Saturday Morning Critters

I have not yet had a chance to finish my first cup of coffee and already this morning I have dealt with monkeys, turtles and raccoons.

A special someone requested monkey bread for breakfast on this, his special day.  Since special days around our house are usually three steps down from low key and I would never, ever pass up a chance to stuff my face full of monkey bread, I was all too eager to oblige.

After dinner last night, I hauled out my trusty bread / cake / dough maker and tossed in all the ingredients. All but the egg - don't want the egg sitting outside it's refrigerated home overnight.  I was talking to Randy at the time, and afterwards couldn't remember if I had put in the correct amount of flour.

I am unable to talk and use my bread maker at the same time.  Just ask Jim and Marcia about the raisin bread I tried to make them while I was talking.

Anyway ~

I figured that I could figure it out in the morning when the dough started kneading.  If it looked too wet, I would just add more flour until it made a smooth and round lump of dough.  Sure nuff, this morning, I ended up adding close to a cup of flour.

The next step was the caramel for the monkey bread.  The caramel sauce is very easy.  I was melting my 1/2 cup of butter, which all Betty Crocker's know is one stick.  Hmmm ... something is wrong here.  I realized that last night, when I put in the butter for the dough, I put in a whole stick of butter.  The recipe called for 1/4 cup.

The name of the recipe is 'Butter Rich Dough'.  Today it will be a bit richer than normal.

The monkey is in the oven working on his second rise.  Roxy is making her first venture outside to see what awaits her.  You would think that her first order of business would be the Double P's.  Nope, this dog sits on the steps of the deck and surveys her surroundings.  If there isn't anything interestingly sniffalicious in that immediate area, she moves on to her rock over by the apartment to observe her domain from there.

This morning, she called Randy's attention to a turtle in my one and only flower bed.  Knowing that it was a picture-worthy moment, Randy then called my attention to a turtle in my one and only flower bed.  He said that I needed to hurry 'cause the turtle was getting away.

Funny guy, that Randy.

Anyway ~

I snapped some pictures of him (her? How do you check?) and then went back to the science experiment that is making my morning coffee.

Ahhh ... a cool and quiet summer morning.  A steaming hot cup of coffee beside me.  The sun starting to peak through the clouds.  A soft breeze blowing.  Did I mention that it was quiet?

'Was' being a key component in that sentence.

Roxy is out in the woods and has started to bark.  Lordy be, this dog is loud.  Since she is part hound, she also has that hound-howl sound to her bark.

I need to record Roxy's bark.  I have the bright idea to use it as a ringtone on my phone.  Randy and I have become 'those people' who think their dog's barking is cute and adorable.

Just because we are out in the woods doesn't mean that we don't have neighbors that can hear her.  I walk up to the top of the driveway to see what the commotion is all about.  A baby raccoon is in a small tree at the edge of the road.  Scared to death and wanting his (her?  How can you tell?) momma.

The compassionate thing to do would be to grab Roxy by her collar and haul her inside the house.  Picture-worthy always trumps compassionate.

Have the BEST day ever!
~ Dorothy