Virtual Quill

For the moment, I came up with a way a smooth over relations between Gran and her new in-laws. Tree produces a plethora of pine cones every year, most of which simply fall to the ground and don't do anything. Tree's shade keeps any of the seeds from producing survivable saplings, so the cones just end of being a waste of her resources. She's probably the only tree in the world who possesses emotions, and in this case she experiences deep frustration.
I'd learned that squirrels love pine cone seeds which are rich in nutrients that squirrels require, so when I heard about Gran's problems I put the two things together. Fenton and I gathered in a wheelbarrow about 75 pines cones beneath Tree's branches, and carted them over to Mr. Squirrel's tree (where Gran lives now). I tied a big bow around the wheelbarrow with a tag reading "From Dorothy Kindle-Squirrel" and the in-laws were invited over. Fenton and I left, but I heard later that their mood improved dramatically.
While Tree knew that the seeds inside the cones would be eaten and that they wouldn't produce progeny, she was glad that they were being put to use and not just rotting in the dirt. She's conscientious that way.
Today's question: Being all the same species, do humans have conflicts with in-laws?

Gran is pretty hard to get to know. Just look at me. It took twenty years for me to build a semblance of a relationship with her.
That's why I'm not surprised to hear that there's some friction between her and her new in-laws, the Squirrel family. While she and her husband seem very much in love, his relations aren't bothering to conceal their displeasure.
My suspicion is that they're afraid she'll take his money. However, when Mr. Squirrel went to prison he gave Gran power of attorney to manage his finances, and she adroitly steered them through last year's financial meltdown and handed them back when he was released.
On the other hand, it's illuminating that he didn't chose any member of his own family for the task. He apparently is less than impressed with their business acumen, or at least with their ability to work together.
At any rate, what has united the younger generation of Squirrels is their loathing of Gran. Of course, her basic cantankerous nature doesn't help. She's now finding out what it's like to be presumed guilty until proven innocent!

The Domain area had been having a problem with "milk pirates"; formerly civilized wolves who retreated into the Wild when the economy tanked. They'd been preying on defenseless cattle as the bovines walked from their fields to the local milking stations.
I use the past tense because Kell and Ms. Eyeshine volunteered themselves as escorts for the cows. The cows were initially suspicious of Kell's intentions, but they were reassured by her well-known marriage to Dad...A rare case in which when her 'notoriety' actually worked in her favor.
Kell and Ms. Eyeshine didn't plan on playing vigilante, hoping that their presence would simply intimidate the pirates. The rogues attacked anyway, apparently not having adequate respect for two females. They were roped and hogtied in short order, with their own milking equipment.
They now await trial in the county jail. Legal note: the Wild offers no protection from responsibility for one's actions.
With the pirates caught, Kell and Ms. Eyeshine aren't planning on a repeat performance. Dairy prices have stabilized, and supplies are once again plentiful. Still, if need arose...
Today's question: Are there pirates over on the human side? Are any of them sparrows?

Gran is all moved in to her new husband's house, which is about a quarter mile away from us. Unlike our tree, which is built to accommodate non-arboreal species, Mr. Squirrel's house has a number of sections that require scampering across limbs fifty feet from the ground. For her safety she wears a bungee cord that's saved her a couple of times already.
She used that same bungee cord to deal with another threat: over-sixty female squirrels with their sights on her spouse. He's a celebrity (albeit a notorious one) and a best-selling author. True to form, Gran dealt swiftly with the interlopers...none of whom were hurt by their falls due to their being squirrels.
Rudy went to a convention this weekend called Manthrocon. It's been ages since he did his human-themed webcomic, but he's still popular among that fandom. People go there dressed as humans, which makes me nervous. I still think instinct loss is caused more by individuals actually crossing through the portal rather than through knowledge of humans, but I could be wrong. Meanwhile, the fandom is growing. It even merited a report on the Carnivore News Network. (I'm not sure what those of you on the human side of the portal will see. Today's question: do you have a parallel to Manthrocon?)