T.

These are from yesterdays walk. Notice the presence of the sun!

I've been informed that local residents have been enjoying a great

deal of sun and absence of rain. Let's hope it stays. Word is that

gloom has once more descended upon my birth city of Seattle.

Last night our internet connection at the house mysteriously

disappeared -- everything showed that we were connected

but alas no service. We were bereft! Forlorn! We are so addicted

to this instant hook-up to the greater universe. And now, mercifully,

it's back, with news of Reilly's New! Job! Yay! Full-time! Now he can

start paying rent, car insurance, etc..... 

We dined at our favorite Westport restaurant yesterday --

Mediterraneo. It's Sicilian, a narrow slip of a space between

buildings, with the entrance off an alley-of-sorts. Ezio,

the owner, is a narrow slip of a man who always wears

very tight jeans and a white shirt, and sashays between

tables with a certain Italian-style savoir faire.

The portions are always generous. My choice was 

thinly-sliced steak -- stuffed with cherry tomatoes,

sultanas and onions, then rolled, sliced and skewered,

served with a side of the most divine deep-fried potatoes

imaginable (not unlike those at Antoine's in New Orleans).

I asked for a take-home bag but it didn't appear, and when

asked about it, the waitress hedged and Ezio good-naturedly

accused me of not finishing my dinner because I didn't like it,

then he whisked himself away as if he would miss his part

in the dance if he lingered a moment longer. Upon payment,

still no leftovers, and Ezio refused a tip, claiming that we were

"V.I.P" customers. Oops! I suspect those lovely steak and 

potato bits had landed in the trash. 

A cat visited -- a calico with bright orange

and black patches on a white ground, with a stub-of-a-tail

broken and gnarled at the tip. Talkative and a purr

like a small engine, she rolled over and over, showing

her belly -- to me! A stranger! Looks like I'll be getting

my cat fix while I'm here.