We've Been Busy!!

Ringmaster Chris

I've been having a lot of new experiences since we hit the road and most of opening my life to be as large as Doug's has been really great, but sometimes things get a little freaky for me because I'm just a Duppy. Yesterday Doug took Auntie Cyndi and me to the Cole Bros. Circus! At first I had fun, and met the Ringmaster, Chris, before the show. He knew about Harold Ronk and Uncle Soapy, and Doug thanked him for his kindness and gracious words. When the show started they brought out the BIGGEST kitty cats I've ever seen! I was really glad they stayed with their trainer, and I was a little jumpy about that because animals of all kinds gravitate to Doug. It was after that things went to hell in a hand basket. For starters, everything was REALLY loud, and it just kept getting louder! I was pretty okay with Doug covering my ears until the clown car exploded when Doug didn't expect it! A great big BOOOOM!!! Then I went to pieces, and hopped right into Doug's lap. I could tell it even scared Auntie Cyndi, because she jumped, too! Doug took me out before they fired off the human cannonball, thank goodness! Next time I'm going to let Doug and Auntie Cyn leave me in the car. After the circus Doug took us out for dinner at Ruby Tuesday. We had steak and lobster tail, and Auntie Cyn had a shrimp parmesan pasta dish. Both of them shared because I really enjoy a good piece of pasta with my steak!

Grammy's house has a Florida room with windows low enough  that even I can look out at the back yard, and yesterday I saw a big hook-bill crane catching geckos and Lord knows what else. I also saw a red-headed woodpecker, doves and the cat next door hunting the squirrels that Grampa Dave feeds. Kitty has been hunting them for years, but Grampa says the squirrels are way too fast. They scamper up the orange trees, and say, "Na na na na - Boo boo," which really torques the cat off. There are plenty of orange trees out back for the squirrels to take cover in, but I have to admit that chasing squirrels is one of my favorite things to do, too. I don't really want to hurt them, but I really enjoy it when I can get my nose right up in their tail feathers! Doug used to take me to Wesleyan University on weekend mornings, or if he got home from work early enough on sunny afternoons we'd go chase the squirrels and there are really lots of them! The squirrels in Florida aren't nearly as juicy as Connecticut squirrels - they're kinda small, but still great fun to chase after.

The things that catch my eye and makes me jump are the geckos that run from everywhere I go, and the fire ants sneaking up and biting my tootsies when I'm not looking. Yesterday they got Doug good, and when he realized we were under attack he scooped me up and dusted the ants off me first, and himself after! The bites stung for a couple hours!! The neighbors don't pick their oranges, and they just leave them on the ground which draws in all kinds of "visitors" I'd prefer not to meet. Grampa Dave caught a opossum in the trap he set to catch our runaway kitty when she got out, but there's no way I wanna chase one of them! They are kinda gross, and hiss like crazy!

Look how many types of palms there are!!

The part of Venice that Grammy lives in is called Venice Garden, and it's right in a bird sanctuary with a canal that winds through that part of town to a lake on the other side of the street from Gram and Gramp's house. Doug takes me to a spot at the end of the street when he goes to see if he can spot an alligator, or see if the fish are jumping. Doug's dying to go fishing again, and once Gram begins to feel a little better he'll find time to take me fishing because I really enjoy it, too! I love to try and get the fish when Doug catches them, and I always bark at him when he casts his pole, but I don't know why. Just plain ol' excited, I guess!

The trees here are really different from what I'm used to, and I have to be careful where I raise my leg because some of them I've learned about are cactus! Ouchy!! I've also discovered that palm trees come in all shapes and sizes, and some of them have stickly thingys on 'em. Bugs and snakes hide in them, too, and make me jump like a cat when they unexpectedly hop out when I pee on them! Yikes!

See what I mean?

Auntie Cyn stayed with Grammy the past two nights because she's going back to Pensacola tomorrow. Boo hoo! We're really gonna miss her more than I can say. She's so much help and comfort for Gram. Doug and I do a good job taking care of her, but no one does it better that Aunties Cyn and Karen. I heard Cyn tell Doug, "If you thing I'm good at taking care of Mom, you should see how good Karen is. She's unbelievable!!!" Grammy knows just how to blackmail Auntie Cyn, and got her to stay almost a week longer then she'd planned. Doug and I aren't going to leave Grammy until she's up and running on the road to recovery, but we promised Emma we are coming for Christmas in Connecticut. Uncle Dave is bringing the boys down for Christmas with Grammy and Grampa in Venice, so at least she'll have some of us here with her for the holidays.

Doug said for me to issue the Sunset Report for today, but before I do I wanted to let you know that We saw the sun set behind the Cole Bros. circus tent yesterday, and it brought a tear to Doug's eye. I wished he'd remembered to bring his camera!

If I weren't a Duppy, I'd say, "Damnation, it's beautiful here!!"

Love,

Duppy