weofodthignen

The other day, I was waiting for the light at a busy corner, along with a couple of other pedestrians, when a bus came along and turned in front of us. It was an articulated bus, which is hard enough to get used to away from El Camino, but also as soon as it started to turn it announced very loudly and presumably without human prompting, "Bus is turning! Bus is turning!" It had the light, of course, so I wonder who the intended audience is. Cyclists who would already be under its wheels if the driver hadn't given way to them? The blind, who are less likely than the sighted to step off the kerb before they have the right of way? Anyone standing on the kerb right on the corner, who might get clipped if the driver turned too sharply? But the law's quite clear, turning too sharply and clipping people, or not giving way if a pedestrian did happen to be in the crosswalk, is a major offence, especially for a bus driver, not to mention very bad driving. It's not buses that need those warnings, it's some people's cars. Anyway, it did prove I still have some hearing left. Message received. Bus is turning.

I managed not to water Mama Violet. Took out recycling after dark, looked down, and she was lurking by the trash cans. When I came out with food, she was next to the door, but of course she hissed me out as I put it down. I hope she shares it with her kids. They were both around earlier but made themselves scarce because of the watering ... and the arrival of the new Maine Coon.

When I peeked around the end of the garage in early afternoon, Mama Violet was back where she'd been yesterday. I could see her because she was washing herself—she's well camouflaged. And her kids came by for breakfast. The filet mignon people must have slept late.

We tried Lucky's and will possibly make it our alternating supermarket, though it was bad on some things. It was our basic supermarket when it was Albertson's; I think it was the one that we originally replaced with Nob Hill. But we had a different balance of staples back then; one of the things I remember being very sad that Lucky's didn't carry was multipacks of teriyaki bowls. Way, way too much sodium for me to eat now.

The season's first turning on of the heating, and the season's first raking. It was fresh enough that my long walk was quite bracing.

When I picked up the newspaper (which was there as it was supposed to be), I saw Mama Violet walking down the driveway from the very top. But she didn't get to eat because when I came out again after changing the water—the raccoons had mucked it up—Sammy the tabby had arrived. I checked later and the wet food bowl was empty and she was waiting.

Next to a small block of flats facing the railway line, there's an unpaved empty lot that had been used as parking for years, including sometimes for a small company truck and sometimes for cars that didn't run. Then this summer someone moved a mobile home onto it (leaving space for others to get past and park) and they were presumably living in it, because after it got ticketed and went away, it came back. Now the city has put up two "no trespassing" signs with the "car will be towed" symbol, and even installed posts blocking the kerb cut. Seems draconian, and I didn't know it was even city land. The flats have hardly any parking.

I glimpsed Monty on the fence and put out food for him. Someone munched some of it. Meanwhile his mum is still flattening my succulents. I had to stand there and gently start the hose at the edge of the bed to get her to hop out so I could water.

Saw all three cats today. Prudence was napping on the neighbours' shed roof. Mama Violet was lying in the same flowerbed as yesterday, like a dragon in her lair. Monty walked up to near me on the top of the high fence, but when I put down food for him, didn't come down to eat, presumably because of his scary mum. Someone later ate the food. Hopefully one or more of the cats.

Still hot but a little less so, and the Chron weather guy has started catastrophising about the temperature plummeting this weekend. I doubt I'll need a fat coat.

Mama Violet wasn't lying in the driveway today. When it got cooler and I went out to water, I saw her lying in the backyard, next to the hearth I use to blót and have potted nasturtiums grouped around. She didn't appreciate my getting the hose out, but returned after dark.

It was too hot to mow, but I must do it tomorrow. Meanwhile somebody knocked over the two bean poles that I've trained self-sown morning glories up, beside the compost bins. I rammed them back into the dirt. Maybe I should put a sign next to them, "This is not a cat ladder. Use the tree."

Saw all three cats today. And Sammy the tabby, who may or may not have a home. Mama Violet did not appreciate my being in the driveway doing watering.

And before that I swept the driveway. The housemate took the car out and the need was revealed.

We shopped. I think we were both stocking up in case wherever we go in two weeks' time doesn't have something. I had to get creative to fit my stuff in the big freezer.