a flutterment and a scufflement

The dogs almost had a bedtime snack last night. Peter Rabbit got cornered on the laneway by three dogs who fancy themselves hunters. Luckily for Peter, Carm was outside and quick to rescue the little cottontail.
Yesterdays warmer temps (-4C!) and bright sun drew me outside for the first time in days. My friend Christina and her farm helper Julia came by for a long walk. It was fantastic, although I barely had enough tissue - my nose was running faster than I could walk.

Today I set a pot of lentils, onion, lemon and broth on the stove to simmer while I readied the house for lunch guests. I made the mistake of telling Spike that Jo Ellen was coming and for the next hour and a half he cried and ran from the window to the door. Silly boy (and really, how can he remember that long?) - you would think, since I am supposedly the more intelligent of the two, that I would know well enough to keep my mouth shut by now!  In the end she finally arrived and after several minutes of jumping around crying with excitement things settled down. Oh, and Spike settled down too!

No fancy chocolates required here (well, maybe sometimes), a simple bag of shiny black Twizzlers will do the trick for rekindling everlasting love (not that it was unkindled).

Argh. I'm looking out the window and if it wasn't for the line of trees on the horizon the dreary grey snow would merge with the dreary grey sky and the dreariness would be complete. The sun has been eclipsed by a thick opaque grey lens that wipes out even the most persistent feeling of happiness.

 

Then all at once there was a flutterment and a scufflement and a loud "Squeak!"
The other squirrels scuttered away into the bushes.
When they came back very cautiously, peeping round the tree--there was Old Brown sitting on his door-step, quite still, with his eyes closed, as if nothing had happened.
But Nutkin was in his waistcoat pocket!
This looks like the end of the story; but it isn't.
~Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin