Playing Catch-up

In this post I'll try to do a little catch-up.

First of all - Baby Skunk Up-date... Last night I went out to check and one of the adventurous little fellas was walking the edge of the rail fence near the front of the house. Although he is about the cutest thing in the world, I don't want him around the house. Last night I tried to convince him that I am a large predator and that it is not safe for him and his siblings around here. I jumped up and down and loomed over the little guy, waving my hands and making noise.

Utterly fearless. He didn't even turn around and show me his tail. He arched his back and stood his ground. I wish I got a photo of that - fierce, yet adorable. I ended up tossing a wrapped newspaper in his general direction and that seems to have sent him on his way. We'll see.

BT Corner was dedicated last weekend. Here's a link to the picture in one of the local papers. It rained all day, but the ceremony was well attended.

Here's a picture of the signage:

Very pleased with the result. The rest of the park should be completed over the summer and into the fall. The great job done on the entry stands as the benchmark of quality that the rest of the park will need to meet.

Father's Day - always a hit - This year I received hand-made gifts from the kids - a portrait from the boy and a wallet from my daughter - entirely made from duct tape!

The purchased gift was Chef Gordon Ramsay's Cooking for Friends.

Finally - the end of school. Kids are done for the year and a long summer stretches before us. This year my summertime writing will be tempered by keeping an eye on two active adventurous kids. I have no idea how it will work out, but I know it'll be an experience.

Just because it stinks...

A few things have happened here - Father's Day - the end of school for the kids - the dedication of our heritage committee's little Corner, but all of that will wait.

Last night we had a few nocturnal visitors:

Here's a closer look:

Mama was no where in sight, so I hope they aren't orphaned but were merely expanding their horizons. As I approached they made little arched-back motions. None of them actually sprayed.

Earlier in the evening we had seen one of them lurking by our cedar hedge. He disappeared and we figured that was the end of it. Later - around 10:30pm - I was walking Willow and when we approached the house she dragged me to the side yard. Sure enough, a trio of the most adorable wild critters you could meet.

I haven't seen them around today, which is just as well. I hope they've found their mommy and they're gone for good.

A really, really good day

Just a quick note this evening -

Took a trip this morning with my wife and daughter to check out the new school she'll be going to in September (the daughter, not the wife). She is entering a gifted program in the fall and today was our opportunity to learn more about the school and meet the teachers and the principal. After a couple of somewhat rough years of behaviour from my daughter stemming from boredom, it was a relief to all of us to see a place where she'll be challenged.

After I got home I cut the grass and when finished I stood in the middle of the freshly mowed lawn looking at my surroundings. The garden is clean and crisp and beautifully park-like.

I went into the house and found a message waiting for me from the wrought-iron guy who made the metal sign for the little park our Heritage Committee is working on. He told me he was about to hang it and I should get my ass down there. I took a leisurely stroll with the dog in tow to BT Corner, all the while marvelling at what a gorgeous little town I live in. When I got there he was just mounting the sign. He showed me the holes he was drilling, explained the materials used and the welding process and then passed me the epoxy which would cement the sign in place to look at. I helped him install the sign and stood back and was very well pleased with the result. I have pictures but we don't unveil until tomorrow.

While Ray (that's the wrought-iron guy) and I were fiddling with the sign, a lovely woman from The Scottish Shop - a store across the street from BT Corner - came walking over with a stainless steel bowl of water for my dog. Again, I just felt overwhelmed by the feeling of community in my little town.

Tonight my daughter is at a friend's house for a sleepover, so my son, his mother and I had a picnic dinner and finished it all off with some fishing at the foot of the local dam. Countless catfish and a single, feisty rock-bass in case you were wondering.

The boy has fallen asleep and I just got back in from trimming our little Dr. Seuss-like tree in front of the house. While out there our neighbour across the road came over for a chat. I recommended the latest Clint Eastwood movie (Grand Torino - rent it) then told her about some of the events going on in town tomorrow.

I look back and think I had a really, really good day.

And now I have to bake a cake for our dinner date tomorrow...Caramel Layer Cake...mmmmm