Monthly Archives: October 2025

Bailey’s Birthday Party

Posted on by
2


Yesterday, we went to Bailey’s birthday party. Bailey turned four. He wanted a combination Spiderman-Unicorn themed party. Fresh from their No Kings rally Bailey’s two grandmothers arrived, with one of them sporting an inflatable unicorn costume. The other grandmother acted as her aide, because apparently, you cannot see anything while wearing one of those outfits. Bailey’s father, who is an excellent chef baked the pictured cake, half Spiderman and half unicorn. He had also prepared the spinach lasagna that we had enjoyed the night before.

All this talk of Bailey has launched me down a rabbit hole off of Memory Lane. Way back, at Michigan State, I spent a summer on Bailey Street. Across the street that summer were the twin headed Annes and the rest of their Bailey bombers. They frequently sat out on their front porch and would yell at me every day whenever I went to class, “Mark Axe… graduate [check], get a job [check], and get married [check].” I was able to check each of those taunts off, no thanks to them. Now I am sitting in one of my son’s houses and enjoying the company of my two grandsons. So, take that you Baily bombers! Have a wonderful life!!

Wyatt’s New Quilt

Posted on by
Reply
Anne Presenting Wyatt’s New Quilt

Here is Anne presenting to Maren (and Wyatt in the lower right corner of this photo) the new quilt that she made in Wyatt’s honor. It is a wall-hanging quilt, and Maren has already picked out the perfect place to hang it in his nursery. It features the view from the cabin’s sleeping porch, with the large three-trunked birch that has been there almost as long as the cabin has. It is hard to see, but there is a fox in the lower-right corner of the quilt. Anne saw a fox on the Green Tunnel road this summer. That might have been her inspiration for this quilt.

Anne and I babysat Declan last night. This was for Maren and Dave’s fourth wedding anniversary. Based upon a previous experience, Maren determined that Wyatt was not yet ready to be babysat. That was fine with me, between the two of us giving Declan some personal TLC, everything worked out quite well. Anne played with him in the backyard, while I prepared dinner, chicken and pasta. It was a big hit. That boy can sure eat. After dinner, I easily entertained him with looking at photos on my phone together. Guess who was Declan’s favorite subject? Declan! Our time alone with Declan passed all too quickly. David, Maren and Wyatt were back before we knew it. Then it was bathtime for Bonzo.

A Cacophony of Coyotes

Posted on by
2
Working down in the Dave Cave, High in the Hills Above Malden Town

Yesterday afternoon, Anne and I walked Puck around the neighborhood. This was the day before trash day, and a neighbor lady was rolling out her buckets while we passed. She explained to us that she was doing this task then, when it was still full light and not waiting until later, because she was afraid of the coyotes that lived in the glen up behind her house. She told us that she had heard them all howling together late the night before. Last night, around midnight, I heard them too. Their cries were eerie, haunting and other worldly. The different calls were distinct, but their number was so great that I soon lost track of one individual from another. This cacophony of coyotes persisted for about fifteen minutes, before their howls died away into the night and I fell asleep again.

Coyotes must be a problem in Maren and David’s neighborhood, what with all of the public advisories on the web. They warn pet owners to mind their cats and small dogs and bring them in at night. They’re eating the cats! They’re eating the dogs! They go on to warn that while coyotes pose little danger to humans, those attacks that have occurred have involved rabid animals.