Sailor has had a lot of fun going walking of late. Rich has been taking him over near the softball complex, where he can run free. One day he spotted a jackrabbit and took off after it and the silly hare tripped. Sailor nearly got it, which would have been a sad example of Darwinism. Rich got 10 golfballs one day, and 10 the next with 2 softballs and 2 whiffleballs.

One day I brought Sailor home a new toy. I've been avoiding the soft-animal sort of toy as they are too much like my stuffed animals, and as a pup he did some damage to a stuffed dinosaur. I didn't want to encourage that. However, these squeaky soft monkeys have lots of rope attached, with braided rope limbs and hair and a tail. I couldn't resist, and when I brought it home, neither could Sailor. Unlike Monica and Mark's Shadow, Sailor doesn't play well by himself. He likes to play catch and tug-of-war, and this monkey is fine for both. He kept his squeak toys longer than any dog I've known before, but lately he's been chewing them up like other dogs, so this one is harder to get at. He does love to make the toy squeak.

Rich has been tormenting the dog trying to make him stay when the door is open and he really wants to go. Sailor will look him in the face and explain "arooarowowowaroo" how badly he really REALLY wants out and finally Rich says "OK". Then there's a cartoon-style blur of Sailor's legs till he gets traction and is out the door. Thursday Rich and Sailor were doing this and when the dog was released, a paw landed on the lip of his food bowl. Kibble exploded into the air and all over the kitchen, to the farthest corners, as the dog dashed to freedom. Not a single piece remained in the bowl. I gave Rich a Look, but I cleaned it up while they were gone.

We went to see Wing Commander at Casanunda's insistence. Lordie. At one point I woke from my doze and watched the tearful farewell of one pilot to his girlfriend and mumbled "OK, give that man an Oscar." The special effects were fine, but on the whole, it was pretty awful, and I don't even play the game to make it worthwhile. The couple of times I tried I got shot down instantly, and it's not really my sort of game anyway. Outside the theater we saw a couple of guys being interviewed by the newspaper. Sure enough, it was about the Star Wars trailer. (We've already vowed to miss opening day. It'll be a zoo and we can all three go the following week.) I mumbled something about the newspaper not covering the child-abuse family, nor the anti-Clinton-the-rapist demonstrations, but they're all over this story.
He went to the bookstore while I went to Kymm's type of store, Crabtree & Evelyn, and bought a "Romance" pack (candle, massage oil, bath oil, and scent with a dispenser: we'll probably prove to be allergic!) for (ouch!) $48. (This better be worth it!) Then down to the Sacramento Ballet office where I got my coupon turned in for a couple of tickets to Rodeo. I'm looking forward to this.

Friday night we were invited, as members, to the free opening of the Bug Zone at the Sacramento Zoo. I think all 11,000 members went. The line was lengthy. We alternated heading off to different parts of the Zoo. I was a bit disappointed. The white tigers, on loan till next month, were apparently in their cave. The lions were great, though, draped all over the rocks in a sound sleep. A snow leopard yawned hugely then turned his back on us. The zebra colt is not out in the public eye yet. The polar bear was just out sitting. The orangutans were in, worse luck.
There are working Zookeys! Apparently these are rented and returned.
The flamingos were spreading their wings and displaying. It's rather disconcerting when lawn ornaments act up like that!

There were huge "tulips" and "bugs" on the path to the tent. Some factoids I picked up: The common housefly beats its wings 20,000 times a second.
The Monarch caterpillar grows 2700 times its original size in just two weeks.

The children in line were thrilled to see a SQUIRREL! I was reminded of taking baby Roni to the Denver Zoo and her fascination with "ANTS!" Some kids peeled off to the reptile house and came back to report to Mom: "We saw an Angie Conda, and a big ol' snake!"

A woman came by with an African millipede to pet. No thank you.

The exhibit itself was OK, far too crowded, but a typical bug exhibit, all kinds of things you'd really rather not see but you can't look away. You know, Madagascar hissing cockroaches and scorpions and tarantulas. I'd never before seen an Egyptian Sun Spider. I guess my life was incomplete.

Then this morning we went on a walk along the New York Creek Trail in El Dorado Hills. I had no idea this was there. It goes along right behind houses, but it seems pretty rural, especially as the first things you see are signs warning of cougar, rattlesnakes, and poison oak. Wow, THIS is fun. Actually, it's very nice. There were 21 people on the walk, of 3.6 miles, so it was successful. Driving there we saw 4 deer and two wild turkeys. Then we were going against a group of people training for a marathon. They'll be running in either San Diego or Vancouver in May for Leukemia. (I talked to a couple of the laggards.)

Home to watch that TERRIFIC Gonzaga-Stanford game. I guess the NCAA now knows they SHOULD have picked GU last year. I guess they know that the 'Zags won as much as Minnesota lost! What a cliffhanger!