We thought we might see the mamma raccoon with her five adorable little kits last night when we hauled ourselves up to bed after midnight. No little troop presented itself on the porch, though. But there was a good big mound of peanuts awaiting their arrival. In the meantime, there was the small raccoon that comes around regularly, daintily feeding himself pawfuls of peanuts and we're always glad to see him. Jackie and Jillie don't bother barking at him any longer, he's such a familiar presence to them.

No peanuts were left on the porch by the time we descended the stairs opposite the front door in the morning, and we assumed mamma had been around with her babies. We could see several squirrels patiently waiting for their morning treats and they set right to it once Irving replenished the spent offerings. 

I've just given up entirely trying to persuade him that it is completely unnecessary to feed the wildlife at this time of year. He actually feels responsible to continue feeding them. Doing so satisfies something deep within. So there's just no point in continuing to badger him about it. Feed them he must and feed them he will. When we're out in the garden puttering about they feel confident enough in our presence to simply ignore us and get on with the important work of depleting the peanut mound.

On those occasions when Jackie and Jillie are out with us, the squirrels make themselves scarce. They know the difference between our two little dogs barking themselves silly inside the house watching the squirrels and chipmunks through the glass-fronted door, and their being on the loose outside the house indignant over the presence of wildlife on their porch.

Today was baking morning. I had decided to bake some butter tarts. My husband reminded me that he likes the tarts still runny. I had intended to bake them until there was some jiggle left in them, but as things turned out, failed to. On the positive side, the tart crust is firmer as well when the interior is baked solid. He'll overlook that they're firm, he always does.

I suggested it might be a good idea to barbecue the turkey breast (deboned, skinned) I planned to cut up into a cauliflower/tomato/lettuce/snap bean salad for dinner tonight. So that's just what he did, he smoked the breast with hickory, off-flame. The end result should be interesting.

It's turned out to be a cool, overcast day, one that promises rain, but fails to deliver. Cool and dry and warm enough to enjoy a long, leisurely stroll through forest trails with Jackie and Jillie. As we entered the ravine, one of our hiking friends just exiting with her three dogs, told us we could expect mosquitoes; 'they're back!', she told us, with a grimace. So I expected that we'd be bothered by the new wave of smaller, black mosquitoes, elusive and nasty, unlike the earlier wave of larger, clumsier, swattable mosquitoes.

For the most part for the length of our hike, none appeared. Until we stopped too long to talk with someone in one area of the main trail where we often come across them. And though they weren't numerous they were annoying, particularly around our unprotected back-of-neck area. Otherwise, the hike couldn't have been more pleasant; bracingly cool, so much so there was no interest evinced by the puppies in having a drink. Doggy biscuits, now that's another thing altogether...