You’ll recall in my last blog I was devastated to find a dead chicken in the coop, and today a chicken was massacred by a wild animal in their run. There was a gap in the chicken wire which I’ve now covered but Calvin’s going to reinforce the whole area for them. I heard them making a ruckus so stood at the coop scanning the grass and saw nothing, so I thought oh those crazy hens are just imagining something.

Never assume a chicken is imagining anything. When I returned a few minutes later, a chicken was gone, and I followed the feathers down the hill and found the dead hen. I must’ve scared off the predator, but by then I just left the chicken as what am I going to do with a mauled hen?

Now we’re down to four hens so I do hope my friend Wendy O’Reilly will be able to bring me three chickens from Langley. And as you know, chickens aren’t free, so as I’ve said before, “free eggs” is a wonderful concept but it’s not real.

The other day when I visited mom in Osoyoos I found a small dead mouse floating in her bathroom sink. Then when I came home the dogs acted crazy around a chest of drawers. Because I had the mouse on my mind, as I moved the furniture I said to the dogs it’s nothing it’s just GAAAH a giant rat! This thing raced past me and into the living room.

The dogs were in hot pursuit but as it’d jumped up onto a tall side table, they couldn’t find it until Frieda decided to stand on her high legs at which point she and the rat were eye to eye. This caused the rodent to make a break for the kitchen where Louie cornered it and bit it in its middle, and Frieda, screaming, then grabbed its snout. Finally it was dead and I took it out and threw it into the bushes for the raccoons.

To distract myself from the carnage I’ve done more cooking for the big party next weekend, and I believe most of the details have been worked out. When I was in Osoyoos I set up a few tables outside on mom’s deck, and I think people will love it. Too bad the temperatures will be in the cremation zone, but whatever. There’ll be buckets of liquor to assuage everyone.

Alison surprised me with the cutest pair of flats. They’re a coral fabric embroidered with the front half of a dachshund on one shoe, and the other half of the dog on the other. We don’t usually buy each other birthday gifts but she said I’d understand when I received this gift, and I do. Dachshunds forever.

Speaking of them, they’re going to be mighty upset when I drive off next Friday and leave them behind as they love going to Osoyoos. But with so many people coming and going, and the gates being left open, it’d be way too hard on my nerves. God knows everything in Osoyoos takes its toll on me as it is.

You’re thinking, yeah well, so where’s the book you said was about to be put onto Kindle Direct Publishing? At the very last moment, it turned out I had to write a description of it, then choose seven keywords/phrases, and then as I had those ready, Trevor got Covid and couldn’t come over for the final push. Next time you read this blog the book will be done and for sale on Amazon.