Autumn leaves, crackling fires, quokkas and puffins at the Bluestocking.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

A new thread - with apologies to the gerbils for leaving them out of the title.

I have a dedicated pair of kitchen Crocs! No holes to drip burning things into!

I won't ask how you know about the reenactment groups...

Yes, I did the Wallace Collection once & that too was impressive. Cafe was in a little courtyard, I think.

Hmm, so I need a pet curlew as well as the toucans. I'll get the builders to put an aviary in while they're at it.

Ohhh I love that video - that chap is the coolest cat.

I was fretting yesterday - I got a text saying I was getting a call about my adult disability payment application, and I had no idea what they were going to ask or say - but in the end, it was just a chap introducing himself as my caseworker and asking permission to contact the GP. Fingers crossed I get a decision fairly soon.

It is grey and miserable here in Scotland, and I didn't bother getting up - and when I did, I took things at a very leisurely pace, so I'm only just getting going on the day. If there is an award for the most slothful Bluestocking, I will claim it! 😂

Good luck with the payment!

Yes, the cafe is in a glass-roofed courtyard, with some very lovely large trees in pots.

Toucans might liven the trees up visually, though I'm not sure crapping on the customers and stealing their food à la seagull would be welcome. Best keep them in the aviary, really.

I tried helping with baling the water out but slipped through one of the holes.

I shall take my toucan on days out. I love him already, & I haven't even won the EuroMillions yet. That's tomorrow.

There's a sign!

Me to a T, @Boiledbeetle!

Sloth of the Day! That's something I could aspire to, if I could be bothered.

Ta da. You are the sign!

However...

I left the gerbils to do the icing!

Sorry!

You get the gist!

How is the "trickle treating" going, ladies? Junior offspring decided we were going to be answering the door this year, so I paid for the sweets but have left him in charge! It's the most relaxed Halloween I've had in years!

Shhhh! I'm out!

Though we've not had anyone at the door.....yet.

Is that a hover-croc?

Yep! New range. I mean there's still some design details to iron out, but next year anyone doing the Dover to France crossing will be able to choose the hovercroc!

Joyful! You would never even know what day of the year it is where I am!

Not a single pumpkin or child to be seen!

Quiet here also. Although I've a black cat insisting on looking longingly out of the front window hoping that a witch flies by. Cat is cross with me for trying to sneak a crushed worm tablet into her evening meal. She's no fool.

We've had lots of visitors, but have taken everything in now. No street lights so we tend not to get anyone much later than this. Apparently a strong dinosaur contingent this year!

One of mine went without tea or breakfast the following day rather than consume the sodding mixed in worming powder.

I'm at the trying to put liquid instead on the back of her head stage. But she senses when I have it unopened in my pocket.

Sigh!

None of this Halloween nonsense in France, apart from the shops selling sweets. No trick or treating. Just the sound of owls every night at the moment.

Pit fire went well, and I went out around 7pm to check that the cats were still avoiding it, and I could see ghostly lights in the woods behind our house. Then smoke, lit up with torches. It was the wrong angle to be the end house whose garden also backs onto the woods but should not be up that far if it was them having a fire.

2 of the cats diligently escorted me as far as I dared to investigate, and as I'd left my torch somewhere and couldn't find it, I was in complete pitch dark in our garden. So one walked me back down the garden to the back door and we both came in.

That was freaky!

We are meeting in the morning to retrieve and wash the pots.

Our area conforms to the convention that kids should only call at houses with pumpkin lamps or other decorations up, which is eminently sensible.

Is it safe to come back?

The (rather nice) chicken pate from the Lidl deLuxe range helped the worm tablets down very smoothly and easily last time. Small yeast-based pills from the vet, enclosed in a cube of pate, offered to two cats in sight of each other so they each feared the other was getting more than they were and had to eat up quick for fear of being robbed.

No doubt next time they'll remember my ruse and refuse to be fooled.

I did try the Lick a lix Dean initially, and no joy. Perhaps I need another cat and have a competition with the cubes as you suggest. Drastic measures.

Boily I did flea treatment on the fur last week. She phoned Catline on me and had me arrested.
Curses! Foiled again!.

Chicken parfait it's called.