Virtual Quill

When Kell’s cast was removed her tibia was fully healed, but the muscles on her lower leg were markedly wizened from just a short period of inactivity. It was time for Gran to begin the process of restoring her to hunting condition.
Except she didn’t, at first.
There was one pathetic session of “exercise” that didn’t do any good at all. Kell, frustrated, began working out on her own until Gran told her she was risking breaking the bone all over again. Kell sulked, looking down the road at months before being able to hunt again.
The next day Gran did an about-face and put Kell through a grueling routine. This delighted Kell, as she showed definite progress. (My goal isn’t for her to hunt, of course; it’s for her to dance with Dad at my wedding.)
Even better news this week...by 2014 Kell’s broken leg won’t be able to be classified as a “pre-existing condition.”
Meanwhile, a large herd of deer suddenly departed the area. The census takers were trying to track them down for countering, but all they found was a pile of discarded carrots.
No question this week; I'll be away from my computer and won't be able to answer any responses.

I’m on the home stretch toward graduation. I’m now sure to pass all of my classes in this, my last semester, so my diploma is assured. Not that I’ll slack off; that’s just not me.
I’m also officially enrolled to begin my Master’s Degree program at Beige University in the fall. Outwardly not a lot will have changed. I’ll still be working in the genetics lab, but I’ll have a bit more authority.
Rachel and Rhonda visit frequently to help with wedding preparations. Tammy, also one of my bridesmaids, participates via Skype from the lighthouse on the coast. My other two bridesmaids, Fiona and Corrie, are a few years younger than us and basically have agreed to whatever decisions the rest of us make.
After the wedding, summer will be taken by our honeymoon. It won’t be a long trip since we don’t want to leave Tree unattended. Sudden thunderstorms are a frequent occurrence around here and Tree is still vulnerable to high winds.
Back home, Kell’s cast is driving her crazy. She’s not the type to complain, so when she says it’s a constant source of mental anguish we pay attention.

It’s census time, and the government was pretty efficient in sending the form to Tree so soon after her relocation. Fenton and I looked at the form, then we looked at each other, and then back at the form. Then we listed a household numbering “two.”
Yes, I’m living here now. I only return to the dorm to get my snail mail. The last time I went back Rachel had moved all of her stuff into the section that I used to occupy, so it’s a good deal for everybody.
I know that some people will make next assumption and I’ll just say right out that Fenton and I are still saving ourselves for the wedding night. This requires less self-control than you might think since he sleeps hanging from a horizontal pole installed above the bed where I sleep.
This isn’t any big secret to my family, as they figured it out weeks ago. Kell finally brought it up when I came home to work on the wedding plans with her, and she said it was okay with her and Dad. (I wonder what she would have said a few years ago...or what she would say about Rudy and Fiona if- ...But they haven’t, according to Fiona.)
Come to think of it, we probably should have written “three” on the form to include Tree. The census is for fauna only but she is, after all, an intelligent presence in the household. We could certainly make a case for her but it would raise all sorts of issues with the Species Registry. She’s still in a fragile condition and she doesn’t need the stress that would come with dealing with conflict.
In other college news, Beige University fired the coach of its hunting team yesterday. I wonder how this will affect Rhonda, who’s a first stringer on the squad.
Today's question: How many are in your household?

This is probably a good time for me to detail the workings of Herd Thinners, Inc. for the humans who read this. Denizens of my world, of course, are all too familiar with it!
Basically, it’s a food processing and distribution company, specializing in bringing meat to supermarkets as quickly as possible. This is because their carnivorous customers demand fresh kills. With 20th-century breakthroughs in transportation and technology, the company lives up to its slogan “From Roar to Store in 24.”
A predator such as Kell is responsible for a specific quota measured in pounds (which as we’ve just seen can vary). When she kills an elk, for example, she drags it to a collection point in The Wild where the company’s butchers process it within hours. At sundown the meat from the collection point is trucked to a packaging plant. By dawn the individually wrapped food is shipped to grocery stores where they’re on the shelves by mid-morning. It’s an intricate set-up, and was copied first by UPS and then by Federal Express for non-food shipping.
Once Kell fulfills her daily quota (which in her case is usually by noon), she returns to the Herd Thinners offices where she fills out the paperwork and has staff meetings. Now that her leg is healing she’s staying home, which is making her quite restless. Fortunately for me, she’s using her free time to help me plan the wedding.
BTW, due to her many years with the company she’s receiving a full paycheck during her convalescence. (That’s based on length of service.) A predator injured during their first year of employment would simply be fired, or worse if they weren’t familiar with R.L.’s methods of downsizing. (Hint: it involves digestion)
I know humans eat meat. Do you have a similar process?