Thanksgiving dinner on a narrowboat!

(Correction: It was Christmas dinner, but it still works!)
I've watched this video a couple of times because I think it's such a good example of making do with what you have and friends getting together for a holiday meal. If you think you don't have room to make a Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings, check this out! Their resourcefulness is mind-boggling! And the Englishness of the whole thing is a lot of fun, too. :)



Those of you who follow me on Facebook have already heard about my encounter with Rocky the flying squirrel, but I'm repeating the high points here for family members who aren't on Facebook. Sorry! Ha ha!

Well, in the wee hours of this morning I heard loud scratching noises coming from underneath my trailer house, right below my bed. At first I didn't pay much attention. The wind was blowing ferociously outside and I figured a branch was scraping against the house. Then I realized there are no branches in that location. So I banged on  the floor and wall to try to scare off whatever kind of critter it was. I think it was trying to get out but couldn't figure out how. Then the scraping sound traveled up the bedroom wall. I went back to sleep figuring there was nothing I could do anyway. A while later I awoke and heard little noises from the kitchen. I got up and went to the kitchen and turned on a light. I didn't notice anything at first but then saw a little squirrel halfway up the wall, frozen in place, staring at me with big eyes. See the little wall to the right of the stove? That's where he was hanging. (I know it's a he because his name is Rocky.)

 This wasn't a large, bushy tailed squirrel, but a smaller squirrel of the flying variety. It stayed there frozen, thinking it was invisible to me (ha, ha!) while I tried to figure out how to get rid of it. I'm not one for bludgeoning small, cute animals. I asked myself, "Do I try to throw a blanket over it?". But I figured it was too quick for that. Then I decided to close the bathroom door (on the left, below) and the bedroom door (straight ahead) and force it to run out the front entry/door (to the right). I was standing by that light switch on the left of the picture while staring down the squirrel.

It went according to plan, except that on the first try it ran right under my bedroom door. I forgot that there's quite a space under it. So, I stuffed a blanket in that space and tried it again, chasing it with my broom to encourage it along. It ran out the door, across my deck and dove through the air, landing on a nearby tree trunk and running up it. Tah-dah!

I've been warned to have someone check out the entry points under the trailer. Yes, I've lived with mice and varmints all my married life, living in the country with lots of grain storage nearby, etc. In our log house we would even have the occasional bird or bat get in and fly around in the 20 foot high ceiling. So, this is just a minor annoyance. This old trailer must have hundreds of little holes a mouse could get in. I've told my young landlady (she's a good friend of my daughter's and in her 20's). She said she would let her hubby know, but he might not be able to check it out until after Thanksgiving. I'm fine with that. I don't think that squirrel wants back in, and I've got a trap set for any mice. I also try to keep vulnerable foodstuffs in either the breadbox or the fridge, so there's not a lot around to snack on.

I learned a lot through this experience...about flying squirrels. They're nocturnal and they don't hibernate. They usually sleep in a hole in a tree, sometimes several of them together to keep warm. They are interesting little beings. Sure made my day more interesting!

I'm still reading An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L'Engle, but I think I'm reading it more out of some OCD need to know I've read all five books in the quintet. I think I've overdosed on her books, lol. I also just started reading Beth Moore's book Jesus, The One and Only. I'm really loving it! Beth Moore has a special way of bringing you right into the story.

I spent some time at Micah's today doing laundry and some dishes and generally picking up while she and the kids were gone to MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). Then I borrowed her Netflix and watched a few episodes of Father Brown. It made for  a pleasant mixture of work and fun. I really do sit around too much at home, which I suspect has something to do with my neck and backaches this week. Gotta keep moving!

Have any of you seen the trailer for the new movie "The Man Who Invented Christmas"? It looks really good. I may break down and actually go to the theater to see it. I think it comes out tomorrow. It's the story of how Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol".

I think I'll do some reading and make a cup of coffee. I hope you will all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm enjoying all of your holiday posts. :)

Shalom!