I just heard a whole lot of screeching from the direction of the back of the house...the kind of screeching that does Not Bode Well. I ran back and discovered that Mia--aka Puppycat 2.0--had just caught a fledgling baby bird and brought it proudly in through the back door. The baby was squacking almost as loudly as its parents were as they dive-bombed the door. I pushed the door closed to avoid angry Mama and Daddy birds joining the party and then did the Extracting Baby Bird While Shoving Cat Away with Foot dance.

I finally was able to use a towel to pick up the baby, take it outside (ducking to avoid being dive-bombed), and put it on a tree branch where, I hoped, it could be rescued. Then I had to attempt to catch both cats, who were at this point in full hunter mode, stalking about and chattering up at the tree where the baby perched wobbily. The Attempting to Catch Wily Hunter-Beasts dance ensued and only ended when I managed to scare Mia inside as I scooped up her prowling brother and carried/tossed him indoors.

Cats are lower maintenance than dogs. Right.

I think I need a beer.

ETA: Holy crap, Laga! Bizzaro x-post!

Oh holy hell, Kristin.

It's always kind of gross when they bring you dead animals, and alarming when they start toying with live ones (similar things have happened to me before).

But you can't get angry at them either. They're just trying to catch you a nice dinner or toy, in return for all wonderful dinners and toys you've given them over the years.

I remember my cat Captain used to bring my grandmother half a frog. None of US ever got a frog, noooooo. Just our Honored Visitor. Poor lady. She was very gracious to him and praised him for his derring-do despite her squeamishness.

Connie, ruinous shipping might not be all that big a barrier to the true and dedicated stuff collector that is FIL. He wants them going to a good home beyond all reason. The feel-good factor may well motivate him.

On our walk this afternoon we heard a tree chirping like a houseful of Tom Bombadils, then a robin shot out of it like a missile and the chirping stopped. We crept up and saw the nest of baby robins, but took off before MomRobin returned.

So I had to go to an office today I worked in 10 years ago. It's full of new people. New people, I mean. People who were just starting high school when I worked there. And that doesn't include the summer interns.

They were all very thin and shiny and seemed somewhat bemused by the middle-aged gothish person.

I'm old.

This LOLCats is feeling particularly appropriate right now.

I've had a nap and am prepared to pull my all-nighter. I feel like a college student or something.

New thread!

waves

Also... Dickens World ???!!!

Yep, Dickens' World. Really.

It's baby birds all around! I had just gotten done telling our trio how lucky they are that we are not predators.

Connie, ruinous shipping might not be all that big a barrier to the true and dedicated stuff collector that is FIL. He wants them going to a good home beyond all reason. The feel-good factor may well motivate him.

I just called to Hubby, "Do you want a bunch of old Scientific Americans?" "That would be neat--oh, no, who died?" "No one's dead. We're talking boxes, here, now." "Oh, that would be neat--gosh, that would cost a lot to ship." "Hold that thought."

Yes, Good Homes R Us. Hubby keeps flipping through them in the supermarket and going, "I wish I could afford a subscription." Let the negotiations commence.