What I Did on My Summer Vacation by Delia Fields Fischl

Please welcome a special guest to Suddenly Surrounded by Taxidermy, Delia Fields Fischl! 

As dictated to and translated by her Mama.

This summer I spent a lot of time keeping watch over the squirrels and the chipmunks at my house.

Because everyone needs an arch nemesis.

They would hide in Mama's the wood shed.

They would get up under Mama's pickup, Bert.

Sometimes I would spot them from across the yard and stalk them.

But sometimes I didn't even have to go into the yard! This tree is one of their favorites. I could watch it from the deck...

... and I could watch \ it from the ground while Papa and Mama watched me from the deck!

Papa and Mama could also watch me from the deck when I focused my surveillance on the underside of these old planters that they have let go to pot. As it were.

They would also get into the greenhouse at the back of the shop.

Another thing I did was learn to drink out of the faucet on the well head. I used to be very scared of it, but now I make sure that I get to have drinks from it during every morning fetch session! Sometimes I drink from it four times! My parents say that when winter comes I won't be able to drink from it, because it will make a dangerous ice slick on the fetch pitch. That's OK, because I don't get as thirsty during fetch when it's cold out, especially if I can eat snow which I love to do.

 Then on Labor Day I had my fifth birthday! Mama made me two batches of delicious treats with some yummy fresh vegetables, oats, and peanut butter! On Tuesday, Papa took a bunch to his office to share with the other dogs whose parents work there, too.

Squirrels and trees and Ds! Because my name starts with D and I act like I might like to eat a squirrel. Sticks come from trees and I like to chew on those, too! Mama made a video of my parents singing the birthday song to me before feeding me this, but for some reason the Linux laptop is not talking to the Android phone lately and it's too big to email. GAH! MAMA!

Whose Poop is This, Anyway?

So this isn't poop, but it does appear that a spider or caterpillar had sudden, explosive diarrhea of the silk spinnerets!

It's difficult to see, but along the left side is a single strand floating about with a smaller blob on its end.

I was out performing my part of fetch with Delia, and saw something white a fluttery land out by the fence line. It looked like a piece of paper... the kind that floats out of a fire, so I had to investigate immediately. Turns out it was a big ol' blob of silk. Nature is lovely and strange.

One Step at a Time: Kitchen Edition, Just One More Thing

Alllllmost done. It sure looks cool like this and better than the black, but not the vibe we have going.

I know I said I was done for now and that I would enter Phase II (see below) at some point next year, but I had to do this one last thing: strip and repaint the wood stove stovepipe. We just didn't like the contrast of the new "metallic charcoal" finish on the stove with the flat black, factory finish on the pipe.

I think the black pipe might look better in the photo than real life, but still it doesn't look how we want it to.

I started by sanding it off with a sanding pad and it worked pretty well... until either a) it didn't or b) I got tired of sanding in the awkward positions required by this set up after about 90 minutes.

I should've known better and had that plastic go up the the ceiling, but I was tempted by the already-cut piece. Damnation.

So the next day, I decided to try out my vast collection of solvents and learned right quick that acetone was The Trick. I wish I'd tried the solvent method first, because even hand sanding got paint dust on the wall and that didn't vacuum up or wipe off. Sigh.

I'm really bummed that I have to prime and paint the wall back there again. 

The next morning, I set up some fans in exterior doorways and got a couple of coats on there while Delia waited upstairs.

Next spring I'm going to have to add picture rail to the rest of the room. Sigh.

And now I think the kitchen is done enough for now. Just a few more house projects and thenTime to work on Halloween and Dr. Potter's Medicine Show craft projects. YAHOO!