WW - Let's pretend I took this one on purpose, ok?

(c) 2010 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

Open Letters, Wildlife Can Be Annoying Edition

(c) 2010 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

Dear Not-so-baby-anymore Hawk,

We get that you're not all that pleased with being kicked out of the nest. That you think Mum & Dad should still be providing you with food. I think they probably still are, you big beggar, since you're still in the habit of crying for food. Particularly every morning at about 5 am.

Now, we're big fans of the wildlife around here, especially you gorgeous birds of prey. But c'mon. You redtails are KNOWN for your distinctive piercing cry. It's cool and all, but not over and over and over and over and over and over again when I'm still trying to catch some shut-eye, capiche?

Sincerely,
A Later Sleeper Than You


Dear Bunnies,

We've asked you to stay out of our garden. We've hacked down a bunch of your cover. You've been pretty good - my bean plants are actual real-sized this year, instead of the (still remarkably productive) stubs they were last year.

But you've been getting bolder.

We see you in our lawn.

We've seen you hide under the big bush right by our dining room window.

I've chased one of you out of the garden this past week.

Heck, the 3 year old now runs to the window or out the door and starts yelling, "Naughty bunnies! You stay out of our garden!" whenever she sees you.

So, I'm not going to be crying any tears once Redtail Jr. actually steps up to the plate and starts learning how to feed his own dang self.

Hasta la vista, bunnies.

Sincerely,
It's MY garden, dang it!


Dear chipmunks,

Cry danger all you like, I'm still sitting at the computer. I don't care that you love that pile of wood right outside my window so very much. _I'm_ not going to eat you up.

Sincerely,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever


Dear wasps,

First you try to build on the front of the garage. So we repeatedly knock down your still-very-small nests until you stop showing up.

Now you're trying to build homes on the sidelights right next to the front door and also by our dining room windows. It's not gonna work. We're not going to stand for aggressive, stinging tenants right by the entrance to our home.

And you bunch who started under the dining room windows. That was clever. We usually look for your nests a little higher up, so you had time enough to get a pretty decent-sized nest going. But you were found. And Mr. Kluges took away your home. (Used it to show Pumpkin some of the stages in insect development, too. Now it's even at summer school.)

Then you sneaky little buggers moved over a couple of feet so you were partly hidden by some lilies. But we're on to you. And so Mr. Kluges again knocked down your abode.

So today, when I took a look and saw you've moved over another foot, but are still persisting in your misguided attempts? Yeah, you just wait. That nest is not long for this world either.

Sincerely,
My brain is bigger than your brain, even though I don't have a stinger

WW - Guess who got kicked out of the nest (and complains LOUDLY about it)?

(c) 2010 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

WW - Ah, shucks... peas! :)

(c) 2010 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

A passing

(c) 2010 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

R.I.P. Big Big Cake

You were a good fish. You will be missed by the girls.

WW - Look what followed us home from the school carnival...

(c) 2010 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

Weekend Plans

(c) 2010 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

Trying to finish packing & everything else that needs to be done before we head out today (after Mr. Kluges gets home from work & after Pumpkin's LAST DAY OF 5K! aka REAL KINDERGARTEN!). We're off to MN for the weekend for a wedding on Mr. Kluges's side, but it's a no-kids wedding, so Pumpkin & Penguin will be STAYING WITH GRANDMA PET AND GRANDPA PHARAOH! Oh, the excitement. And _we_ get to stay at a hotel that night! It's actually our very first no-kids-overnight ever since Pumpkin was born almost 6 years ago.

So, back to the packing! See you all Monday between loads of laundry & mowing (again) & other catch-uppy things.

WW - When the Circus Came to Town

(c) 2010 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

Couch-to-5K Week 9, Day 3 - Completed!

(c) 2010 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

I did it.

I just finished my Couch to 5K Week 9, Day 3 workout. I ran outside, so I can't tell you exactly how many miles & tenths I ran, but on the treadmill I usually run about 6.2 mph. Which is about a 10 minutes mile.

I ran 31.5 minutes straight today.

Not that it was easy. Easier than Sunday, because it was a bit cooler & rather less humid, but still not a stroll in the park.

Since one of my goals for this year was to run in a 5K race, I'm well on my way. I'm still getting used to running outside, what with the earphones & the ipod & water. And the hills. And the bugs. And the warmer-than-65F-like-my-basement temperatures. And while listening to music helps, it's not nearly as distracting as television.

But since I don't think anybody's planning a 5K race to be held in my basement, guess I'd better keep it up & keep running outside!