May 10, 2009

8:12 a.m.

Linusless

Rose's next door neighbors said they found what looks like coyote poop at the back of their property a couple of weeks ago, and then it was added to a week later. That's where we're currently placing our sad, quiet bets. Some mama coyote just doing what she does naturally, needing to feed her kits. We're so civilized we don't think much about that part of the circle. We're just on this one spoke, protected from the rest.

Linus wasn't a walkabout cat. I know they sometimes go and come, but it would have been completely atypical for him, and the house borders some wildish land. In another neighborhood I'd think otherwise. But it seems pretty clear that something took him away.

I spent the whole day and evening with my family yesterday. Rose and I went to Job Lot looking for Crocs on sale, and she bought me a pair for $10. We found English tea and cereal. Then a trip to Stop & Shop for a mountain of groceries. Back home, we went with Marc to Tractor Supply, where I'd never been before. They needed to look into some fencing for their little garden, and we all wanted to see the baby chicks.

They had bins of different kinds. They were so adorable. I picked one up and it was so warm. Marc suggested I put some feed in my hand and stick it down there, and within half a minute I was swarmed. It was comforting to feel all those soft, fuzzy bodies pecking away, jumping on my hand.

We got ourselves home and Rose & Marc mowed and weed-whacked in the yards while I prepped dinner. On this sad day we managed to make a spectacular meal. I'd brought chard and dandelion greens and we'd bought 3 kinds of mushrooms. That made a great greens dish with a little red wine and balsamic and garlic. Rose marinated pork chops in a mesquite thing, and cooked fresh corn on the cob. Pearl had made a peach blueberry cobbler for dessert. Marc came down to dinner a little red-eyed. We talked about Linus some more, and other things. It felt good to just be with them.

I scritched Arthur until his brains were mush, every chance I got. He'd gone under the car a couple of times and got grease on his ear tips and a spot on his shoulder blades. We called him Chocolate Point Twinkie and tried to clean him up with Simple Green. It helped some. I think he's looking around for Linus, too.

Well, that's the report. I have rehearsal today, the last one until Fall. Thanks, everybody, for your hopeful wishes.