Hi, everyone. Well, 2026 is speeding by – it hardly seems it should be May already.
Let’s begin this episode with a wildlife update. I don’t intend to turn this website into an Outdoor Life, Outside, or Field and Stream magazine, but I thought you might enjoy a brief fox-related note. The news is that several times in early- to mid-April, we had fox sightings in an open area that adjoins our house. I had to ‘google up’ the question: “what is a group of foxes called?” The answer: a ‘skulk.’ That’s a new one on me. I would have been content to call it a ‘pack’ or something generic. But, I knew the sophisticated readers of this site 😊 demand accuracy, so I will report that the largest ‘skulk’ we saw consisted of two adults and four kits. Beautiful creatures, but the neighborhood squirrel population has taken casualties and a cat who lives a few houses west of us escaped with its life thanks to the intervention of a neighbor who saw the action taking place. We haven’t seen any for several days and it appears that the family (or families) may have relocated. The kits were growing quickly and perhaps it was time for all of them to move on.
If so, the timing was appropriate. The den they created is a large one built beneath a well-used sidewalk. The den extends below the walkway – and probably undermines it – for a considerable distance. The neighborhood association is getting bids on excavating the area and replacing the sidewalk. The liability issue if the sidewalk collapses and someone gets injured is too daunting to take a chance with. Unlike the federal government, our treasury cannot routinely borrow money – and check this: (also unlike the federal government) we actually have a budget.
Just a bit of writing news. I’ve been fiddling for a while with a bit of ridiculous whimsey which will probably wind up being called Eulogy for Rufus Ledbetter. It’s about an interesting individual whose life is replete with unusual events, schemes, and mishaps. Among other things, he has severe gastric distress which sometimes manifests itself during church services; the love of his life dies of exhaustion on the honeymoon; and his many seemingly good ideas – like placing a powder charge in the toe of a football shoe to increase the distance kicks travel in college and professional football games; supplementing communion wafers with a salad bar, and others, never quite seem to pan out.
An iconic ezine titled Spank the Carp has published some of my stuff in the past. Unless a better idea comes along, at the moment my thought is to send the story to them first. Then later, and ultimately, possibly include it in the book of short stories that may someday come along.
In an earlier newsletter, I mentioned a book titled Presidents of War. I had intended to talk about it in a little more detail, but to prevent this note from growing too much, but I think I will defer that longer conversation until a latter time. It is a timely book that takes readers from James Madison and the War of 1812 to Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam and describes their struggles with Congress, the courts, the press, their own advisors, protesters and others. The physical and emotional pressures that weighed upon them were enormous. An item of particular interest: how far our nation has traveled from the time the Founding Fathers tried to restrain presidential power to the present day when a single leader has the potential to launch a nuclear strike that can destroy much of the human race.
So here’s the plan for that discussion. If all goes well, next month the family is going to partake of another European journey. The book is well worth a second read; it will be among my nighttime readings on the trip – and I can jot down a few notes for the next newsletter. Which, by the way, will be in July.
For those of you who have been paying attention, that is the big news: THERE WILL BE NO JUNE NEWSLETTER. Again, please hold down the applause. Once again the shouts of joy from the neighbors who heard the news woke up the cat and caused a FedEx driver to drop the package of Noritake China he was carrying up the sidewalk.
Have a great summer.
TRULY AWFUL PUNS
A pun/gag from my daughter:
This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. I can count the number of times I’ve been there on the fingers of one hand …it’s fourteen.
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS EVER SAID
Buy the shoes.
There’s no point in being the richest person in the cemetery.
/////
Best wishes, always
Tom
Let’s begin this episode with a wildlife update. I don’t intend to turn this website into an Outdoor Life, Outside, or Field and Stream magazine, but I thought you might enjoy a brief fox-related note. The news is that several times in early- to mid-April, we had fox sightings in an open area that adjoins our house. I had to ‘google up’ the question: “what is a group of foxes called?” The answer: a ‘skulk.’ That’s a new one on me. I would have been content to call it a ‘pack’ or something generic. But, I knew the sophisticated readers of this site 😊 demand accuracy, so I will report that the largest ‘skulk’ we saw consisted of two adults and four kits. Beautiful creatures, but the neighborhood squirrel population has taken casualties and a cat who lives a few houses west of us escaped with its life thanks to the intervention of a neighbor who saw the action taking place. We haven’t seen any for several days and it appears that the family (or families) may have relocated. The kits were growing quickly and perhaps it was time for all of them to move on.
If so, the timing was appropriate. The den they created is a large one built beneath a well-used sidewalk. The den extends below the walkway – and probably undermines it – for a considerable distance. The neighborhood association is getting bids on excavating the area and replacing the sidewalk. The liability issue if the sidewalk collapses and someone gets injured is too daunting to take a chance with. Unlike the federal government, our treasury cannot routinely borrow money – and check this: (also unlike the federal government) we actually have a budget.
Just a bit of writing news. I’ve been fiddling for a while with a bit of ridiculous whimsey which will probably wind up being called Eulogy for Rufus Ledbetter. It’s about an interesting individual whose life is replete with unusual events, schemes, and mishaps. Among other things, he has severe gastric distress which sometimes manifests itself during church services; the love of his life dies of exhaustion on the honeymoon; and his many seemingly good ideas – like placing a powder charge in the toe of a football shoe to increase the distance kicks travel in college and professional football games; supplementing communion wafers with a salad bar, and others, never quite seem to pan out.
An iconic ezine titled Spank the Carp has published some of my stuff in the past. Unless a better idea comes along, at the moment my thought is to send the story to them first. Then later, and ultimately, possibly include it in the book of short stories that may someday come along.
In an earlier newsletter, I mentioned a book titled Presidents of War. I had intended to talk about it in a little more detail, but to prevent this note from growing too much, but I think I will defer that longer conversation until a latter time. It is a timely book that takes readers from James Madison and the War of 1812 to Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam and describes their struggles with Congress, the courts, the press, their own advisors, protesters and others. The physical and emotional pressures that weighed upon them were enormous. An item of particular interest: how far our nation has traveled from the time the Founding Fathers tried to restrain presidential power to the present day when a single leader has the potential to launch a nuclear strike that can destroy much of the human race.
So here’s the plan for that discussion. If all goes well, next month the family is going to partake of another European journey. The book is well worth a second read; it will be among my nighttime readings on the trip – and I can jot down a few notes for the next newsletter. Which, by the way, will be in July.
For those of you who have been paying attention, that is the big news: THERE WILL BE NO JUNE NEWSLETTER. Again, please hold down the applause. Once again the shouts of joy from the neighbors who heard the news woke up the cat and caused a FedEx driver to drop the package of Noritake China he was carrying up the sidewalk.
Have a great summer.
TRULY AWFUL PUNS
A pun/gag from my daughter:
This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. I can count the number of times I’ve been there on the fingers of one hand …it’s fourteen.
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS EVER SAID
Buy the shoes.
There’s no point in being the richest person in the cemetery.
/////
Best wishes, always
Tom
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