Back From a Trip Through Time and Space

Sorry, folks; between pet- and house-sitting and getting deeply involved in three new books, I just didn't get around to my blog.   I'm embarrassed by my back-sliding (not really).  I have been extremely busy in my critter-sitter business, and won't be sleeping at home again until the 26th of May.
   I was up at 4 o'clock this morning, showered dressed, walked the dog, fed the critters, watered the garden and the flowers, and was standing at the end of the driveway at 5 o'clock to travel with clients to Denver National Airport.  When they picked me up, dawn was breaking, the robins and smaller birds had begun singing, and a few of the neighbor's ducks were wakening and quacking.  As we drove out of the neighborhood, there was an oddly-moving eye-shine reflected back in the headlights.  The driver asked what it was, and I was able to answer it was a raccoon - although it was moving sideways, more like a crab than a raccoon.  I didn't give it anymore thought, as we were soon on the Expressway, where the speed limit is posted as 75 miles per hour - the family had decided to sleep in a little later and then rush to the airport.  As we passed one automated signal, it said we were traveling at 98 mph.  Oh, boy....   I drove back to Boulder at the rather sedate 65 mph posted for the Interstate, instead of racing back on the Expressway.
   First, I fed and walked Roxie and Finnie, the two Brittany Spaniels.  Then I went to the house behind Roxie and Finnie's and I walked Cooper and Lola, then fed those two, as well as the two cats, Pounce and Tipsi.  I had already fed and walked Tess and the cats, but I stopped by to allow Tess time to go outside again.  Then I went to my apartment, fed my kits and cleaned the litter boxes, and took a 50 minute nap.  After that, it was off to walk Rosie.
   Rosie and I had decided to visit my sister and brother-in-law's yard this morning.  (She's visited Tess the past three days.)  So we ambled toward my sister's house.  As we approached, I saw a raccoon (this was at 10:25) sidling sideways across the road from Olivier's house.  Rosie also saw it, and wanted to run and grab it.  The raccoon was having great difficulty moving.   It crossed the street, and had a seizure.  Then it licked it's hind legs, which were completely hairless and looked like raw meat.  It started sidling sideways, again, like a crab into the back yard at my sister's.  The (d'uhh!) realization came that this was the same raccoon I'd seen about 400 yards away at 5 this morning.   It had another seizure before it hid inside an airplane wing beside the shed.  I told my brother-in-law and sister what I had seen, and they agreed to call the Animal Control officer....   Rosie and I came over to Tess's house instead.
    After walking Rosie, I have bounced back and forth between the three houses of dogs and cats.  I have walked dogs, watered flowers and gardens, and gathered mail and newspapers.  Tonight is the penultimate presentation of Peter and the Starcatcher at the Boulder Dinner Theater, and Max is back in town to see his Dad on stage.  So I'll be headed over to Rosie's soon to keep her company while her family is out for the evening....   I do have to go feed Roxie and Finnie and the ABCs before I go to Rosie's.
    I just finished three new books, as well as re-reading another trilogy set of C J Cherryh's Foreigner series.  I find myself thinking in the alien language, Ragi, occasionally - and I sometimes throw an atevi into a conversation, because the alien word is a better fit than the English one.  Sometimes I feel that I'd rather exist in Ms. Cherryh's universe!