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Coyote

0.o This one was a winner. It started out with me and Lark walking to Lincoln, although I think perhaps I had a scooter or something. It ended up with me as Rayne, fighting some relations who'd stolen a family business or something. I'm not sure why he ended up shopping for snow traversal equipment, though. For one thing, I don't think there was any snow on the ground. I wonder if my subconscious is telling me the only adventures I can have are vicarious?

Well, Karen came sometime after ten-thirty to take an INR that seems to have disturbed her. She's going to try to come back later today, if she manages. We'll see. Diane came after that, and we all talked about pets during lunch. Lark took enthusiastic part in the discussion. I was petting her with my right hand and had to use my spoon with my left.

We engaged in a spot of reconnaissance for our walk today. The original plan had been to do this down at the far end of Rockhurst, where there would appear to be something in the nature of a store. However, we set out at about two-thirty, Grandma wanted us back by four, and it was three o'clock when we hit the road where we usually come off it. At this point I should explain our route. I was trying to save time, so we went along the driveway that runs behind the house, taking the opportunity to find the best way to get off it and strike across towards the dorms. Having ascertained the lay of the land in this area, we then proceeded to further acquaint ourselves with the slope we're in the habit of descending. Ground looks very different going up from its appearance going down. In the end, we hit an open spot some distance above our objective, and at this point simply went down a little way to the road. Then, still according to the original plan, we headed up the road, until I looked at my watch and decided we didn't have enough time. There was no way we could go up to Rockhurst, down it a mile or so, back up, and then down the gravel road to Grandma's, because after that there was no way I would be able to mind my feet going down the secret passage. So I decided this would be an opportune moment to follow the last two stretches of the gravel road, which I'd always skipped and which bothered me rather, nagging at me as unexplored ways tend to do these days. So we went that way. It's a winding road, with large expanses of trees and scrub between the stretches. In theory I was aware that there were coyotes living in there. I was still surprised when we encountered one by the side of the road, on the last stretch, within a shout of the dorms. I saw it when I turned to look back at a movement, and then Lark spotted it. She charged over. I said, very firmly, "No. Come on. Leave it," and began to walk away. She followed, somewhat to my relieved surprise, but then the coyote came out into the road, looking to me as though it would come after us. I turned and advanced on it a little, shouting at it to leave my dog alone. It thought better of coming and sheered off into the brush on the other side of the road. Lark, idiot, followed, but she came when I called her back, and we began to walk toward the dorms. I kept a wary eye out for the coyote, and tracked his cautious stalk of us long after Lark had apparently forgotten all about it. He was out of sight when we reached the gate, having apparently stayed at one post where there was a screen of brush once we were at a certain distance.

I could still see the coyote when I started hearing the sound of a basketball from the little paved area with a hoop behind the dorm. Lark headed for the boy with a ball as soon as she ducked under the gate, and I followed her, more slowly and a little uncertainly. He proved to be willing to put up with a little dog after his ball, and we stayed there for a while, exchanging occasional comments while he and Lark played, until he had to go.He was nice--diffident, and I think also uncertain. 

Jinn came over to chat, bringing some experimental soup to try on us. Apparently she had obtained (after several attempts met by a closed gift shop) the soup cookbook sold by a monastery called, if I recall correctly, Christ in the Desert. *googles* ......Well, I suppose it could be the one in New Mexico.....Anyway. Someone managed to buy the cookbook for her, and she is now happily trying out recipes, and brought the fruits of one such endeavor to us, as test audience. So we're going to have that for dinner.

