All the books from before.. 1923 (I think) have passed out of copyright the 1st day of this year. There are lot of places besides Project Gutenberg that have digitized books. Free!
One summer while waiting out a storm I was tied to a log boom in Beautiful British Columbia. Checking my galley sink in the morning there fearfully looking up at me was a small deer mouse. His big black eyes, his white stomach and a curled tail all slightly shaking in fear. What to do? I reached in and by grasping his tail lifted him from his stainless steel prison. On the log boom was a pile of flotsum left from the tides it seemed dry and I thought would make an ideal hide out. So I carried him over to the rift and released him to search for love in another area. Later after thinking about it I added a soda cracker with a bit of cheese and a dab of peanut butter. That way in case a little lady came along he could invite her for a proper lunch. He as I, was alone on that cold rainy day.
When in grade school my brother and I came upon thousands of tiny (about the size of your thumbnail) tree frogs clinging to the trucks of pine trees surrounding our local pond. We proceeded to catch a couple hundred of them, (for some reason that escapes me now), got them home and put them in a double laundry sink. We laid a screen window on the top to keep them in. The next morning we were awoken by my mom making a terrible racket in the kitchen. They had escaped and congregated in the kitchen for a snack I guess. Much excitement ensued.
Thank you so much for the reminder. I found a bunch of new books to read. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been over there, exploring new authors. Gutenberg is a great site.
That was really going above and beyond in removing a critter. Kudos to you regarding the cracker too. The wildlife does brighten my day. Of course it is far more fascinating OUTSIDE Seaweed than when they are inside. Suffice it to say, a couple of the birds here think this is a Self-Service restaurant. Details upcoming.
Thanks so much for your comment too Captain. I appreciate that. J.
I would have had a heart attack. Honestly (shivers)
Obviously your brother and you had a wonderful time. What successful hunters you were. Still, I'm VERY glad it was not my duo who thought up that particular form of entertainment.
It sounds like you had a wonderful time. My duo liked to make pets of creatures. The iguanas were interesting. We had two, Ig and Iggy. They liked apples though mostly they enjoyed the mangos growing on my tree.
We also had ducks, a Cornish hen who thought she was a duck, plus Stinky (ferret) and Useless (bunny), plus Worthless, Mouthy and Omelet. There were more.
Our house in south Florida was like a zoo. As a matter of fact, the largest iguana at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Science and Discovery came from my back yard! We tamed it, but that's another story.
Such is life down south. We entertained ourselves, and fortunately, not with frogs!
Thanks for your comment. J.
There was an addition to the article after posting. The artist David Coverly gave me permission to use his Fly Swatter cartoon panel. I've had it in my Amusements folder for a while -- he's got a wicked sense of humor. I like it!
Have a great day. I'm finishing up another battery article. One focusing this time of what not to do. Argh.
I just love the diversity of the topics on your site - Batteries, Sprouts, Navigation, Frogs...many, many more. It is a joy to read what you write and get a glimpse into your mind. The people close to you are very fortunate. Keep it up, lass.
Ha!! Your choice of pet names shows humor and creativity; I like that. "Stinky (ferret) and Useless (bunny), plus Worthless, Mouthy and Omelet".
How nice you are Sid! And thank you for your kind note. I do try to keep a variety and that is in reality life afloat.
There are few days that are identical to the one before. I've tried a few times to get together a "Day in the Life" type of article and none seem just right.
Variety, learning things, exploring and a lot of reading basically sums up my life. Of late I've been helping a friend get his boat ready to cruise. It's little things that turn a boat into a home.
For instance Sid, after the successful installation of the fuel polishing system I added a hand-written label on his DC Panel. Well, to me that just made sense however the boater was right pleased. He made me a lovely lunch of chicken thighs (my favorites) ... that was super sweet.
I've noticed a lot of times that it is a small thing that makes a larger impact. Some boats you walk aboard are almost Sterile. There's no heart. Creating a home is a gradual process.
Anyway Captain, I'm rambling. I tend to do that in real life too! Have a great day Captain Fearless. Thank you for your Comment too. J.
The way it worked it thus Pam: The kidlets could have pets as long as they promised to take care of the critter. I named them for the most part.
Omelet was what you would expect: a chicken Mouthy was a rooster. Useless was a bunny.
None of our pets were caged except Stinky. Our house was on a canal in south Florida (not water that went to the ocean, though it did via culverts)
Anyway, it was a glorified drainage ditch, about 100' wide probably. I don't know -- it was there. It was nice to not be totally hemmed in by neighbors.
Daddy gave me back my dinghy, plus installed a davit on the seawall. Son used the dink to traverse the neighborhood, making friends with all the little old ladies on the canal. He would go visit, eat their baked goods, etc. Then he'd come home and extol the treats they made for him. It was a source of pleasure for him. The older women were very kind.
Anyway, it was a fun life for the kidlets. I was the home school mom, and our house was the neighborhood gathering spot. Kids fished out back, and visited our library. Because I had a LOT of books often it was easier for local kids to come by and see if i had what they needed for book reports and such. I usually did!
I taught one girl (about ten or twelve) how to read. She was Haitian, and I had the entire Beginner Reading books by Dr. Suess. She was a wonderful young lady -- even wrote me a thank you note when she was accepted into community college years later. How cool is that?!?!
Truly I have been blessed. And continue to enjoy a wonderful life. Today I am inside my cozy home. The Aladdin lamp is putting out a nice warmth which is keeping Seaweed comfy. I'm fortunate.
Of course I wish the same for you. I look forward to meeting you along the waterways some day. Happy preparing, and thank you for commenting Pam. I really appreciate that a LOT!!!
Your friend in the south, J.