Strange Junk

We've been getting some lovely April showers of late, and they are most welcomed. Here are some more flower pictures after a rain.





I also recently made a chocolate truffle torte. It's similar to a flour-less cake, except that it has a roasted pecan Graham cracker crust. This time, I added my own touch by making it with 60% cacao instead of semi sweet chocolate, and man... was there a difference. I probably gained a few pounds by eating a slice every night, but it's so good it should be illegal. Like, seriously. It's probably the best chocolate dessert I've ever had. And hey, the dark chocolate makes it good for you!

Heaven

While visiting our cousins in suburbia, we once more chanced upon the phenomena of the week when people throw out all their junk onto the streets for everyone else and the garbage trucks. Since this phenomena is a novelty to us, we were quick to make the rounds, dragging our cousins along with us. Alex found a shopping cart that someone was trying to get rid of and practiced for her life as a homeless woman.

We passed by this lemon tree -- proof that the soil of the Silicon Valley still is intensely fertile (though covered in cement). The lemon in the center was at least the size of a grapefruit!

This is my aunt's cat, Forrest. He was, literally, stoned by that catnip mouse.

Alex is doing the Mighty Boosh skit of Old Gregg for the talent show and we picked up this little delight to play "Curly Jefferson."

At least an hour later, Forrest still hadn't moved

Out of all the items to put on the curb, a Kleenex box? Really? Why? Because it had a hole in it? Seriously???

I've never seen such a chair. I am as intrigued as I am disturbed.

So the other day I got the pleasant surprise that my thesis was due to Graduate Studies and Research by Monday. It would have been nice to a) have known that ahead of time and b) have had my professors at least tell me if they were approving my thesis, much less read their comments. As such, I've spent the last few days editing my book and scrambling to get everything together, on top of studying for my MFA exams next weekend, planning that trip to Vegas, and writing a script for a manager. And this is my semester "off"!

Anyway, yesterday, as I edited, I noticed two deer outside my window and decided to film them. While Johnny Cash played there was a surprise ending.

Tracie -- Whoa, thanks for the link, that's cool! And my interest in Egypt began just slightly before Stargate. I'd been studying Ancient Egypt in school in 6th grade and loving it, then for a reward, our class got to watch the Stargate movie (well, part of it) and I was in love and awe.

Hammy -- That's a great point about people being charged for animal cruelty but not child abuse. Wow. But doesn't that ring true so often? I think people would be more willing to donate money to an organization with an ad featuring wounded dogs than an ad showing starving children. We live in strange times.

Deer and Coyotes

A suspicious doe

Living where there are mountain lions and the alleged occasional black bear can make one wary when hiking or jogging in the mountains, but I think I have nothing to fear (hah -- watch me get eaten by a cougar tomorrow) since there is a huge deer population this year. Check out these pictures from one day alone... sitting in one spot for 15 minutes, no less.

A young buck

The A doe who took a while to notice us. If we were hunters we would've had a week's worth of dinner by now!

She sees us

The mountain lions and coyotes certainly have a lot of food out there which will hopefully keep them fed and away from people (especially the former... I've never heard of coyotes eating anyone). That said, it is still a little disturbing to walk out the door and find things like this lying around:

And since the deer are doing so well, the coyotes are, too. The other night I recorded a sound that I hear almost every night (yes, they just did it again as I wrote on this blog).

Coyotes Talking

Mackenzie's Momma -- You and sheep, LOL! I agree, though. Of all the animals I have ever worked with, sheep have been the most freakishly stupid. I think we bred the idiocy into them. That's why we kept our ewe - she was supposed to go to the market but she showed some spunk and spirit and intelligence, which we knew was rare!

Tracie -- Okay, I really need to watch The Lost Boys now!