After Jinn left Sid called to tell me she had some extra cole slaw, and would we be interested? We would indeed. I wish these people would quit worrying about whether I'll like something, though. I'll eat it, okay? Don't worry about it. So Lark and I went over to Sid's, with direction from the home base to come right back. Lark hung back to dally a bit with the cat, and a fascinating burrow under a tree, but I did, assisted somewhat by the presence of Ralph's brother John. There's a certain family resemblance, a similar head shape, but they don't cultivate it at all. Where Ralph has the remaining hair on the sides of his head buzz cut, John has a thick sheet of silver hair combed straight over his head. He doesn't wear glasses, and his expression is cooler than Ralph's. He doesn't smile as much or as warmly. To top it off, I'm pretty sure this is the brother Ralph mentioned as not liking Mitch, which strongly reinforces my impression. He was polite, I suppose, if cool, and thought he might have met me before. Ralph said he was thinking of Philip. I'm inclined to agree.

But speaking of Sid, she's been planning on renting Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to watch with Isaac. She got it, and they plan to watch it on Saturday night. I'm invited, acceptance pending approval by my chain of command. The top said "probably," so now it only remains to be seen if Philip has anything better to do. It seems unlikely--his plans tend to be for Friday nights, so Saturday should be free. I hope so. I'd like to watch a movie with Isaac; I might get a retort out of it, for when Philip complains about people who talk during movies. Besides that, I'd like to see this movie, and possibly Isaac's relations along with. I don't know who else will be there, but it seems probable that Sid's going to have another gathering on.

Well, I think I'll go watch Batman Begins now.

Golden Retriever

Somehow it seems like the earlier I go to sleep the more weird dreams I have. Maybe I just remember more. 

My book came--All About Aussies, the blue edition. Aesthetically I prefer this one, but....the content of the red one is more exhaustive. Oh well. Collect 'em all, I guess. Oh, and I finished off the cereal, and it's only Wednesday. Bagels for breakfast for the next two mornings, I guess. 

Lee was here while I did math. They've got me solving for x now....took me a bit to figure out what they wanted, but I got there eventually.

Lark and I took the long way 'round, stopping first at the Heller dig. Michaela--no longer braids girl--ended up asking my age. -_-; The conversation went something like this: "She really likes this wilderness, doesn't she?" "Yeah--back home it's all cornfields." "Oh, so where're you from?" "Nebraska." "So what are you doing there?" "Uh--I'm a student." I knew where this was going. "Oh, really! What's your major?" "Um, I'm homeschooled." "Oh!" Something occurred to her. "Wait--how old are you?" I admitted that I was not quite sixteen. She was pretty surprised. The question now, though, is whether she tells anybody, or if I can continue with the others. Well, we'll see.

 

We continued along the path, seeing a couple of dog/walker pairs--a golden and a schnauzer, I think. It was otherwise uneventful until we hit the park on Rockhurst and a lady with a golden came in. He was a wondrously gargantuan dog. I think he weighed more than Baron. Besides that, he oozed personality. His lady had a green plastic ball thrower, rather like a clay pigeon thrower but designed to fit a tennis ball, and perhaps a little springier. He came to the park carrying it, with the ball in the cup--I don't think his mom had to touch the thing once, which I'm sure she was very happy about. His name was Zebulon, and while he was a bit curious about the little dog whose person was discussing him with his lady, his main interest was in the ball. It was pretty funny--when she threw it, Lark would go about half-way after him, and then you could see her think, "All right, I am not going that far away from Mom to try to wrestle a giant like that for his ball. No way." And she'd come trotting back to us. Eventually Zeb decided it was time to go home, which decision he demonstrated by picking up his ball and thrower and proudly carrying it to the corner, where he waited for his lady. She came, he sat in front of her until the street was clear, and then he trotted along for a block, his lady walking behind, until the next crossing, where he waited again. It was great.

We made it home around one-thirty, as rain began to fall in a desultory fashion. Carole was here, to clean house, and as Grandma just told me that she lived in Japan for a while I am contemplating going and asking questions.......Ah. Five years, in the eighties. Air Force base outside Tokyo. She used to watch Candy Candy and Sailor Moon. Her sons only watch the Cartoon Network anime, though. Pokemon and Bakugan and stuff. No adultswim.

