stories

17 10, 2018

William the Conqueror-squirrel comes a-fostering
Gallery
William the Conqueror-squirrel comes a-fostering

humor, William the squirrel

William the Conqueror-squirrel comes a-fostering

cynthia + 2018-10-17T14:05:04+00:00

William the Conqueror-squirrel is now part of a household already enriched by Lola, Nikki, The Resident Carpenter, about a million saltwater denizens of the deep, assorted garden vegetables, and a number of wild critters living (only, I hope) in the backyard. This is the story of a squirrel orphan being rehabbed to the wilderness.

William the Conqueror-squirrel comes a-fostering cynthia + 2018-10-17T14:05:04+00:00

3 07, 2018

Driving out niggling nags
Gallery
Driving out niggling nags

stories

Driving out niggling nags

cynthia + 2018-07-03T14:27:10+00:00

Snuck out of the house early Sunday morning, hobbling downstairs to the garage and deserting the Resident Carpenter, snoring peacefully at the other end of the hall. I slipped into Chiquitita the Porsche, dropped her top, and just ... drove, [...]

Driving out niggling nags cynthia + 2018-07-03T14:27:10+00:00

7 05, 2018

End goals and impossible things
Gallery
End goals and impossible things

saving elmo

End goals and impossible things

cynthia + 2018-05-08T13:29:52+00:00

We saved Elmo. Now to do some impossible things. (such as say "thank you") Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said: “one can’t believe impossible things.” “I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was [...]

End goals and impossible things cynthia + 2018-05-08T13:29:52+00:00

30 04, 2018

Getting rid of granny(walker)
Gallery
Getting rid of granny(walker)

saving elmo

Getting rid of granny(walker)

cynthia + 2018-04-30T22:15:39+00:00

"Excuse me," says the little girl, shyly, fingering the rails of my grannywalker, "Are you really old? My great-grandma has a cage like that too, and she's REALLY old." Don't kids--the ones who survive the next five minutes, anyway--say the [...]

Getting rid of granny(walker) cynthia + 2018-04-30T22:15:39+00:00

26 04, 2018

Jury booty
Gallery
Jury booty

saving elmo

Jury booty

cynthia + 2018-04-26T15:26:30+00:00

A month ago, traversing this sandy path down to the river would have been unthinkable. Yet here I am. "SHE," said the guard, pointing to me, "is what we call S.T.U.B.B.O.R.N." "Absolutely," I grinned, and continued to climb [...]

Jury booty cynthia + 2018-04-26T15:26:30+00:00

23 04, 2018

Beachwalking and the denizens of the deep
Gallery
Beachwalking and the denizens of the deep

aquaria, saving elmo

Beachwalking and the denizens of the deep

cynthia + 2018-05-08T20:33:58+00:00

My very first in-person tidepool since falling. It was glorious. Here's what they don't tell you about recovery from a catastrophic injury: It's only gradual from the 10,000-foot view. Up close, it's fits, starts, and frustration, punctuated by [...]

Beachwalking and the denizens of the deep cynthia + 2018-05-08T20:33:58+00:00

18 04, 2018

Walking and the well-grounded non-gardener
Gallery
Walking and the well-grounded non-gardener

food, saving elmo

Walking and the well-grounded non-gardener

cynthia + 2018-05-08T20:43:12+00:00

"Do you have a cane?" Brenda-the-PT asked, and I nodded, "Good. Bring it next time. I want you to graduate from your walker to a cane." Heady stuff. Me, not lugging around walkers and wheelchairs? Wow. "No long walks on [...]

Walking and the well-grounded non-gardener cynthia + 2018-05-08T20:43:12+00:00

11 04, 2018

Batting cleanup (tanks a lot, Fred)
Gallery
Batting cleanup (tanks a lot, Fred)

aquaria

Batting cleanup (tanks a lot, Fred)

cynthia + 2018-04-12T13:04:14+00:00

Frank Sinatra, the blue-eyed hermit crab Starting a marine reef tank is a lot like adopting a demanding, finicky child that eats its playmates and spends money like, well, seawater. Fred Mertz* the reef tank has been alive [...]

Batting cleanup (tanks a lot, Fred) cynthia + 2018-04-12T13:04:14+00:00

2 04, 2018

Fred gets tanked
Gallery
Fred gets tanked

aquaria

Fred gets tanked

cynthia + 2018-04-02T15:24:05+00:00

Brad and the Resident Carpenter begin the laborious process of setting up our new marine reef tank I dunno, he just LOOKED like a Fred. "Nobody I've met," laughed Brad-the-fishguy, "Ever named their reef tank 'Fred.'" The Resident [...]

Fred gets tanked cynthia + 2018-04-02T15:24:05+00:00

27 03, 2018

Learning to fly
Gallery
Learning to fly

saving elmo

Learning to fly

cynthia + 2018-05-08T20:46:37+00:00

Made coffee this morning and got another lesson in gravity: The rich cream slid down into cup's depths, while all the sweetness sank to the bottom, leaving a thin, bitter layer of dark on the surface. What does it mean [...]

Learning to fly cynthia + 2018-05-08T20:46:37+00:00