Invitation

The gust of driven rain against my window in the night like the sound of a handful of pebbles cast by a secret friend. Adventure awaits.

Animals Behaving Oddly

This afternoon, when the rain stopped for a while, one of my cats went out and indulged in some sort of cat lunacy on the front lawn. I couldn't tell if she was playing with an imaginary friend, chasing imaginary prey, or dodging an imaginary predator, but she kept herself (and me) entertained for several minutes, running and creeping and pouncing about the lawn.

A bit later, I saw a squirrel running along the cable between two utility poles. In Los Angeles, I was accustomed to seeing rats use utility cables as a roadway, but I have never before seen a squirrel do it. But it reminded me of an event a few years ago, when there was still a maple tree in my front yard. It was during a heavy rainstorm with high winds. I looked out the window and saw a squirrel in a high branch of the maple, picking seed pods and eating the seeds while clinging to a branch that was swaying rapidly back and forth in the driving rain. The squirrel was either very bold, or very hungry.

I do enjoy watching the animals enjoy themselves.