Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

One dead rat or a doggie snack

Two weeks ago both sons came over to help me set the storage shed on a better foundation. I locked the dogs up in their pen just in case there were any rabbits still living under there. We emptied the shed and moved it about 15 feet. There were still two young rabbits there and they took off running as soon as we got near them. Maiko found a mummified rat. He was so proud of the complete skeleton. I put a pan on the ground and told him to put it there until we finished working on the shed. He called his girls over but neither one was very impressed or willing to get near the dead rat.

This brought back memories of why Elfida stopped checkingMaiko's and Carlos' pockets when she did laundry. As kids they would put dead lizards, dead birds and dead bugs in their pockets. She had too many scares while checking pockets.
This was an impressive specimen and even my sister Dora would have been proud of it. It had skull, legs, feet and even the tail.
I collected skeletons too and had never gotten a complete skeleton. Well we went back to working on the shed. We did a great job on it. Maiko and Carlos screwed the plywood floor to the 2x4s we had laid under the shed. Elfida went and got some foam sealer and Maiko did all the edges to keep the rats out.
While we were busy doing other things. I decided it was time to let the dogs out of their pen. I don't like to keep them in there too long. The like to run around the yard and their is plenty of yard to run in.
I was by the side of the house when I heard Elfida screaming at the dogs. She screamed at one and then at another one and she took off running after them. I ran to the back thinking they had bitten one of the girls. Well, it wasn't that bad. Sister found Maiko's rat and took off running with it. Elfida saw her and screamed at her. Sister dropped the rat.... but as soon as it hit the ground Izma came running and snatched it up! She took of with it. Elfida gave up on saving the rat. So all we have are pictures and memories of this magnificent rat skeleton.....

Were did I go....

I have been here all along. Working, laughing, traveling, learning a little, living a little, etc. I was looking at two of our dogs as they slept. What a life. Sleep, eat, walk around outside, get hot, bark until they get back in the air conditioned house.

This one is to big for her bed, but her life is almost the same as the other dog's.

Una mascara...

Many years ago Carlos bought some wrestler masks in Mexico. For years they were stored away with his knife collection, soccer socks, toys, and other items his mom couldn't part with.Last Sunday he went through the boxes looking for a backpack and rediscovered some of those masks. You can't just bring stuff like this out and not try it on again.

Maiko came over and put one of the masks on and left it on. He went to cook dinner for himself with the mask on. I knew that was the moment for a photo. Then we, Carlos and I also put on masks. We had fun.


Now I realized how much fun we could have with just a piece of clothe and vinyl to cover you identity! Yeah, we knew it was us, but it was different. No, it was like when we were kids. My Tia Lile made Batman masks for us out of some vinyl she had. They were baby blue mask, but that was okay.

They were still Batman masks. There were about six of us with the same mask but were wore them while we fought bad guys, monsters, Germans, and imaginary wrestlers.


You know, a mask hides your identity so well that grown men will wear there underwear outside their stretchy pants and go out in public. They feel no shame or embarrassment as long as the mask is on.

We had so much fun putting on the masks last Sunday that Maiko kept one on. Carlos understood and left it with him. The grand daughters stayed with us and Lily put on the mask. I took pictures, then Isabelle put it on and I took more pictures.


I crush your head!


Oh yeah, we wrestled.


And we posed for the customary pre-match photo.

And the traditional magazine cover photo.

Ah yes, special moments. Maybe one of this days Elfida will put one on too.