Virtual Quill

We have three visitors staying with us; Tammy, Ray and their son Angstrom. They normally live in a lighthouse on Cape Qualm, but the word came to evacuate when Hurricane Irene came barreling up from the Bahamas. Tammy texted me that they had no place to evacuate to, and I immediately invited them to stay with us for a few days.
They arrived Friday morning, and Fenton and I got them settled in to the guest room. Tammy and Ray shared the bed and Angstrom slept on the futon. Being nocturnal, all five of us went to bed and slept all day until evening.
We kept a close eye on the storm which hit Cape Qualm as a Category 2 but was soon downgraded to a 1. By all indications the lighthouse came through Saturday in good shape but we won’t ready know until they return home on Monday. Meanwhile, we’re still following the storm’s path up the Eastern seaboard.
Little Angstrom is growing up fast. He was fascinated by the bees across the street, and even stayed up a little during the daylight hours to watch them pollinate my flowers. I realized that at the lighthouse he doesn’t have much social contact, which is the whole basis of the bee community.
Next week I’ll give you the details of the aftermath of Rudy’s garden!

Gran and Elanor were under the mistaken assumption that creating their respective family scrapbooks would be easier if they worked together. It became readily apparent that they each have different impressions over what constituted a “scrap.”
The most interesting thing about the afternoon was when Gran was treated to the story of Kell’s first kill; a skunk. It’s been part of our family lore for a while; I got to hear it shortly after Dad and Kell married. It’s usually told in parallel to Dad’s first solo foraging of stinkweed, illustrating how in each case personal pride took precedence over one of the five major senses.
Here at Beige, classes start Monday. The campus is in full swing as the students are undergoing the stress of moving back. It’s when Fenton and I really, really appreciate Tree; we can focus on preparing for our classes without any other hassles.
The lab has opened as well, and this year I have my own office. As usual I’ll handle the nocturnal observations of various experiments going on. I’m taking three courses as I continue my Masters Degree program.
What's been the favorite course that you've taken in college?

Kell’s natural instinct is to choose cooperation over conflict, but there are some felines at Herd Thinners to whom “compromise” is a dirty word. They’re Kell’s sworn enemies, and they’ll do anything they can to bring her down, even if it takes the company down, too.
Dealing with them will be Kell’s biggest challenge. Speaking of challenges, there won’t be an official one since Kell now has allies who have pledged to come to her defense in a direct fight. No, the feline cabal is looking to undermine her behind the scenes.
I hope she has something up her sleeve. Frank Mangle is a feline who is on her side (because she saved his life), but it might be that the conspiracy will target him first. Stay tuned.
Closer to home, an elk used its claws to scrape Tree’s bark. The vandalism turned out to be a QR (Quick Response) code that actually connects to a website.

Coney’s returned from camp, and Dad reports that she’s as happy as he’s ever seen her. Kell’s relieved just to have her back safely, a feeling that I’m sure is shared by Wendell’s mother. Coney is already insisting on returning next summer and it sounds as if Kell has very little say in the matter.
I just realized that by living two hours away I’m missing Coney growing up. I was there as she progressed through infancy and toddlerhood, but now that she’s become a vocal presence in the family I’m not around. Or, has she been able to blossom because I’m not there? I realize that I’ve experienced a lot of drama during that time and I may have overshadowed her.
(Fenton just said there’s no topic I can’t twist around to feel guilty about. True.)
At any rate, Coney has become a loyal, devoted friend, an instinctive protector of those unfairly threatened and still a predator of almost legendary talents. She’s going to have an interesting life.
Meanwhile, here at Beige there are signs of life as the campus slowly stirs in preparation for fall semester. The support staff is arriving, which will be followed by the faculty and finally the students. To you college students, when do your classes start?

It turns out that our cousin Wendell Luckyfoot, who has caused such problems for Rudy during his Easter duties, ran into Coney while running away from the protection offered by the Herbivore Camp. By encountering her first, he truly is living up to his last name.
Hearing stories about Wendell makes me think of Dad. Both are rabbits who seem to lack the fearfulness and caution endemic to the species. The common factor they share, of course, is Dorothy Kindle, a.k.a. Gran.
During my research into Domestication I ascertained that there was only rabbit DNA in Dad’s genetic profile, so that eliminates the possibility that the trait is of a non-rabbit origin. Instead, this appears to be a hereditary personality quirk.
That said, there are big differences between Dad and Wendell. As a child, Dad was never, well...as “in yer face” as Wendell is. If this quirk is hereditary, it’s getting more pronounced with each generation.
It also begs the question, where did Gran get it from? (She’s 100% rabbit as well, BTW.)