Virtual Quill

Tammy’s visit became stressful due to her bringing her son Angstrom, and not because of Angstrom! He was very well-behaved for a three-year-old. No, it was Tammy constantly hovering over him so that she couldn’t focus on the wedding preparations. Finally, we drove the two hours from Beige U. to Domain so Angstrom could play with Coney and Francis.
The children almost instinctively found things in common to turn into games. After using Angstrom’s glow to make hand shadow figures, they played flashlight tag. Francis won at hide-and-seek; he seems to win any kind of game involving finding things.
Meanwhile I got Tammy’s measurements for her bridesmaid dress, and we went over the schedule for the weekend of June 5. Two of my other bridesmaids, Fiona and Corrie, came over and we chatted online with Rhonda and Rachel back at school. Tammy and Angstrom left at 10:00 in the evening and returned to the lighthouse.
Everything seems to be falling into place, which worries me.
Not that the Disney company needs a plug from me, but they’ve released a DVD reissue of one of my all-time favorite movies, Hayao Miyazaki’s “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” Its special appeal to me is easy to see, since it’s about a young witch who runs errands by flying on her broom. Her ability to fly is depicted not as a skill to be learned (as in Harry Potter) but as an art. She faces a crisis when a loss of confidence results in her losing her powers.
See it.
What's your favorite Miyazaki film?

Kell returned to Herd Thinners, Inc. this week, although not in a hunting capacity. Her cast may be off but she still has a ways to go before strenuous physical activity is an option. Fortunately she’s making good progress under Gran’s exercise regimen.
It was a bit of risk for Kell to appear amid hungry predators. She knows that she currently falls under the category of “sick and wounded” but as long as she walks relatively slowly no limp is visible. That. and her reputation will protect her. No one wants to risk their life by testing just how able she is.
She’s helping out by doing paperwork for other predators, which wins her favors that she can call on in the future. Paperwork is the bane of HT employees who’d much rather be out hunting, but it’s necessary to protect the company from murder charges. Every kill has to be documented as clearly anonymous...unless it’s HT employees targeting each other! R.L. actually encourages that, and within the walls of corporate headquarters he has ultimate authority even superseding the state.
Meanwhile, my old friend Tammy is about to arrive in a few minutes. She’s one of my bridesmaids and the only one that doesn’t live either in Domain or here at Beige U. so she hasn’t been able to be a part of the wedding plans until now. She’s bringing her son Angstrom (now three years old!) while her husband Ray stays back at the lighthouse where they live.
Today's question: Tammy loves to eat pollen. How does pollen affect humans?

Francis was the star of the Easter egg hunt last Sunday (which took place just after I’d posted last week’s blog). Up against children of species spanning the whole spectrum of local fauna, he collected the most eggs.
This surprised everyone since it’s obvious that he has no outstanding physical prowess. Apparently his innate human curiosity led him to conduct a more thorough exploration of the field than those who relied on their specialized talents.
Yes, it was just a game for preschoolers conducted under arbitrary rules and adult supervision, but it was illuminating. Francis is certainly going to have an interesting life here. It‘s also a reminder that there’s a high likelihood of my having human children in my future.
Fenton and I certainly hope to have children sometime, although not right away. In my mind I’m thinking of my mid- to late-twenties before starting a family. If it happens that as a former human my destiny is to produce human offspring, so be it. Not that that’s carved in stone; for Danielle, the former human, giving birth to a human might be a singular occurrence owing to her more recent arrival here.
...Or to George Fennec having really, really recessive genes! Okay, that was a cheap shot. His genes aren’t so recessive. Just ask Fiona. Ask her from the next area code. Her fennec ears will hear you.
Today's question: Danielle is doing the Hare Link taxes this week. Since she's busy right now I'll ask you: how are human taxes collected?

Rudy and Fiona just concluded their annual “special services” job for a certain species that shall remain nameless, which will provide some of their college funding after their graduation. As high school seniors that takes on a certain urgency for them. I was lucky in that I got an academic scholarship from BeigeU., and while Fiona’s stellar grades might qualify her for something similar, Rudy...well, not so much.
This year was unusual in that they encountered a child that wanted to take over the position they currently hold, by various underhanded means. Fiona and her extraordinary hearing quickly located the boy’s mother, who retrieved him. At that point Rudy and Fiona were waylaid by an enormous bear, hungry after waking from hibernation. The boy, named Wendell, saved their skins with a well-thrown baseball bat.
So now Rudy and Fiona are in debt to this youngster whose main attributes seem to be pushiness, persistence and an utter lack of ethical behavior. I’m guessing we haven’t seen the last of him.
I heard all about this when Rudy came in at dawn. He slept for a couple hours and then got up to watch the little ones try to find Easter eggs hidden by the “Easter Bunny.”
Rudy grumbles about his mysterious job, but he undeniably takes professional pride in it.
What Easter customs do humans have? (Some of our customs have nothing to do with the religious aspects of the holiday.)