A Day in Fort Collins

Perhaps a Saturday wasn't the best choice to visit Old Town Fort Collins - or maybe it was the fact that they were welcoming the Colorado State University students back for the fall - or maybe it's because we were actually on the "main strip" in Fort Collins, and not in the actual Old Town area - but, for whatever reason, it seemed like we were walking through the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder.  Most of the clothing shops were for name-brands and came in extremely small sizes - for anorexic teens and college students - or the stores were just too over-run with small children whose parents were letting them have a free rein...  We've decided to go later in the fall and see if it's any better.  There were two stores that were actually nice - and one of those was an artists' co-op shop.
    I think the other thing that bothered me was that people were so rude.  Both men and women, boys and girls, the whole gamut of ages, reached in front of us while we were looking at items, almost knocked us off the sidewalks, almost knocked us down with backpacks and/or papoose-style child carriers, and the shrieking babies were the worst.  And they were being ignored by their parents.  When I go out to wander and relax, and check out new places, I do not want crying infants and children up to six years old shrieking with temper tantrums in a book shop or a furniture store.  It's a good thing that "looking daggers" is just an expression - otherwise, I'd have been a mass-murderer today.
   At least all of the animals were cooperative and easy to deal with this morning, and this evening.  Lovey had quite a lot to say this morning, and woke Beatrice up earlier than usual, but, then, she's been extremely vocal ever since I returned from vacation.  Nedi does his purrs and little trills and the occasional soft meow.  Lovey comments at the top of her voice any time I'm not touching her, and frequently, when she's already laying on top of me.  Sometimes I think the only way to keep her satisfied is to let her live under my skin...
  Tomorrow, I'll spend most of my time with my animals - that will be calming and therapeutic.