Sunday, July 25, 2010
Lumberjacks
We have been experiencing pretty severe thunderstorms recently. Last weekend the wind picked up so much that it knocked down a huge branch from one the trees. Of course I had to go outside to investigate; I needed to make sure my garden wasn’t harmed. Luckily, the branch did not land on the house, nor a car, nor my garden; it’s far enough away that it just fell in the yard without damaging anything except the tree.
The fallen branch obviously required the job of a lumberjack. I decided to take on this task. I went inside to change into my flannel shirt (in order to do the job of a lumberjack, I needed to looked the part).
The woman would obviously be no help to me since she is sick and weak. Clearly, this was a job for the man, assisted--er rather supervised--of course, by yours truly.
After rummaging around the garage, we managed to find a saw and some big pruning shears. The man climbed up into the tree and I tossed up some string. Once the man had his end, I tied the saw to my end…
...and the man was able to pull it up using his end of the string.
Once I was satisfied the man had the tools he needed,
I scampered away to oversee the project. I did not want anything hitting me on the head while the man sawed off the branch, so I went to sit on the nearby wall, which provided a safe distance away from the peril of falling tree branches.
This spot also provided me with a perfect place to supervise from and dictate any orders I felt necessary to the success of the project.
Petey, hearing all the commotion, felt he needed to come check things out. He was more of a hindrance than a help.
It didn’t take too long for the man to saw through the branch. Once it was disconnected from the tree it was time to pull it down.
It was really hot out, so I told the man to take a break while I pulled the rest of the branch down.
Then, it was time to prune off some of the smaller branches.
Once that was complete, we lifted up the branch…
…and hauled it away.
I have to admit we did a remarkable job. Mr. Penguin is very proud of himself and the man on a job well done. Was it smart to take on this project in the middle of a day where temperatures were in the 100's and there was a heat advisory in effect? Probably not, but we’re men--we do what we want and do it well.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Going on a Lizard Hunt
We had an intruder in the house recently--the other day the man noticed a small lizard in the hallway. Since I like to name new creatures I encounter, I decided to call him Izzy. He needed to be returned to the outdoors and the man asked for my assistance in this endeavor.
Neither the man nor myself is very experienced in hunting, so we weren’t quite sure at first how to go about capturing Izzy. We decided emulate our hero, John Rambo, in hunting and catching our prey. We had no intention of killing Izzy, nor doing him any harm; we just wanted to return Izzy outside where he belongs. The woman wanted no part in this adventure, she left it up to the expertise of the man and myself.
After some quick brainstorming, we decided to catch Izzy in a ziploc bag. The man held the bag open, while I chased Izzy into the bag. It was almost too easy. Izzy must have recognized I was channeling Rambo.
Once inside the bag, the poor little guy slid around like he had no traction. It was as if he was sliding around on an icy surface. I’m sure you can imagine how intriguing this was to the man and myself.
It was amusing to watch him slide around. The woman wasn’t as impressed and maintained her distance from our shenanigans. Don’t worry, we didn’t torture Izzy, we just had a bit of fun with him sliding around. And we eventually returned him to his home outside. Hopefully he doesn’t try to come back in.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Captain America
I was really excited when I heard that Captain America would be making an appearance on the 4th of July. I saw his video online along with some pictures from last year and I’d always hoped I would have the opportunity to meet him. I waited all day and finally he arrived after the fireworks. I was nervous to meet him (he is, after all, a superhero) but he was so kind and personable.
He let me hold his shield, which was too heavy for a little penguin like me to lift alone. I needed a little assistance, which Captain America readily supplied.
He also taught me how to salute, which is difficult for me as my flippers are not very long.
We quickly became friends. I was really sad to learn that his appearances are rare. We had a great time just hanging out; meeting him was definitely the highlight of my trip. I guess I will have to wait until next year to see him again. Hopefully, I will meet some of his superhero friends in the near future.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Reginald
One day during our trip up north, I noticed everyone huddled around the windows looking outside. Being the inquisitive penguin that I am, I had to find out what was so fascinating. They were all so engrossed in what they saw that they didn’t even hear me come downstairs.
I peered out the window to see what all the fuss was about.
It was a small, furry woodland creature, one of which I had never seen before. He was so cute and loveable-looking, I instantly knew we must become friends. I decided Reginald would be a perfect name for him. Unfortunately Reggie was skittish; he wouldn’t let anyone get near him. I had to be content watching him from afar.
Reggie obviously didn’t realize how friendly I am, and that I would never do anything to harm him. But he still played shy. *sigh* I’m a little disappointed that none of these chipmunk creatures live around me; I would very much like to befriend one. Still, I feel like Reggie and I had a connection. I was so excited to have made a new friend on my trip, I had to phone my good buddy Scooter to tell him all about it. At first he was jealous, until I explained that Reggie would not be coming home with us but rather remaining up north. That calmed Scooter down.
I will miss my new friend Reginald. I don’t make it up north very often, and I’m worried he won’t remember me next time I visit. Or perhaps Reggie will be looking for me, wondering what happened and where I have gone. Hopefully, he’ll be still be there, happy to see me the next time I’m up north.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Grandma's Garden
Mr. Penguin had the opportunity this past weekend to see what a real garden looks like. It was eye opening. The man and woman told me about this lush, verdant garden and I decided I must see it for myself. I could view it from the window....
....but decided it required closer examination. So I headed outside to get a closer look.
Oh, the variety! So many different types of vegetables and herbs; much more than Mr. Penguin has in his humble pot garden.
I was also very impressed by the size of the plants. They were so tall and full; it was like a neat, orderly jungle.
I gave the garden a thorough inspection and took a lot of notes for future reference. Someday, I hope to have a similar luxuriant garden. But for now I’m content with my modest little garden which, luckily, doesn’t require much work.
Speaking of my garden, on wednesday the woman bought me a lettuce planter with three kinds of lettuce. We planted them that afternoon and today they have already sprouted!
I had trouble getting a good photo of my sprouts. It is so humid here the camera lens fogs up as soon as I get outside. I have to wipe the lens, then try to get a good shot before the lens gets cloudy again up. *Puff*
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Driving There and Back Again
I’m finally able to start blogging about my holiday weekend; it took a few days for us to recover from all the driving. As my twitter followers know, Mr. Penguin went away for 4th of July. We left Thursday afternoon when the man got home from work. It was a long, multi-state drive north. I was so excited because this was the first trip the man and the woman deemed it alright for me to sit in the back seat, instead of being packed away in a stuffy bag. Unfortunately, they don’t make penguin-sized safety seats, but no worries, I was still able to buckle my seatbelt.
A few times the man needed my assistance driving, I was more than happy to oblige. I must admit, Mr. Penguin is an excellent driver.
There was also a lot of this during the drive:
What can I say? Long car rides make a penguin tired. At least when I was up north I had a napping buddy.
We took a different way back so we could stop in the mountains for a night. At the hotel, I was able to relax in a nice steam shower all to myself while the man and women went out for dinner.
I was not ready to get up the next morning and drive home.
This trip gave me the chance to prove that I can behave myself while riding in the car. And, as a bonus, I am a superb co-pilot. I believe I have earned myself a spot in the backseat for all future car trips.
I have so much more about my weekend I want to share; Hopefully, I will get the remaining posts up soon.
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