Lesson 553: Captured!

Good evening, Everyone.

Eloise, here.

I've been on the lookout this week

and have snagged myself some fine captures.

Late summer is so full of color.

There are no better skies than those in August and September.

This was a glorious sunset this week,

but Eloise has spent a handful of sunrises 

hunting cats.

The feral cats that live in my backyard

have gone from a couple,

to a family,

to a colony

in just two years.

I have been trying to catch Stealth,

the orange and white mother

since I gave her shelter two years ago.

The last 24 months have been a game of cat and mouse--

or to paint you a better picture,

Wyle. E. Coyote vs Roadrunner

When the babies from last summer began reproducing

before their first birthdays

Eloise stepped up the catch and release 

to this level:

Success!

I've caught seven of them in the last week

five of the seven were females!

I still have some more to go, 

but should have them all doctored up soon.

A very big thank you to Dr. Williams out at Hometown Vet

for all of your help.

They've been released back out into their natural environment,

and I'll make sure they are kept warm through the cold months

and get a meal each day.

I'd rather have an alpaca farm with a donkey,

but for now,

these feral little animals will keep me busy.

The girls and I will be busy looking to capture 

the Beast on the Bay this year.

He's on the loose tomorrow.

We're thinking of bringing the live traps.

All these years I've brought along

axes 

and sling shots

and a slew of other pokey things

to help me capture him.

But maybe I've been wrong.

I mean,

maybe the Beast just seems big,

and in reality,

the Beast isn't that big at all.

Maybe if we think of the Beast as smaller

instead of bigger,

and the quest to catch him

less of an individual 

and more of a team effort

we may capture him this year!

My sister and I thank all of the supporters once again.

From your Happy People t-shirt purchase

to simply taking a few minutes to interact with Natalie and Erik

you are helping make their lives better.

There is nothing that can capture Eloise's attention 

more than a good story.

PBS is doing something very cool.

The Great American Read web page CLICK HERE

For the video teaser, 

see below.

It looks as though this began in May and I missed it,

but the Fall Premier is September 11th on PBS.

I've scrolled through the top 100 and narrowed my choices to the top 10.

I thought long and hard as to how I'd cast my vote

and I chose Harry Potter

because of the beauty of JK Rowling's imagination

and the intricate details of the magical world

she created for Harry Potter.

It was fun looking at the choices of others.

I only cast one vote,

although I read you can vote more often than that.

I think the practice of super votes 

and voting once a day

is becoming a problem.

A few of my younger elementary students 

thought that you could vote for President 

more than once.

I feel that strategizing for that type

of mega voting is sending the wrong messages to children

and undermining the power of casting a well thought out vote.

Research the candidates.

Think it through.

Cast your vote thoughtfully

and meaningfully.

I didn't vote in the last fan vote for

America's Got Talent

because I simply couldn't choose a favorite.

All the acts are so good this year!

One story that I love this best

is of this singer, Michael Ketterer.

If you don't know this touching story,

give this watch.

It's your weekend homework.

Fiction stories are a great escape for Eloise.

A true story really captures my attention though.

For those of you who love non-fiction,

I'll be writing about another way to share stories and learn--

true stories at that--

podcasts!

Eloise has become a raging fan

and I can't wait to tell you about it next week.

Resting up for the Beast Hunt now.

Time to set the traps.

Eloise