe not.

This is the woman. I've doctored the picture to cover up her backside as it was revealed for all to see. Including any local children who might have been playing in the local playground a few feet away. Which reminds me, the playground was totally empty when I walked by, and probably with good reason. Anyway it did not look like a normal scene, but because she was obviously in the land of the living and just appeared to be sleeping something off, I did not call the police.


Talking of playgrounds - this is the one I was talking about. When I was a kid, you just had a swing or a roundabout, but just take a look at this labyrinth of adventure. I think I want to be a kid again just to be able to experience this with a child's eyes.

Late last night as Gregoire and I were sitting in the living room, the outside deck light came on. "I bet it's ElsieSkunk," Gregoire cried. And we both leapt up and looked out the window. It was hard to see anything as it was so dark in the bushes. At first nothing appeared, but then we saw ElsieSkunk scratching around on the grass. We've grown quite attached to her and were very pleased to see her. As long as she doesn't live with us and doesn't spray us, we don't mind her nocturnal visits.


I took this picture last week in an alleyway on our evening walk. OK, I doctored it a bit. We're actually on the lookout for an ironing board, but this one was about half a mile from home, and embedded in undergrowth. Nature covers up almost all sins eventually....


This is my current favourite tree - I've published pictures of this before. Its just so unusual, and stark. Winner of the Tree of the Month picture.

Here is the state of the nation:

1) Hedgerow House occupant, Doris, put an announcement on, where else, her hedge, to say that she wasn't putting out any more free stuff. No explanation. Hopefully this situation will change because, dash it all, it was most entertaining for the likes of me.

2) ElsieSkunk has gone off and married someone else. At least for the time being. It may have something to do with the Berlin Wall I constructed outside the crawlspace in one of my less critter friendly moments. (Sorry Wynn, couldn't help myself). Usually when I do this, the critter comes back the very next day.


3) The weather has turned. Fall is approaching. And I have to tell you, I am not amused. Up with this, I will not put, as Winston Churchill used to say.
4) The house down the road that has a death sentence imposed on it, is still standing. I maintain a vigil night and day. Well something like that.


5) What is this weird picture? I hear you shriek. Well there is a house down the road with a stone statue in the front garden and I really like it. Usually statues in the garden in this neighbourhood get snatched au milieu du nuit, but this one is so frigging big that they'd need a tow truck. Its great.

Messing about with the grapevine picture...

This is one of the blogvilles I visited this week. Quite a nice town I thought.

I had this offering for dinner on my travels this week. Of course I didn't finish it. Underneath was a rather delightful couscous dish which made a pleasant contrast with all that gravy. Great tasting meal, I'd give it a strong 8.5 out of 10.

You know, apart from crows, I think grapevines could take over the world. In our yard, they would grow twenty feet if you'd let them. The neighbour on one side has just returned after being abroad for three months, and I swear the grapevine has completely taken over his backyard. Yuri has been hacking away at it for about a week now trying to bring some semblence of order to the place.

I've been on the road for the last week so I have not caught up with Simon Says in the elevator to find what ails him. But I am on to the case.

I have taken six flights in the past six days. Its been a bit frustrating having to check in toothpaste and contact lens fluid in the main baggage. In the lounge while you waited for your bucket of flying bolts, you could buy a cup of coffee but they would not supply you a lid, as they did not allow you to take it on board. Hopefully this will all calm down soon. But the real problem was when I arrived back in BlogTown and waited to pick up my luggage. It look a while for the bags to be deplaned, at least twenty minutes before anything started moving on the carousel. Then they all came at once and everyone grabbed their bags and left. Except me. My bag never arrived. I made two flights that day, and apparently it never left the first location. What have they got against a purple suitcase with a red ribbon? Such a nuisance. Since you can hardly bring anything on board the plane as carry-on baggage these days, I had checked in almost everything. All my trip notes, my toilet bag and my pet boa constrictor (ok, maybe I exaggerate a little).

There is good news to this story. 48 hours after landing, I got a call in the early morning to tell me my bag had finally arrived at the airport, and would I be home if they delivered it my door ? Sure, come on down. No idea why it was delayed and when the purple bag with the red ribbon arrived, no explanation was given : "I'm just the delivery guy". I'm just glad to have it back. This is the second time this has happened to me, fortunately it has been about a decade since the first time. I hope there's a least ten years before the next disappearance.

I met Simon Says

I was leaving work yesterday afternoon and stepped into the elevator and hit the "Main" button. A couple of floors later, a short gentleman, 55-ish, in a brown suit got on. He was holding some books. I'll call him Simon. I've never seen him before. We both looked at the monitor in the top corner, which indicated that the weekend weather was going to be good.

Me: Well its going to be a fine weekend.
Simon: (sighing) Yes.
Me: I'm glad its Friday.
Simon: (unintelligible response).
Me: You look like you've had a rough week.
Simon: Yes, but next week's going to be worse.
Me: I'm sorry to hear that. I hope things get better.
Simon: (sighing deeply) It won't get better until November.

Before I had a chance to ask more, another gentleman got on the elevator and Simon just sighed to himself and did not volunteer any more information.

With very little to go on, I was trying to work out what would be so bad in August but wouldn't get better until November. I'm pretty sure he was talking about a work situation. Maybe he works for a skiing company and is waiting for the snows of winter. Or maybe he is just professionally miserable. It will remain a mystery, until perhaps I meet him in the elevator and obtain the next clue.

I'm keeping this picture for posterity because I think this house is going to be knocked down any day now. And I think if a little loving care was put into this one it would look so good. But no, its going to be flattened and a monster be put in its place.