weofodthignen

Once again, saw all three cats separately. Men were working on the roof of the new ADU, so that probably discouraged Prudence from parading around on the fence.

The dog now appears to be scared of leaving the driveway, poor thing. Though she did set off at a good clip; I think she'd seen Mama Violet moving out from under a bush.

Another day of sunny but pleasantly un-hot weather, with the hills visible in the clear air. Prudence came trotting up the steps for breakfast, Monty approached me asking for food twice—in the driveway in the afternoon, then in the garden in the early evening—then when I took out recycling after dark, Prudence materialised from the shadows (the motion sensor light over the side door no longer reacts unless you approach from way down the driveway or jump up and down). She walked almost right up to me, but shied away when I offered my hand.

I only took a short walk today, after traipsing around a supermarket for quite a while (and cutting back ivy yesterday, which surely counts as exercise). I started off waiting for the light at a busy crossroads, and saw 4 Waymos while I waited. All cruising empty and presumably aimlessly; one was decorated with a colourful cartoon in an attempt to make us like it, so I recognised it when it passed me again after circling around the streets. I decided to count the things ... and didn't see any more for the rest of the walk, even though I went around the park, where there are usually a couple of the things loitering, spinning their sensors. Maybe I should make a habit of counting.

Monty has reappeared; he let himself be seen in the back yard, ate some food, then when I took out recycling after dark, he was lying near the side door in sphinx posture. And Mama Violet was in the driveway in the afternoon. But I haven't seen Prudence.

The dog was barky this morning, I'm not sure why. Maybe objecting to the height of my current bed.

And suddenly after midnight the dog was barking in terror and trying desperately to get out of the house via the front door. The housemate said there was booming going on, further away. Whatever they were letting off, I hope the cops got them. I eventually managed to move some stuff out of the way and close off the living rooms and kitchen side of the house from the bedrooms and bathroom side, whereupon the dog curled up exhaustedly on the hallway carpet. She didn't join me in bed for hours, but she did stop barking and get some sleep. And she wasn't too scared to go out in the garden in the morning alone, as she was last year.

Mama Violet was also not too scared to be there at breakfast time. She even let me get past her to retrieve the newspaper. She fled when I came back with it in my hand.

I think the Mountain View weather station is broken, too; it stayed at 72 all day, on a forecast high of 81, and I'm sure the latter was closer to the actual temp when I walked in the afternoon. Didn't see any celebrations except one house bedecked with flags and bunting. Two volleyball nets in use on the park field. Nobody that I noticed wearing red-white-and-blue. But there may have been some shindig in San Jose.

This evening I battened all the hatches I could, but the dog still heard scary (and illegal) boom noises. Not as many as last year, tho.

Saw all three cats today, separately. Monty deigned to eat some of my food offering, but then ran when he saw me feeding the compost monster.

The dog almost went for a little walkies, but there were people at the end of the street, so she turned around again. I told her they were harmless people ...

On an errand, we drove past the Sunnyvale Community Center. The "renovations" are either well advanced or pretty much complete. The grass has been replaced by a sea of mulch, the fountains in the pond are much smaller, and the geese were setting out to cross the road in search of a nicer setting.

We went to the San Jose library and got on the road to come back just in time; after we entered Santa Clara, a string of motorcycle cops (state troopers? highway patrol? They were in khaki not black so I'm inclined towards the latter) overtook us—the line of cars magically all started driving very responsibly—and peeled off to block traffic on the highway right behind the on-ramp we were on, and at all the off-ramps leading to that awful stadium. This would have been about 90 minutes before kickoff in the U.S.'s game against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Presumably to let cars headed to the game get there with no traffic, but the snarl it caused ... and maybe they were checking tickets on the highway. The actual kickoff time was then marked by screaming jets.

It was too hot today to let the poor dog out to loll under the tree. Maybe we need a dog flap in the back door; but it would be used by raccoons. The dog herself would probably be afraid of it.

Monty and Prudence were both waiting for me on the porch at breakfast time. Neither was wearing a collar.

I've probably had the last orange of the season. It fell into the ferny plants at the base of the tree, so whoever knocked it down trying to bite it didn't bother going after it. I see only husks up there now. And a few for next winter.

I went by the house of 5 lions. For some reason all 5 (non-stone) cats were on the pavement/sidewalk rather than in the yard. Most stayed away but the tortie let me pet her.

Saw Prudence on the roof of the neighbours' shed. Didn't see her collar.

Monty has been on the porch at breakfast time a few times recently. But not today; the day started cloudy and the dog overslept.

Another freakish cool-down today, although as I expected not as extreme as forecast, and the housemate was away all day torturing playing cards. So I took a long walk and did some more bush-trimming in the driveway. I persuaded the dog to walk to the end of the driveway, but by that time the housemate had returned and the dog seems to have been afraid I was dragging her to the vet again, because she balked when she saw the car. We need to do a fun road trip with her. Somewhere with soft grass and no children.

Had to stay up after the dog woke me this morning, to take her to the vet. She's terrified of the vet, but probably got more exercise walking to and from the parking lot than she's had in weeks. And probably added a pound in treats. But she was very good and didn't growl at the vet, who was a male person this time. Then we came home and she reassured herself the back garden was still there, came back in, and went to sleep, like a sensible old gal.

I'm getting a large set of interlibrary loan books right now, so I'm going to the library every few days as they trickle in. There's a lot of educational stuff happening in the parking lot this year. Today it was a telescope, presumably aimed at the moon since it was mid-afternoon.

Mama Violet lay behind an old trashcan, observing me unmovingly, as I went to and fro watering and feeding coffee grounds to the compost monster. Only when I was finishing up in the front yard did she move; I met her heading for the porch when I was coming back from putting away the hose. So she may not have got to the food I put in the driveway for her, silly girl, but she did get a top-up on the porch.

Prudence is wearing a collar! She was posing on the fence showing it off. Looks to be dark red.

Still no sign of Monty today. Hopefully he is just lurking.

... And when I went out at 0-dark-100, he emerged, as he did the last time. So he got fed. (No, he was not wearing a collar.)

A glorious blue sky for Midsummer. I blóted while the dog lolled about in the shade of the plum tree behind me.

There are very few oranges left on the tree, and sadly they're being hollowed out where they hang faster than they're falling. So I'm picking one a day while I still can, and feeding the husks to the compost monster when I can reach them.

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