Travelog for: Squab

Hi mummy,

Okuma and I are in the Outside Lands on a hunting trip.  We are fending for ourselves and sleeping in a tree.  We spent all day hiking by the lake and found plenty of food.  We caught ducks, turtles for soup, iguanas which we think are not native here but there they were right on the path. 

I was making friends with some pigeons.  When Okuma went to capture them, I couldn’t take it anymore.  Pigeons  are the same as s-q-u-a-b! Eek! I fainted and Okuma gave me CPR.  Then I explained that I am a vegan and cannot eat meat or fowl, not even pigeon eggs. 

So then we decided to forage for fruits, nuts, seeds, flowers and vegetables.  We found some big apples, lots of edible flowers, some nuts we think someone left for the squirrels, and some strange green fruit on a tree which gave us tummy aches so we stopped eating that.  Then we bonded over a nasturtium and relaxed in our tree house.

We will let you know if there is any truth to the story of the ghost of Stow Lake.  Ooooh, it will be dark soon but Okuma has a big roar and will protect me.

Feeling a little chicken,

Your Squab

Oh Mom!

Last night it was very spooky in the treehouse.  We didn't get much sleep; there was lots of noise, fog, wind, and coyotes howling.  My feathers were ruffled and Okuma's mane stood on end, straight up.  We could hear distant foghorns but miss the sound of cable cars, we are indeed very far from home. Tonight we are moving to the Chinese pavilion because it has better feng shui than the tree.  Feng shui is vital when you are dodging a ghost.  You can see our new house in the upper corner of the fourth photo of yesterday's travelog.  So far, so good.

Your chicken,

Squab

Hi My Dear Readers,

Daytime here by the lake is paradise.  Okuma and I just pick whatever we want to eat off the trees.  We play frisbee, sun ourselves on rocks and move to the warm shade to avoid sunburn.

The weekend is here and we are feasting on human food.  We joined an Earth Day celebration; some picnickers were interested to hear the story of how we are living on our own in the wilderness and especially how we compost and recycle; they welcomed us to eat with them.    Yum, watermelon and potato salad, chips and dip, cole slaw, pie and ah, coffee!

Tonight we will take a walk along the lakeshore and smoke out the ghost of Stow Lake.

Your groovy chicken,

Squab

Hello again from the Outside Lands,

Yep, we saw the ghost last night.  Okuma and I were a little shaky setting up the camera but got these shots.   Don't worry, Mom, the ghost's curse has no effect on lions and chickens. We will live to hunt another day.

Your Squab
Ghost Hunter

ps. We are hitchhiking back to our host's house this afternoon.

Hi Mom and everyone,

DuDu and C.T. Mouse loved the calendar view DuDette and Alex put in their travelogs. We won't spoil the fun by telling which street it is here.  DuDu recognized the blue awning right away.  It is a major one-way commute street into the Financial District and was our host's favorite way of getting to her job at 225 Bush Street.  The next side street on the left is named for the San Francisco writer who wrote a great book about a bird which is the inspiration for the C.T. Mouse Detective Agency.

Ha ha, DuDu says, "I would take the fall for you any day, DuDette, you are the stuff that dreams are made of."  He will send the rest of his message privately.

Live from the gritty streets of San Francisco,

Your Squab

Hi Mom,

We said goodbye to Cheerio and hugged her one by one.  We will miss her a lot but she will have a wonderful time in, that is, I mean, with Yosemite. She is very sad to leave her little brother, Noodles, behind and gave me the big responsibility of helping him with his flying lessons and chatting with him in our secret bird language.

No I don’t see a ghost,

Your fearless Squab

Hi Mum,

DuDu and I went to see a play at Fort Mason and on the way saw some of the decorated boats parading for Opening Day on the Bay, the official start of the boating season and a definite sign of Spring.   A fireboat led the parade, spouting water in all directions.

Revelers aboard one boat broke into The Star Spangled Banner.  People on the pier joined in.  When the singing ended someone on shore shouted, "play ball!". . And we are sure they did at the baseball stadium cross-town.  Go Giants!

We enjoyed the play a lot but weren't quick enough to get into the last shot. It is two of the actors after the play, changed into street clothes, blending in. My host is such a groupie, she follows James Carpenter all over The Bay Area. The actress is Stacy Ross.

