I let The Boy out for his morning exercise and when I came back to check on him this is what I saw. The ducks I made friends with last year are back and they have come to realize that my cat is not in any way about that life(probably because he runs in terror every time they flap their wings). It appears that the three of them have collectively decided that as long as he keeps his distance the yard is cohabitable. For his part The Boy is readily agreeable. Every time he stands up they alert, and every time they alert he sits back down until they feel safe again. He seems to not want them to leave. Either that or he doesn't want to get his ass kicked by a couple of birds.

(For what it's worth, I'm not trying to encourage this behavior because I want them to be safe. I watched for a minute and then called him in so they could finish grazing in peace)

A small group of folks are trying to put together some resources to help our friend leave Nigeria for safety reasons. He's a damn good dude who has given a lot of himself to his community and he deserves any help he can get. We're working on putting a zine together and toying with the idea of throwing a benefit concert.

If anyone out there in Mastodonia has any tips or resources or experience they want to share please let me know. I'm deeply committed to helping my friend but I'm also flying by the seat of my pants here. If your band might be interested in doing a benefit show or if you are a zine guru or if you have a line on a decent venue, (preferably outdoors, covid safe) by all means hit me up.

We need to try to pull the trigger on this within the next month or two and any assistance is both welcome and appreciated.