Acrobatic Squirrel

Who needs a squirrel video when these antics are going on right outside our window? He had a good grip with the top foot but the bottom one kept slipping down the pole sending him into wider and wider splits until he couldn't hang on anymore. Then he flipped to the ground and started all over again. One thing the fellow in the the squirrel videos explains is the biology/anatomy and the physics that allow squirrels to drop long distances to the ground and still land on their feet or jump long distances and land on a tiny target.  It's much more complicated than what cats do.
Dana says he has made dozens of videos like the squirrel ones on various subjects that are used a lot in the schools to explain natural phenomena in a relevant and comprehensible way....

A confluence of unconnected events came together yesterday with a lucky result. We went off to lunch with Ann and Jim, leaving Spike at home. While we were enjoying lunch at a winery down the road, John got a phone call on his watch from our friend Bob, the self described 'crazy psychiatrist' who had come by to look at a big pot we had offered him and found our front door locked and Spike sitting on the doormat. We told him how to get into the house, finished our lunch and came home, baffled as to how spike had gotten out. Investigation revealed that the gardeners had left open a gate behind the garage that we never use and never thought to check. We were surprised that Spike discovered it, grateful that Bob showed up when he did and that Spike did the sensible thing and waited by the front door for somebody to let him in. Crisis averted....

Ann and Jim left after lunch but we are already organizing next year's get-together, along with Marc and Teri who were also part of our backpacking/adventure group. 

Today has been quiet...catching up with domestic chores inside and out.
John had to go back to the dentist to have his crown 'installed' and has been working on fixing all kinds of irrigation leaks.  We walked at Spring Lake and I made turkey burgers from the Jerusalem cookbook for dinner. We'll have them with pita and tzatziki. I do like the feeling of having dinner somewhat under control before wine time, especially when the weather is so nice and we can sit outside with our wine and avoid the news....