I read the Breed History chapter to Grandma when we were having floats. She told me there had been two "little blue dogs" on the ranch in Walden when she was small, back in the thirties. (Will "the thirties" be to my kids what "the nineties" are to me?) There was Blue, and then when he was old there was Pups, a female who looks like one of the black-and-white photos in the History chapter. It's hard to tell, but the dog in the picture may have been a black tri. On the other hand, she could have been anything from black and white to red tri. Color photographs were one of the truly great inventions. Oh, well. I was telling Grandma about the later edition of All About Aussies, too; we came to the conclusion that I'm going to have to start a library of  Aussie info. Maybe I should buy Palika, too.

Evening spent at the Derbyshire Writers' Guild again. Cindy C. has spent productively the time I've been away. I'd like to edit for her--she's really good at imitating Heyer's voice, but sometimes her style breaks down and she needs someone to catch it. She could probably make some money off all the Heyer addicts who want new hits--she's still a modern author, and it shows, but you don't have to see it if you don't want to, and she's much better than some other Regency authors I've read. Otherwise, however, I'd like to see what else she can write, if she gets her own voice. She's not bad at plot, good at humor, good at characterization and voice. And she's certainly gotten good practice with the Regencies.

Reached "The House of Tom Bombadil" last night about when Parental Control cut my music off. Did you know there's an audio alert as well as a pop-up window? Interesting dreams again--I think I was going to school with Trina, and we got in trouble about something, and then there was some sort of emergency--a flood?--and some chilled kittens. It was one of those dreams that makes perfect sense while you're in it, but when you wake up you have some questions.

I started on math about nine, and finished three problems by the time Karen, the Summit HHC nurse, came and took Grandma's INR. It was a little high, 4.5 I think, and they said to hold the Coumadin until they get back to us. Grandma had me walk the lark after she got here, and we headed out about ten-thirty with instructions to be back by eleven-thirty. We had to stop at the dig to ask for some tweezers, Lark having picked up some spines in her right hind. The professora found some tweezers in the first aid kit, and held Lark for me while I hunted spines. She asked my name and Grandma's, but I forgot to ask hers--something I have got to remember. The only name I know belongs to one of the guys, because one of the girls mentioned his cat in a conversation. Which reminds me--braids girl had her hair up today. I didn't recognize her at first, but the tattoos and highlights helped. Speaking of names I need to ask: she's consistently delighted to see Lark. Anyway, after prickly extraction we got going along the usual trail. We met one person, a young man who was cautiously approving of Lark. Which is to say he petted her but was cautious of me. :D Good attitude. On the way back we saw a deer, too. She froze as soon as she saw us, forestalling notice from Lark, but her bright red-brown against the trees caught my eye, and we observed one another for a few minutes. Lark never noticed, even when the doe began to move off. We went on. We were almost to the gate when she found a burrow to dig up. We worked on that awhile, but I gave up and leashed her. In the end we got home about noon.

We had Diane early this afternoon, after I'd done some more math. Unexpectedly I'm having more trouble with elimination by substitution than anything else.....and yesterday Sid forestalled me by saying she'd always been awful at algebra....maybe I should ask those students if any of them were good at high-school level algebra....but then they know how old I am, which is no fun....T_T......oh well.

Result of much time on IHAH:

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On the other hand, I got all the way to the first Lol. After that I dropped in to the Derbyshire Writers' Guild. Been awhile.....and there's some pretty decent writing up. Better yet, some of 'em are nice and short. I don't feel like a five-page epic just now, so no full-length retellings, please. Something like this, in fact, is about right.....0.0 Scary thought, that....Also, they've been doing Twilight P&P....although I kinda liked the one where Lydia took up vampire slaying. Short and silly. Oh, man, elves? Somebody's been reading Mercedes Lackey lately....Forget this one. No way am I reading somebody trying to describe Elvish versions of Bingley and Darcy. 

Karen called back about five to tell us to hold the Coumadin until she comes out on Thursday. Okay, I can do that.

Oh, this is good. Doesn't quite qualify as fiction, but--nice. 

Whoo--hah. From An Unconventional Courtship by Mortie. Bweheh.

