How Does a Parakeet Drown?

Pork Chop (right) and Apple Sauce were hanging out in our back porch.  Unfortunately, Pork decided he wanted a drink of water.  He dropped down onto a pitcher (ewer) that we use to water our plants.  He slipped into the ewer and the curved shape at the top prevented him from flying out.  And so Pork is no longer with us.

The discovery of this gruesome tragedy was a fright for Sidetrack.  After our extensive search for our missing bird (Chester the cat was the primary suspect), we simply gave up.  Mamacita decides she would water plants, and when she went to refill the ewer....   SHRIEK!!!     Sure enough, there, in the bottom, lay Pork, dead as a door nail. 

So we welcomed Whisp (short for Whisper) into our house.

It's official!   Ellie has graduated and here is a picture (above) to prove it!   And yes, Maggot did indeed turn 15 (below).

Today is the last day of classes for Batty, Ick and Maggot.  Tonight the house will be full of screaming mimi's which is a standard for the last day of classes.  Seven teenage girls, a cookout and bomb fire.  This all assumes the rain lets up, and it appears it will.

Speaking of fires, the smouldering fire at the IC Landfill appears to be dowsing out with the rain.  The sanitation department covered one of the landfill areas with several layers of shredded tires.  Little did they think this would ever catch on fire (cause still unknown).  This burned for 5 straight days with plumes of thick black smoke wafting over Iowa City as the breeze goes.  Nasty stuff to be sure.

State Soccer is upon us.  West High Girls (Maggot's team) won their first match in "sub-state" and need to beat City High next Monday to advance.  They look good.  And so it goes...