Everyone in my department was shocked this week when a federal judge halted all funding for stem cell research, including the work I’m doing in combating disease. We had all thought this issue had been settled last year with the new guidelines, so this development was like a predator leaping upon us unawares.
For those of you not in the field, embryonic stem cell holds promise for curing a host of ills such as Parkinson’s and diabetes. We use adult stem cells in our research as well, but at the stage we’re in we need to have a full range of options at our disposal. This ruling not only turns back the clock to where we stood last year, but goes even further. It also denies funding for projects that were allowed by the previous administration.
Thankfully the President is challenging the ruling but if it stands the funding will be halted by the end of September. Yes, that includes my research as well, which goes on until then.
I know I rarely mention my research in this blog, mainly because the developments that take place are ones I reserve for scientific journals. I don’t want competitors stealing my work! Of course, it’s the competition from other countries that are the main beneficiaries of this ruling. I’m sure they’d be delighted to have the playing field for themselves.
Sorry about the rant.

The university lab is open and guess what! I have my own office! Such coolness. It even has my name Lindesfarne Dewclaw on the door. (It’s in a much smaller font than my neighbor Mai Qi.)
Being a first year grad student I’m not assigned to teach any classes yet, so I don’t have any students that would be visiting my office. That’ll come, though. In the meantime, having an office means I don’t have to schlep all of my personal research back and forth from Tree every day. Some of the grad students are species that are pack animals, but no one has ever accused a hedgehog of being one of those.
Fenton’s first class of the semester is on Monday. He’s impressed a lot of his professors with his computer skills, and since they all have tech backgrounds they have a lot of industry connections. A number of them have encouraged him to seek employment in one of the nation’s tech centers after graduation, but I don’t see that happening. He’s always put career advancement behind personal relationships, and with Tree putting down roots here, so has he.
Back home, Rudy’s hunting team was heavily hit by graduation so he has to get Edgar the Lion to where he can contribute. That’s a tall order, and he and Fiona had the idea of having Edgar mentored by Mr. Mangle. The upside: Mr. Mangle is a rarity; a male lion who is not only an effective hunter but who also takes pride in it despite his species’ gender conventions. The downside: Edgar is dating Mr. Mangle’s daughter Leona, so there’s the element of suspicion and wariness on both sides. I’ll try to come home for the hunting matches on Friday nights this fall to see how it plays out.
I'm guessing that you humans don't literally hunt each other. Do you have a sport played by high schools on Friday nights?

Classes start at Beige University start later this week, and the campus is buzzing as the multitudes arrive. It’s nice living here permanently and not being a part of that mass chaos. I remember it all too well from my undergraduate days.
Rhonda and Quinn are somewhat jealous of Fenton and I; their Family Housing dorm is okay, but I’ll be the first to admit that there’s nothing like having a place of one’s own, especially when you can have intelligent conversations with it. I say that even after last week’s “bite mark” incident.
Rachel is still in our old dorm but now she’s joined by her girlfriend, the equine Joan Hoof who is now a freshman here. I’m happy for them since they’ve been apart for so long, but that also comes with concern. Both of them need to focus on their studies, and living with a romantic partner for the first time may be an immense distraction. I’ll keep a close eye on how they’re doing academically.
As for me, I’m excited about my graduate studies. I’ll be working under Professor Antlerhead as before, and the genetic research we’re going is compelling. I almost feel like camping out outside the lab, waiting for the doors to open.
Fenton’s still taking undergraduate computer classes, but almost perfunctorily. He still sees his real focus as working for Hare-Link, and his decision to enroll here in the first place was mainly to be with me. He enjoys the milieu, though, and he said he’ll be happy living here even after he gets his degree.
Gotta go; I have to spend an insane amount of money on dead tree versions of textbooks. I’d rather pay the authors directly for digital editions! To all of you human college students reading this, when do your classes start?