From a concealed pocket on her dress, Lizzy extracted a metal rod, approximately 30 centimetres in length and 5 in width; with the press of a button a concentrated beam of bright pink energy was formed and gave off a distinctive hum.

"Oh, no, not again!" Jane sighed. "Father forbade her from using her lightsaber after what she did to poor Mr. Collins."

"Not to worry, Darcy will not let her cause any harm. He's quite good himself."

As Bingley spoke, Darcy took his own lightsaber from his coat and activated it, the energy beam a vibrant green. While Jane and Mr. Bingley watched, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy engaged in a heated duel.

"I had thought you to be a more intelligent woman, Miss Bennett," Darcy said as he deflected a searing lunge. "One that would not place all her trust in a story told by one person when it involves more!"

The air buzzed as the two battled, with Jane and Bingley watching is apparent bored amusement.

"How am I to do otherwise, when the other parties will not tell their side of the story?" Lizzy whirled, her lightsaber a blur of bright pink, her target blocked by Darcy's weapon.

"Cannot you trust my word alone?" It was Darcy's turn to attack, though each swing was expertly parried.

"You, who have insulted me time and again? Who influenced his friend to extreme ends, resulting in mutual heartbreak?"

"Did I not amend that? Look, Bingley is even now standing beside your sister." Darcy's tactic worked, distracting Lizzy for just a moment. She was able to deflect his swing just in time, and the blade only singed her bonnet.

"Sir, you obviously do not trust me or hold my affections near enough to be able to divulge the information pertaining to Mr. Wickham!" In one move, Lizzy was able to knock Darcy's hat clean off and leave a long burn mark on his sleeve.

"What if," Darcy said, stepping back and deigning to pant a little as he was beginning to get quite out of breath, "I were to say that he has injured me in such a way that only God can forgive him? What if I were to say that he has taken advantage of not only my dear father's memory, but of my sister's innocence?"

"What?" Lizzy lowered her lightsaber and deactivated it.

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Lights out at eleven. Lay half-awake for a couple of hours, and woke up a lot. I've been dreaming about the people at home more lately--Dad and B, for instance. I think my subconscious is pointing out how nice it is here and suggesting we should stay. For one thing, Baron nearly went for my throat, and I never did get up the courage to look 'round the corner and see why he was so desperate not to go in the kitchen. Do these rank as nightmares?

Spent an hour doing math this morning. To my mild surprise, I managed to finish the first eight problems correctly, but then it went into clearing fractions. While I managed to remember how to do this after a little refresher, I still haven't managed to mesh that with what the answers book seems to be doing.

At eleven I walked the lark. We wandered by the dig on the way back to chat and inquire what those bags hanging off the bronco's hind leg were. They were soil samples, hung up to dry. The professor kindly explained what they were going to do with them, and while it made sense while she was telling me I'm not sure I remember enough to give a coherent explanation myself. I think she said they had two types, one for extra-small artifacts which they'll pan for with window-screen (as opposed to the usual quarter-inch screen, I think) and water, and one for macrobotanicals, like charcoal. Yeah, that sounds about right. The girl with the braids was very happy to see Lark, although I'm not so sure about the guy sitting by the trench who had the back of his neck licked.

Janice Thorpe came down from Boulder with a friend, Joan, and three kids: her Andrea and Ian and Joan's TJ. I took the kids for a short walk, somewhat to Lark's chagrin. She always heads for the long trail when we take short walks. TJ spent the entire time messing with his mom's iPhone, although I think he took a break to ask questions when we dropped in to see the archaeologists. There were a couple of guys in the first trench who were quite happy to make suitably intriguing answers to the boys' questions. We had to head back shortly, though, and then TJ started playing Beatles songs. Apparently some iPhones have built-in speakers now.

Grandma told me, after they left, that the Thorpes were the family who sailed around the world on Sea Fever. She has a photo journal of the time she spent with them in the Galapagos Islands. I managed to read most of the notes, despite the fact that I think they were written on board, decreasing readability of Grandma's already difficult writing. Thus the disadvantages of an italic education. The information did, however, explain Andrea's articulate maturity. She is, I believe, twelve, but she felt like an equal, and Ian was also mature for his age.

