All creatures great and small.

Like a lot of people, we feed the birds; we've planted bushes just to draw the butterflies. We also try to keep the squirrels off the bird table, mainly due to Barney going absolutely bonkers when he sees one. And I put out cookies in a cage for the little wood mice. We put their treats in there because they are able to get in and out. I even go out of my way to catch any and all insects that get in the house and put them outside - learned that from Krip.

However, there is one creature or creatures that I don't like in my garden. Rats. We now have a family coming into our garden at dusk; two youngsters and two adults.
Having a fish and chips shop, as well as a curry house nearby doesn't help.

Rats! Ugh.

Litter can make for strange bedfellows.

Yesterday, when I took Barney to the wood, the bin trucks had just come and gone. In front of one of the houses, evidently a bag must have gotten ripped and a few things had toppled out. Lying on the sidewalk was a pair of old thongs and two hamburger buns laying side-by-side. It was quite comical to see - those two flattened buns still attached together next to those old pair of undies. What is our neighborhood coming to. (Side note: I would have been so embarrassed if that had been my pair of undies.) So this morning, I noticed the old thongs are still there, but the much battered buns have scuttled further away from them...even they didn't want any part of them.

Speechless.

For awhile now, I have been getting up my nerve to approach the wife of one of Krip's childhood friends to see if she wanted to do something, just the two of us. We always get together as a couple, but never just her and me. So on Saturday night, at a party at their house, I took her aside and asked her if she would like to have a girls' day out and perhaps take the train to London.

"What the hell do you want to go to London for!!"

Reeling from her barking at me and wanting to melt into the furniture, the idea of perhaps lunch, and then a little shopping, or perhaps just visiting a museum was some of the things that popped into my head; however, I said nothing because I was, well just gobsmacked.

And that was it. Nothing else said. So much for sticking one's neck out.

Never again.

Richard the Third.

For four days, our garden has been graced with little brown puddles. It took four days of boiled chicken, scrambled eggs, and rice, with a little dose of medicine to finally cure that problem. It took the two of us getting up at all hours for three nights in a row to make sure that those little brown puddles stayed outside in the garden and not inside the house. And those little brown puddles gave us an excuse for an early exit from a party that we both agreed was getting rather dull.

But, it's Sunday! And no more little brown puddles. I am pleased to announce that our dog, Barney, is finally better and now there is only one firm brown Richard the Third in our garden. Yes!

Nicked.

A really strange thing happened this morning. Krip was taking Barney for a walk in the wood and came across a briefcase. He brought it home and told me about it. Being around 6:30 am, I didn't take much notice of what he was telling me. Anyway, when I finally dragged myself outta bed, I decided to investigate the contents of said case. Inside was a bunch of papers and lo and behold...a CV with all the information I needed on the owner of the briefcase.

I called the gentleman, and found out that his house had been broken into while they were sleeping and he had had quite a few things stolen. After a few phone calls, he came and collected his case. Not only had his house been burgled, but three other homes in the area last night met the same fate.

This is one thing we really don't have to worry about because if someone broke into our place, it would be to give us stuff...not take it away. Heh.