First, sorry about the technical difficulties with last week’s blog. Next, I’d like to address my somewhat judgmental previous posting about Kell’s cousin Sheila. I may have been too harsh in my assessment, as I really don’t know her. She moved to Domain while I was at Beige, so I’ve really just based my opinion of her on what I’ve heard from Kell. As an adult, I shouldn’t let secondhand information be my only source before I go shooting off my mouth.
This leads to the story of what happens when I woke up last weekend. As usual, I was in my bed with the puncture-resistant sheets, and Fenton hung from the ceiling. The window next to the bed was open to let in the fresh air.
At 5:00 p.m. (which we refer to as “morning” when it’s just the two of us talking), I went into the bathroom where I noticed what looked for all the world like two bite marks. My imagination went into hyperdrive, and for five minutes I panicked at the idea that Fenton had inherited his vampirism from his mother, and had fed off me.
Tree set me straight. She had reached into the room through the window in order to place pine cones in my quills so that I would unwittingly distribute them. In doing so, her needles had caused the wounds on my neck. (We’ve been giving her pine cones to Mr. Squirrel and his family, but I think Tree figured out that they were just being eaten and came up with this alternative.)
Fenton and I were able to laugh about it a few moments later, but it still wasn’t my finest hour. As a scientist I’m supposed to be above letting fear and suspicion take over so easily...as it did for those who didn’t show up at my wedding. Maybe I’m not so different from them after all.
Am I?

Due to a personal matter. Thx for your patience.

With the summer still quiet before this university town wakes up (and the two of us settling into our new marital state), I’ll report on what’s going on back in Domain with Kell and her cousin Sheila.
Only recently did Sheila become a real presence in the family’s life; before that she’d been this shadowy figure of rumor and tall tales. It turned out that those outlandish stories were only partially embellished by Kell and Elanor, and that she really is as eccentric as advertised. She sees herself as a “seeker,” but that seems to be a self-rationalization for a past that’s careened through myriad reinventions without adding to the development of genuine inner growth. I hate to say this, but for someone in her late thirties she strikes me as being a teenager...and the absolute antithesis of Kell.
And now Sheila is in a very serious relationship with Frank Mangle. I noticed that at my wedding reception that they were quite lovey-dovey...but that the body language of Frank’s daughter Leona was pretty uncomfortable. I chalked that up to Leona being in the presence of Rhonda. (Rhonda used to date Leona’s current BF Edgar...and that awkwardness was the reason Edgar wasn’t at the wedding. Of all the no-shows, at least he had an excuse!)
According to Kell, Leona is very protective of her single Dad, and I can relate. She wants to make sure Sheila is the right choice for him. It would help Sheila immensely to cultivate a relationship with Leona, but she’s neglected that. With Kell’s insistence she’s trying to play catch-up on that score.
Today's question is a personal one: do you think I'm being too judgmental about Sheila?

Missives from home tell me that Kell’s hunting woes were a temporary thing (as I’d suspected) and that she got her timing back in short order. It will still be interesting to see how she and Desdemona get along as partners, being mothers-in-law and all. Come to think of it, Fenton and I should probably be concerned. Hunting involves lots of sitting around waiting for prey to come along, so that copious downtime will likely be filled with conversation about us.
Shudder
Thanks to all the readers last week who offered decorating suggestions! First, both Fenton and I do have separate offices within Tree that neither of us touch. Fenton’s is essentially his “bat cave” as someone pointed out. Someone else offered a Steampunk idea, but as much as I like “Girl Genius” that’s not really my style.
About my reference last week to 40-minute showers, yes, a 40-minute bath would be just as effective and would save water. Tree will also be aware of 40-minute intervals between when the faucet stops running and the water is let out.
It’s quiet here at Beige University. The summer classes have ended, and the fall semester (which includes my first Masters degree courses) begins in four weeks. Since this is a “university town” with little here besides the school, one can easily imagine tumbleweeds blowing down the streets. That’s fine; it’s given Fenton and I space to acclimate ourselves to our new life before a whirlwind of activity descends upon us.
Today's question for those of you in school: How are you spending your summer?