Having gotten through the four problems involving fractions, I took half a cantaloupe over to Sid's a bit before dinner, and we had a nice chat--focusing largely on exchange students. We got there via Joan's son TJ, who has been having trouble at school which his mother feels would be assisted by his holding back a year. I think she felt she'd missed the gap there, so when he's older she's planning to send him as an exchange student to Chile, in the process holding him back a year. So after I'd told Sid about this, she told me about an exchange student from France she'd taught a while ago. His name was Antoine, and he had quite a lot of issues.

For dinner Grandma fixed up the leftover beef roast from the Black-eyed Pea. It tasted much better after its month in the freezer. Grandma agreed, and she barely touched it fresh. We finished off a jar of applesauce with it, and for dessert Grandma had discovered the frozen lemon bars. They actually didn't really need to be thawed; the consistency was a bit stiffer, but they tasted about the same as from the fridge. It was interesting.

Well, that was fun. It's ten after eight, and a few minutes ago Isaac just knocked on the back door to give Lark her tennis ball back, staying for a minute or two to play. While Lark does have a ball, which we picked up out on a walk, I've a suspicion this one was one of Mitch's that she lost in Sid's front yard. Either way, Isaac and Little Sid were happy to attribute it to Lark. She was delighted to see them, frisking around with an expression of idiotic joy. 

Aaaaand.....an hour later......I think I'm getting off. Maybe watch Batman Begins. Otherwise read Fellowship of the Ring. 

Well, having been up rather too late, I just managed to be conscious and dressed by the time Phil got up. Isaac kindly larked about a bit with the dog while I was getting ready, so she'd had the edge taken off a tiny bit by the time I had to go over and get her. I also needed to thank Sid for helping Grandma with her last night, which I did. We were ready for church in time, but Philip dove into the car without even eating breakfast. We made it in time for the announcement that Pastor Reese et familia being in Cali, a guest pastor was taking over. He's from the Pennsylvania branch, and I think his name was Doug Somin. The subject of his sermon was, I think, "Taking Stock of your Witness." It was pretty good, I suppose. We stopped and talked to some people--Jackie, a nice woman who, I think, exaggerates her expressions a bit, and her son, Keith, who is majoring in Computer Science and considering attending a theological seminary in Pennsylvania. Jackie asked after Grandma until Keith took over to discuss classes with Phil. Philip says he's eighteen or nineteen, but somehow he seems younger. Nice boy, anyway.

We got home to make lunch about noon. Philip scrambled up the rice and leftover seafood (salmon and mako) with eggs, and I toasted bagels. It was pretty good. After that I read Warrior's Apprentice until I finished it, at which point I started getting my boots on.

We took the Heller trail along up to the houses, but at this point the weather betrayed us. It had been cool enough when we left that I tied a sweater around my waist, wondering whether it would rain. By the time we hit the houses the sun was out and the sky blue. Lark began to flag, and as I hadn't brought any water we headed back along the trail to the pond. She jumped in, splashing about in the cattails, and I was a bit relieved myself. It being Sunday, everyone had been out doing yard work. We met no one along the trail back. A nice cool breeze came up, and we enjoyed it from the top of a rise. I lifted Lark so she could get the full benefit, and we stood there until my arms got tired. The clouds came and went over the sun as we headed home, one minute so bright I needed my sunglasses, the next so dim I had to take them off. It was a nice change from glaring sun--or would have been, if we'd had a great deal of that lately.

I had a good solid nap before dinner, and then Philip woke me up with coke injections to come help with dinner. Lark assisted by thoroughly washing my face. I think he was experimenting with nonviolent de-napping techniques or something.

Oh, lovely. He's set Parental Controls so nobody can use the Jane account between ten pm and seven am. Well, I'd been thinking I should reread Lord of the Rings.