Good morning. 🌨️❄️☃️
6 October 2025
Storm Door Dispatches
I’m about to drink a cup of coffee, then head out for a walk—just me and Charlie McGee.
Coffee and quiet in the morning: one of life’s remaining pleasures. I drink mine black and have noticed that as it cools, a bitter taste creeps in. Or maybe I should say a bitterer taste. I know the tricks to tame the bitterness, but I rarely take the time to use them. So it ends up being just plain black coffee. Lately, I’ve turned to dark roast—it’s a little smoother than medium, me thinks.
I’m not sure where Charlie is at this exact moment, but my guess is he’s stationed at the back storm door, keeping watch over the yard for the bad squirrels. They raid my birdfeeders, and one of Charlie’s self-appointed duties is to chase them off. It’s a task he takes on with extreme vigor.
The thing is, the squirrels know the storm door is a barrier. They know Charlie can’t get out unless I let him. So they taunt him—turning the backyard into their playground while he watches, pacing and growling. That is, until I show up and open the door. Then—uh oh—squirrels and birds scatter toward the fence and the forest. It’s routine, but it never gets old.
I said squirrels and birds, but truth be told, Charlie tolerates the birds. He even watches them with me when we’re out back. But when he goes charging across the yard, all critters—feathered or furred—know to clear the way.
“Coffee is a liquid hug for your brain.” – Danny Kaye
“My fashion philosophy is, if you're not covered in dog hair, your life is empty.” – Elayne Boosler
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein
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