Okay, Fenton didn't exactly carry me across the threshold when we returned from our honeymoon. He flies me around so much on a daily basis, it would've been redundant.
The first thing we discovered when we got home was a privacy situation. Now, I've been living here since early this year, but I always slept in a bed while Fenton hung from the ceiling, so there was no...intimacy involved. Now there is. swoon
Except Tree is aware of every movement occurring within her system, including things we'd rather keep between the two of us. After some initial consternation we told Tree about our concerns and she had no problem respecting our wishes.
Basically it's this: Anytime the shower runs for over 40 minutes, Tree shuts off her awareness functions in the bedroom. "Nuff said.
The rest of my week was spent sending Thank You notes to those who gave us gifts...including the ones who bailed at the wedding. I hope those people feel guilty about not coming...and that a sweet, cordial Thank You note from me twists the knife a little more.
As I write this, I'm taking a break from redecorating Tree's interior. Tree and I have actually been concocting this ever since the engagement.
My question: Any decorating suggestions?

No typo; I’m happy that Fenton and I will be dependent on each other forever.
It’s the last day of our honeymoon. We’ve packed up and are ready to check out of our rental unit for the flight back home. (No, Fenton won’t be carrying me that far! We’ll be on a commercial airliner.)
We’ve had a wondrous time here in Silicon Valley, but we’re eager to get home and start our new life. I told Fenton about a weird dream I had in which I turned into a bat, and he allowed that he had one about becoming a hedgehog. A sign of unity, I guess!
The big news was back in Domain where Fenton’s mom was fired from her office job and almost immediately hired by Herd Thinners, Inc. Her new title Liquid Assets Collector - Junior Level. It doesn’t pay as much as her old position, but she’s grateful to work in the place that accepts her for who she really is, and where she doesn’t have to live a lie. I know she’ll be a highly motivated employee, which I’m sure is another reason R.L. took her on.
She was paired with Kell who, true to her Type A form, tried to come back from her injury before getting her hunting timing back. This could have ended badly, as even one case of Not Meeting Daily Quota on an employee profile can have devastating results for a Staff Predator. Desdemona, however, had a unique but effective solution. (Kell just had to take care to rest and maintain hydration for the next 24 hours.)
Being in flight, we'll miss the Fourth of July fireworks. To my American readers, how do you celebrate today?

We're still enjoying the honeymoon, decompressing from the drama which seems to have been a constant presence for us since we announced the wedding date. Considering all the things that have happened, including Tree's near-death experience in the flood and the revelation of Fenton's mom's vampirism, a few days free of stress is a relief.
We're on a package tour of Silicon Valley, and a bus takes us around to all of the legendary sites of geekdom. I'm usually the only female on the bus, and I can tell that the other passengers assume I'm an ignorant companion of Fenton. I make a point of asking the guide the most difficult questions I can think of. Then Fenton asks a difficult question, and I answer it.
We made a few friends on the tour, and spread the word about Hare Link. We've eaten at some romantic seaside restaurants, with nicely salty insects. There's one more week before we go home, and we feels there's lots more to see.
We're sending pictures back to Tree to upload into our home computer. She missed the wedding, of course, but we brought along a small part of her: a thimbleful of her sap.
To all of the married folks here: where did you honeymoon?

I’m writing this from the quiet of our hotel just off Hwy. 101 in the friendly conclave of Silicon Valley, the technology capitol of the world. (Yes, I know there are other areas that would dispute that, but that’s what makes for entertaining arguments. And Lord knows, the net is nothing if not good for conducting arguments.)
We’re taking a deep breath after the high drama of the wedding day and night. The total guest list ended up at about 80, with roughly 40 on each side of the aisle. Dad, in particular, raised the total by calling in some favors, At the last minute he cajoled folks to attend who weren’t initially on the guest list, namely his fellow school board members and the entire Rabbit Council. As for the rest, well, as I said before, now I know who my true friends are.
Dr. Caduceus is doing well. He has full feeling in all parts of his tail and will be released from the county hospital in a day or two. Another doctor has arrived in town to see his patients until he’s back on his...um...stomach. That was a freak injury he suffered, and the hospital confirmed his self-diagnosis that Fenton’s mom saved him from permanent paralysis.
For so long I’d harbored resentment against Desdemona’s incessant pressure to get me to marry her son. Of course, that pushiness was based on her fear of me finding out that she is a vampire bat. With everything out in the open now I can start a relationship with her on fresh terms.
Right now, though, Fenton and I are going to relax and enjoy our honeymoon. And I feel quite relaxed.

