Stars, Rat gifting, and Albino stir fry.

Three basically unrelated stories for your perusal.

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So, Wednesday, I believe, I went out to star gaze.  There is a meteor shower going on, (Perseid), and I have tried to watch it each year.  I was up anyway, (I guess my insomnia is good for something, on occasion), and decided to go out and watch the show.  Rudee woke, and so I let him out.  (No barking, and I figure doggy would keep other, less hospitable things away...)

I started watching.  The news said we would have "about a meteor a minute." 

Yeah... 

At least from my perspective, it was more like a meteor about every three minutes.  But oh, what it lacked in quantity, it more than made up for in quality.  I remember years when there were seemingly dozens of small streaks, but this year, it was broad white plumes across the sky.  In fact, two went at the same time, at the same angle, making it look like a galactic drag racer off the blocks. 

I was astounded at how quiet it was, too.  I am so used to the background noise near our place, (we live near a road with log trucks, and a 'major' intersection from one town to another.  If you call going from a town of 200+ to a town of around twice that major...)  Anyway, there was almost no traffic.  The cows were quiet. No bird noise.  Only the occasional dog bark. No coyotes.  So I was listening to the magical silence, until:

SnnnKXxsssKHhhhuhhhhhhhahhhh...  puh.

I looked down to see Rudee sacked out on my left foot, having rolled over, and let out a frankly amazing snore in his sleep.   Chasing deer takes a lot out of a dog! 

I watched the stars for about 2 hours, then went back in.  Husband rolled over about 10 minutes or so after I had snuggled up, and groggily asked, "Honey, didn't you want to go out and look at the stars?"

Does my husband sleep soundly, or WHAT?

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Today, I was trying to get the green house taken down, the plants have either grown or died, and other than the last three items, the green house was just holding gardening items, but wasn't holding plants.  I took out the last stragglers, put them where they will probably end up, and then worked on taking down the outer skin of the 'house.  Rolled it up, nicely, put it on the ground, so I could get it stored with the rest of the parts.

Whereupon, Tuxedo came up, took a sniff, then proceeded to PEE ALL OVER IT!!!  He looked really confused when I screeched at him, and ran up, waving my arms wildly.  He didn't get spooked, just, huh, that's strange, and walked off. 

So, I clean off cat pee, and go back to green house seasonal demolition.  Next thing I know, Tux comes into the 'house skeleton with a large... rodent.  I am not sure it was a rat, but it WAS significant. 

Mew?  He drops it inside, next to my foot.  I praise him for being SUCH a good kitty, and back carefully out, hoping he will eat the dang thing.

I was on the cell, and walked over to the back porch, and sat down. 

Meow?  I realized Tux had very carefully picked up the rodent, and dropped it by my foot, again.  I, a tad less enthusiastically, let him know what a gooood hunter he was, and walk away.

I walk to the front porch, and sit on the bench.  Rudee decides it's a good time for a sit, as well, and I continue my conversation.

Mrrw?  Ok, this officially ridiculous.  Yes, good cat, lovely, take that nasty thing away, please!  Tux places it carefully next to my foot, AGAIN, and then Rudee sees it.  And sniffs.

HISSSS! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Uh, oh. 

I look down to see Tux completely fluffed out, bottle brush tail and all, and Rudee looking for some discreet way of backing away from the situation.  (He took forever to learn, but he's figured out that cats have points that don't feel good on a tender little black schnoz...) 

Not knowing what else to do, I leaned over a bit, and told Tux, it's okay, but maybe you should go.  I made a little shooshing motion, and he looked up, watched my hands for a bit, then tried one last time to feed my left foot.  (I am sure glad that I am not particularly squeamish.)  I gave him a pat on the head, and said, half jokingly, as I talk to my animals like people all the time, geez, Tux, I just had breakfast, and I am not at all hungry, how about you eat this one. 

Next thing I know, he's gone out to 'his' spot for eating, and zip, zap, one less rodent.  Maybe I should let him know I've eaten earlier in the conversation???

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Husband has interesting culinary sensibilities...  I had some thawed pork chops, and decided to make stir fry.  I use onions, and rice, and decided to put in broccoli, for flavor and a little color.  (I usually put in celery, too, but that stuff...  It was very sad.  We will not talk of it further...) 

Anywho, I was asking Husband when he would be finished, so I could have dinner when he was ready, and then he said, but could you use cauliflower instead? 

Let's see, pork, white meat.  Rice. White. Onion, yellowish white.  Annnnnd, rounding this out, cauliflower.  Yeeeeahhhh... I have a feeling my Home Ec teacher would have fainted.  But, I figure, if he made the effort to ask, I would put it in there with the broccoli. 

No, he said, just cauliflower. 

Oh.  Uh.  Ooookay...

So, I did.  And it was white.  And more white.  Even the bit of soy sauce I throw in, and the spices, didn't help.  That was a WHITE bunch of stir fry. 

But, it wasn't too bad. 

Husband has said he'd like it again.  He has dubbed it "Albino Stir Fry". 

Ya gotta hand it to him, when he's right, he's right...

(But I still would have kinda liked broccoli...)