Bad Bunny & So Much More

As always, if there is a lot going on in life, there doesn't seem to be time to update the blog. Here is a quick catch up with the Wilhelms and our happenings for the last couple of months.

The end of October saw Alan's 80th birthday. We had a gathering of friends out here. We had some beautiful weather, fun guests and delicious food. We hope he turns 80 again next year so we can do this again! Here are Alan and some of his friends.

Rex and John and Susan looked like they were having an especially good time. I think I see a belly laugh there.

Immediately following Alan's gathering was our annual Halloween party. We went as Han Solo and Princess Leia.

Here is Amira dressed as one of her favorite band members from Twenty One Pilots. And this is her friend, Eily. They have been friends since kindergarten. In fact, this is the friend with whom Amira got into the hair cutting shenanigans post Halloween several years ago. Looks like they have both grown it back out. 

Usually the teenagers can't be found when the adults get together. But a rogue group of boys came through when I had my camera out. Gotcha! (Rex is dressed like "an old man with glasses" in the photo below).

I finally have some good action photos of Rex at one of his paintball tournaments. I cannot take credit for the below photos. But Rex was kind enough to get ahold of them and share. Looks like a real pro! And he shoots like one too. I'm impressed.

Now I do have a story about my little Ramon. You can see him pictured here, on my keyboard. He's my new office assistant. As you can see in the photo here, the poor guy has no tail.

 Yes, Buster. Why does Ramon have no tail? Well, I'll tell you.

I had been taking Ramon out each day to socialize him. But I am always wary of the cat. I suggested to Rex that maybe he should take Ramon out and play with him in his room since it is sort of a sanctuary where the cat does not lurk. It's usually just Rex and Buster hanging out. Well, that day after school I noticed that Ramon had not been taken out to play. So I carried the little bird down the hall and placed him on Rex's shoulder. I should mention that Rex's back was to me and that he had his headphones on. So, the act of placing anything on his shoulder was a bit startling. As Rex jumped with surprise, Ramon popped up into the air. And since his wings are clipped he quickly plunged down onto the carpet in front of Buster who was lounging like Cleopatra on the carpet. "Chirp!" said Ramon. Buster sat up and perked her ears forward and twitched her nose and whiskers at him. "Chirp!" said Ramon again. So Buster gave a hop closer and put her twitching nose up to Ramon. Ramon turned his head toward her and clamped down on her twitching nose with his small but powerful beak.

Well, I've never seen anything happen so quickly in my life. Buster reared up and backwards, exposing her extra large hind hoppers and slammed back down onto ... Ramon! There was a poof of feathers and utter silence. I was pretty sure she killed my bird.

Alas, it turns out that was mostly Ramon's tail. Poor birdie. No tail. He no longer visits Rex's room. That is entirely Buster's domain. Actually, maybe the reason the cat doesn't visit Buster's room is because she might stomp him too. She looks cute. But she is pretty ferocious.

I got a play area for him and put it on my desk next to my computer. Bunny free zone.

Valerie continues to keep herself busy with far too many classes at school and her FFA projects. This weekend she will take her sheep out for shearing and to get an ultrasound to see if we can expect a lamb or two in the near future. I snapped the below picture of her over lunch. That is the classic look of a teenager if I have ever seen one.

The girls and I managed to get a girls night out recently. We went for sushi, bowling and a movie. We saw Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Fun movie. Fun night out with the girls. 

Thanksgiving came around again quicker than usual (or so it seemed). I just love a big dinner with the extended family. The cousins came down from Portland along with their exchange student, Zoe, and their former student, Adeline, who is now attending U.C. Davis. Dave came back from Spain just in time to join us. And my friend, Kelley, the Critter Sitter, also enjoyed dinner with us. The more the merrier, I say!

 Suddenly we found ourselves in the month of December. Amira's Girl Scout troop used the funds they earned from selling nuts/candy/magazines to attend the Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. They worked with a professional comic artist to learn how to develop character/setting/plot and tell a story within four panels. After the class and a tour of the museum, they went next door for lunch at the Warm Puppy Cafe and then ice skating. Amira is the 2nd in from the left in the photo below with Charlie Brown.

Here are Elizabeth, Amira, Sarah & Marissa sporting their troop t-shirts and jackets at the ice rink. Super hero scouts.

And now we hunker down for a chilly December and enjoy the last few weeks of 2016.