I only have time for a quick text. Just before the ceremony was supposed to begin (at midnight), a serious injury occurred to the town’s only general practitioner, Dr. Caduceus. A branch from the church’s tree broke off, falling on him as he was able to enter.
Being a doctor, he was quickly able to diagnose what was happening to him as he slowly began losing feeling in the lower part of his tail. The gradual nature of this (as opposed to immediately losing sensation) told him that while he had no broken bones, a large bruise was causing swelling that was pressing on his spinal cord.
Someone needed to relieve that pressure right away, or else the paralysis might be permanent. That’s when a certain vampire bat volunteered her services.
Desdemona asked her bat family to use their sonar on Dr. Caduceus to locate the exact spot of the swelling. Triangulating their sound waves, they found right where she should drain the fluid. That, she did expertly and precisely. His feeling began returning soon after, to everyone’s relief.
The doctor’s been taken to the hospital where the staff will evaluate him and keep him overnight. Now, we’re all regrouping for the start of my wedding.
Whew!

It’s dawn, and we’ve just returned from the Fuscus household where Desdemona came clean about her true species. We’re tolerant of Vampire-Americans, but unfortunately word is spreading all over town to the less enlightened citizenry due to the gossipy flea network.
Looking back, I now see how Desdemona’s success in keeping her diet hidden from even her own offspring actually undermined her relationship with Fenton. The elaborate subterfuge resulted in her becoming emotionally distant, and with Fenton actually establishing an alternate maternal bond with Tree. There’s a lesson there, I suppose.
I’m going to sleep until about 4:00 in the afternoon, and then the countdown will begin for the wedding beginning at midnight. I had hoped to text regularly, but with this new factor I doubt I’ll be able to post anything new, or reply to comments. Thanks in advance for your understanding!
Last week someone asked about my wedding cake. It’s an insectivore cake, filled with crunchy weevils and maggots. The catering firm also has desserts ready for other diets at the reception.
If you’ve received an invitation, please come! Vampire bats aren’t at all what you think.

With my wedding only 24 hours away I discovered that Fenton’s mother Desdemona is actually a vampire bat, and not the insectivore she’d claimed.
It all started at my bachelorette party, when it was suggested that I do a genetic workup on Fenton. I went up to my room, and used the fur that he’d shed on me.
As expected, I found the DNA consistent with that of Eptesicus fuscus, but with some anomalies. I went through the templates of other bat species to match these sequences, and to my shock I found one, and only one: Desmodus rotundus, the vampire bat.
These are recessive genes in Fenton, whose physiology, behavior and diet are 100% that of the brown bat. Still, they raised enormous questions that demanded immediate answers. One answer I knew right away: This was why his mother had been so pushy about getting me to the altar...before I found out. She was afraid of me dumping Fenton once I did.
It’s hard to overstate how reviled vampire bats are. In a society where scavengers, parasites and even disease-carrying microbes are treated with a certain amount of respect, vampire bats are considered the ultimate scourge. It’s not rational, but all sorts of insane myths have developed around them: That they’re actually undead, they can shapeshift, they can’t be seen in mirrors, fear garlic, etc. It’s as if that species, which is actually just a normal non-magical mammal that happens to be sanguineous, got all those superstitions dumped on it.
I can see why she kept it a secret, but I have to know the full truth now. Dad, Kell and I are on our way over to confront her. I'll try to keep posting, but I won't have time for any replies until after the wedding.