Bye for now,

Your Squab

DuDu and I have been busy because the C.T. Mouse Detective Agency is going international.  My brother, Alex, has agreed to open a branch in Berlin.  Guess what, I, too, have been hired, without pay for now since there are cash flow issues. In this economy only married detectives are paid.  So I have two jobs, taking care of Noodles and now I am an assistant detective, wow!  I love both jobs but these people work 24/7.  Alex, when you get a chance, put your feet up on your desk and think about what to put on your business cards, maybe something like, "Alex Squirt, Detective and finder of missing TVs".

Phew, long day, night mum,

Your Squab

It's been dull here the last few days.  C.T. Mouse pops in every once in a while to help us learn the ropes. He quibbles about the wording for our business cards. DuDu and I must have spent two days deciding between "finder of missing TVs" and "finder of lost TVs".

We mastered the art of asking for a big retainer and expenses in advance just in time when a gorgeous doll walked into the office.  After ascertaining that her name isn't Bridget O'Shaughnessy, killer of Miles Archer, Detective, DuDu sent me out for coffee.

When I returned he handed me a wad of cash for expenses and was studying a shocking image on the computer screen, looking for tell-tale clues.  Now we have two cases.  Bye from the seedy side of town,

Your loving Squab
Assistant Detective
C.T. Mouse Detective Agency

DuDu is trying to get us to Berlin to rescue his dear DuDette from diabolical kidnappers.

Yes, this looks like a dark cafe in Berlin, the posters are of Berlin and a Franz Mark painting, and that is Marlene Dietrich singing, "What Am I Bid For My Apple" but the Berliner tastes like banana nut cake.  We must have taken a wrong turn at San Mateo.

 

Okay, Okay, Alex_Squirt, you scoundrel, our cash flow has improved and we will pay you a fat salary.  Our courier will deliver the first installment today at 2:00 am at the radio tower.

 Let the little mouse go!!

Mom!  I might get promoted to detective if I can find DuDette and bring her back to you.  While I was helping Noodles with his flying lessons, we hatched Plan B.  We will ask our friend, The Elf Bear, to lend us Santa's magic sleigh as this is the off-season.  We will bring DuDu, pick up DuDette and drop them off for a vacation; then bring DuDette to you and fly back home.  We're on our way!

Your loving Squab
Assistant Detective
C.T. Mouse Detective Agency

Psst, Alex, meet us at the map location.  We think someone is disguised as you!  The password is Dude.

DuDu gave Okuma and me an assignment today.

All of a sudden it started getting dark too early in the day. We wondered if a ghost was tying to get in through the window.  It was like the end of the world.  DuDu sent us outside to take photos.

Don't worry, Mom, we are okay now.

Thanks for PM’ing us, Mom.  Yes, that was a solar eclipse.  It was very eerie, like someone was dimming the lights. 

DuDu wants to send a message to DuDette  Why am I always the messenger?  I'm still an assistant while DuDu has been promoted to top host here.  DuDette, he says, "we will always have our bench".  Such a romantic; he won't let me near that bench. So I perch on the flowered couch.

Your Squab,
Assistant Detective
C.T. Mouse Detective Agency

Hi there,

Amid lots of hype about the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, we went to the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park to check out an old-fashioned ferryboat built in 1890, the Eureka, which took people and cars between Marin County and San Francisco.  Back in those days commuters could get a full breakfast or dinner at a counter restaurant on board.  We were a little disappointed the top level pilothouse is now off-limits. Here you can see ToyVoyager Rafael steering the boat.

Bye for now,

Squab and DuDu

Hi Mom and all my dear readers,

My host sent me digging into my luggage to bring out my neck scarf. What, summer is coming, I haven't worn it since Finland.  So here's how to talk like a native, "bring out the woollies, summer is here".  They say Mark Twain never said, "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco" but he could have, anyone here could have said it.

There's even bigger excitement here than the start of the summer season.  Okuma and Noodles are packing up to travel east, together!   They are headed for a warmer summer place.  It will be Noodles' first time away from home.  DuDu and I will have to hold down the fort here, way out west.

My hosts says,  now you can walk off into the fog saying, “DuDu, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship".

"Here's looking at you, Kid",
Your Squab