Fenton and I are dividing our time between Domain and Beige U. as the wedding date nears. In Domain we stay with our respective parents while at Beige we co-habitate within Tree. And no, as I’ve said before we haven’t consummated anything. We’re like a married couple in pretty much every other respect, though, which bodes well for our future together.
I’m continually checking off items on the wedding preparation list, which always seems to get longer instead of shorter somehow. With everything going on I haven’t followed the tragedy taking place in the Gulf as much as I should.
Those of us on land live separately from aquatic creatures, with a few exceptions. (Sharks, of course, are our lawyers.) This means that the oil, meant to fuel our lifestyle, is now destroying the habitats of undersea creatures who never saw any benefits from it. Because of that I’m sure we’ll soon be hearing from those sharks in the form of massive lawsuits.
The main spill is still out at sea but it won’t stay there forever, and may even follow the currents out of the Gulf and up the Eastern seaboard where it would affect Tammy and Ray at their lighthouse. As a geneticist I try to think of ways that I could help, but there are already microbes that devour spilled petroleum.
I can’t even contribute any shed fur, since mine are in the form of quills which aren’t very absorbent. Other species are doing their part in that respect, and the fur is having an impact in sopping up the mess.
Still, things currently look bleak and perhaps won’t be fixed for months until a relief well is drilled. I know that there’s a similar spill on the human side of the portal. How is it being handled there?

I write this as an official graduate of Beige University. It’s in the middle of the night, and everyone but me is asleep except for Fenton who is monitoring Hare-Link’s systems. That’s usually my job, but he said it’s my Special Day. In a month, of course, we’ll have Our Special Day.
Speaking of specialness, who put graduation the day before Mother’s Day? I’ll give Kell a card when she wakes up, and we’ll all go out to dinner/breakfast before everyone drives back to Domain.
Graduation went flawlessly. The weather was nice, all of the family that I care about came, and R.L. (the commencement speaker) didn’t devour anybody.
After receiving my diploma I rushed into Fenton’s arms. I think Dad was expecting me to rush into his arms first...why? oh, maybe because he adopted me, raised me practically single-handedly, employed Fenton and I, put me through college and saved Tree from certain doom. Little things like that. He got my next hug seconds later, but I could tell I’d inadvertently sent a message.
I feel a little guilty, but more about the manner of the message than the message itself. It is true. Fenton is the most important man in my life right now, and he will be for the rest of my life. I do give Dad props for handling that adjustment gracefully, (It makes me wonder how Kell really views Fiona...but that’s years and years away.)
Now, with graduation out of the way, the wedding has my full and complete attention.
My question; how do humans handle the graduation ceremony?

My bridal shower was yesterday, held just before my graduation. Could this month get any crazier? And it’ll only get worse as the big day approaches.
When everyone asked what I needed most, my answer elicited a wide range of responses. (Astonishment, disgust, surprise, etc.) However, it’s true. Tree is my home, and the tree surgeon monitoring her progress in adapting to her transplanting says she requires an immediate spreading of fertilizer around her base. It’s not a crisis situation; but more to prevent a future crisis. The amount of fertilizer required is expensive, though, so that’s what I asked everyone to give me.
I rented an empty hauling vehicle exclusively used for such cargo from a farm equipment company and headed up the Domain. The shower took place at the Fennec boarding house, which has a large number of occupants. Most of the...contributions...came from that source.
Fenton stayed back at Beige, and Kevin, Rudy, George Fennec, Uncle Ralph and Francis hid out in the family treehouse watching the muddy Kentucky Derby. The shower itself was a concentrated dose of estrogen; more than I’m comfortable with, actually. But of course I was polite and smiled a lot. This was in my honor, after all. I enjoyed catching up with Kindle relatives I hadn’t seen in years since Dad and I left the rabbit warren.
I departed with a full load and drove back home. (Yes, I said Tree is home now.) She’d created her own shower...of pine cones. I thanked her profusely, and later called Douglas Squirrel to come and get them. By the time he and Gran arrived at mid-evening, Fenton and I had unloaded the fertilizer.
I’ve now been up for 24 hours straight. These daytime events are really messing with my circadian rhythms. And now I’ve got a graduation to attend... I'm going to sleep now; in the meantime, what kind of bridal shower gifts do human brides get?

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.)

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.